A dropped-ball (or drop-ball) is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It is used when play has been stopped due to reasons other than normal gameplay, fouls, or misconduct. The situations requiring a dropped-ball restart are outlined in Law 8 and Law 9 of the Laws of the Game; Law 8 also contains the dropped-ball procedure. [1]
A dropped ball is used to restart play when the referee has stopped play, and the laws do not specify a different method of restarting the match; a full list is given below.
In games which use video assistant referees (VAR), if a VAR review determines that play should not have been stopped, such as when a decision to award a penalty is reversed, play is restarted with a dropped ball at the point of the incorrect call. [2]
Following changes to the Laws of the Game effective from June 2019, the dropped ball is explicitly awarded to a specific player: [1]
The ball is dropped by the referee at the point where the ball was last touched by a player, official, or outside agent, unless this is within the penalty area (or the ball was in the penalty area when play was stopped), in which case the ball is dropped within the penalty area. [1]
All players of either side, other than the designated player, must be 4 metres (4.4 yd) away from the ball until it touches the ground. [1]
The ball becomes in play as soon as it touches the ground. No player may touch the ball until it has touched the ground. If the ball leaves the field of play before it has been touched by a player (including if the ball enters either goal), the drop-ball is retaken. [3]
If a player touches the ball before it touches the ground, the drop-ball is retaken. [3] If a player persistently touches the ball before it touches the ground, and the referee believes that the player is deliberately doing so, this may be considered misconduct and the referee may caution the player with a yellow card for delaying the restart of play.
A goal may not be scored from a dropped ball until it has been touched by two different players. If the ball enters either goal without having been touched by two players, the result is a goal-kick or corner-kick. [1] A dropped ball is the only restart which allows the first player who touches the ball to touch it a second time without penalty. [4]
The following are the situations in which the 2020 Laws of the Game specify that play should be restarted with a dropped ball:
In 1888, a new law was added to the rules of association football allowing the referee to restart the game after a temporary suspension of play by "throwing up the ball at the spot where play was suspended". The ball could not be played until it had touched the ground. [6] In 1905, the referee was instructed to "throw the ball down" rather than up, [7] and in 1914, to "drop the ball". [8]
In 1984, a special case was added for a dropped ball within the goal area; instead of being dropped at the point where play was suspended, the ball would be dropped at the closest point on the six-yard line. This change was made in order to avoid "crowding" and "jostling". [9]
In 2012, scoring a goal directly from a dropped ball was forbidden (if the dropped ball was kicked directly into the goal, a goal-kick or corner-kick was awarded instead). The justification given by the Football Association for this change was that "[t]here have been a number of occasions where goals have been scored from 'uncontested' dropped balls ... We then have the unseemly situation where the opposition allows the team to score from the kick-off without any players trying to stop them in order to rebalance the game." [10] In 2016, it was further required that the ball must touch two players before going into the goal; if it does not do so, the goal is disallowed and play is restarted with a goal-kick or corner-kick. [11]
In 1891, an infringement of the laws at a dropped ball (for example, playing the ball before it touched the ground) was punished with an indirect free kick to the opposition. [12] This penalty was removed in 1937, [13] and replaced with a retake. [14]
In 2019, the contested dropped ball was abolished. [1] The dropped ball still took place, but was awarded to:
All other players, of both teams, were required to be at least 4 metres from the ball until it touched the ground. [1]
Before 2019, any number of players from either side were allowed to contest a dropped ball. However, this rarely occurred, as many players sportingly elected to kick the ball out of play when an event requiring the stoppage of play – most often an injury – occurred. Contested drop balls became exceedingly rare in the modern game. [15] After the situation had been resolved, the opposing team typically, but not always, conceded possession to the other team after returning the ball into play via the throw-in, as a gesture of good sportsmanship. [16] When the referee did stop play and a dropped ball occurred, a similar return of possession was almost always made from the restart, with the ball being kicked back to the original possessors' defence. [17] [15]
The official justification given for this change was that "[t]he [previous] dropped ball procedure often leads to a 'manufactured' restart which is 'exploited' unfairly (e.g. kicking the ball out for a throw-in deep in the opponents' half) or an aggressive confrontation. Returning the ball to the team that last played it (had possession) restores what was 'lost' when play was stopped, except in the penalty area where it is simpler to return the ball to the goalkeeper. To prevent that team gaining an unfair advantage, all players of both teams, except the player receiving the ball, must be at least 4 m (4.5 yds) away." [1] : 161
The 2019 rule change also provided for a dropped ball restart for certain situations involving the ball touching a match official. [1] Previously, the match officials were considered part of the field and play continued if the ball touched an official regardless of the result, unless the ball went out of play for a different reason such as going out of bounds. The rule change allows the referee to stop play and award a dropped ball if either team gains an advantage from the ball touching an official. The official explanation for this change was that "[i]t can be very unfair if a team gains an advantage or scores a goal because the ball has hit a match official, especially the referee". [1] : 161
| Date | Action of referee | Ball may be played before touching the ground | Designated player | Minimum distance required (all players other than designated player) | Attacking goal may be scored | Own goal may be scored | Place of restart | Remedy for infringement | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | Throw the ball up | No | None (any players may contest for the ball) | — | Yes | Yes | At the place where play was suspended | None specified | 1888 |
| 1891 | Indirect free kick | 1891 | |||||||
| 1905 | Throw the ball down | 1905 | |||||||
| 1914 | Drop the ball | 1914 | |||||||
| 1937 | Retake | 1937 | |||||||
| 1984 | At the place where play was suspended, but on the six-yard line if within the goal area | 1984 | |||||||
| 2012 | No | No | 2012 | ||||||
| 2019 | Goalkeeper of defending team (if ball was in penalty area when play stopped, or ball was last touched in penalty area) One player of last team to touch ball (otherwise) | 4 metres (4.4 yd) | In the penalty area (if ball was in penalty area when play stopped, or ball was last touched in penalty area) At the place where the ball last touched a player, outside agent, or match official (otherwise) | 2019 |
Offside is one of the laws in association football, codified in Law 11 of the Laws of the Game. The law states that a player is in an offside position if any of their body parts, except the hands and arms, are in the opponents' half of the pitch, and closer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
A penalty kick is a method of restarting play in association football, in which a player is allowed to take a single shot at the goal while it is defended only by the opposing team's goalkeeper. It is awarded when an offence punishable by a direct free kick is committed by a player in their own penalty area. The shot is taken from the penalty spot, which is 11 m from the goal line and centred between the touch lines.
A try is a way of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area. Rugby union and league differ slightly in defining "grounding the ball" and the "in-goal" area. In rugby union a try is worth 5 points, in rugby league a try is worth 4 points.
Dead ball is a term in many ball sports in which the ball is deemed temporarily not playable, and no movement may be made with it. Depending on the sport, this event may be quite routine, or more uncommon.
The Laws of the Game are the codified rules of association football. The laws mention the number of players a team should have, the game length, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls that referees may penalise, the offside law, and many other laws that define the sport. During a match, it is the task of the referee to interpret and enforce the Laws of the Game.
In rugby football, the penalty is the main disciplinary sanction available to the referee to penalise players who commit deliberate infringements. The team who did not commit the infringement are given possession of the ball and may either kick it towards touch, attempt a place kick at goal, or tap the ball with their foot and run it. It is also sometimes used as shorthand for penalty goal.
A corner kick is the method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, without a goal being scored and having last been touched by a member of the defending team. The kick is taken from the corner of the field of play nearest to the place where the ball crossed the goal line.
A goal kick is a method of restarting the play in a game of association football. Its procedure is dictated by Law 16 of the Laws of the Game.
A throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball has exited the side of the field of play. It is governed by Law 15 of the Laws of the Game. In Scotland it is known as a shy.
A kick-off is the method of starting and, in some cases, restarting play in a game of association football. The rules concerning the kick-off are part of Law 8 of the Laws of the Game.
In the sport of association football, fouls and misconduct are acts committed by players which are deemed by the referee to be unfair and are subsequently penalised. An offence may be a foul, misconduct or both depending on the nature of the offence and the circumstances in which it occurs. Fouls and misconduct are addressed in Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. A foul is an unfair act by a player, deemed by the referee to contravene the game's laws, that interferes with the active play of the game. Fouls are punished by the award of a free kick to the opposing team. A list of specific offences that can be fouls are detailed in Law 12 of the Laws of the Game ; these mostly concern unnecessarily aggressive physical play and the offence of handling the ball. An infringement is classified as a foul when it meets all the following conditions:
The ball in and out of play is the ninth law of the Laws of the Game of association football, and describes to the two basic states of play in the game.
Rugby union is a contact sport that consists of two teams of fifteen players. The objective is to obtain more points than the opposition through scoring tries or kicking goals over eighty minutes of playing time. The play is started with one team drop-kicking the ball from the halfway line towards the opposition. The rugby ball can be moved up the field by either carrying it or kicking it. However, when passing the ball it can only be thrown laterally or backward. The opposition can stop players moving up the field by tackling them. Only players carrying the ball can be tackled and once a tackle is completed the opposition can compete for the ball. Play continues until a try is scored, the ball crosses the side line or dead-ball line, or an infringement occurs. After a team scores points, the non-scoring team restarts the game at the halfway with a drop kick toward the opposition. The team with the most points at the end wins the game.
This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of rugby union. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics.
A penalty in rugby union is the main disciplinary sanction available to the referee to penalise a team who commit deliberate infringements. The team who did not commit the infringement are given possession of the ball and they may either kick it towards touch, attempt a place kick at goal, or tap the ball with their foot and run. It is also sometimes used as shorthand for penalty goal.
In sports, out of bounds refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the field. The legality of going out of bounds, and the ease of prevention, vary by sport. Sports that use this term include American football, Canadian football, field lacrosse, basketball, rugby union, rugby league, and association football.
The laws of Rugby Union are defined by World Rugby and dictate how the game should be played. They are enforced by a referee, generally with the help of two assistant referees.
In games of association football, teams compete to score the most goals during the match. A goal is scored when the ball passes completely over a goal line at either end of the field of play between two centrally positioned upright goal posts 24 feet (7.32 m) apart and underneath a horizontal crossbar at a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) — this frame is itself referred to as a goal. Each team aims to score at one end of the pitch, while preventing their opponents from scoring at the other end. Nets are usually attached to the goal frame to catch goalscoring balls, but the ball is not required to touch the net.
Futsal began in the 1930s in South America as a version of association football, taking elements of its parent game into an indoor format so players could still play during inclement weather. Over the years, both sports have developed, creating a situation where the two sports share common traits while also hosting various differences.
A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.
In the event of any temporary suspension of play from any cause, the ball not having gone into touch, or behind the goal-line, the game shall be re-started by the referee throwing up the ball at the spot where play was suspended, and the players on either side shall not play the ball until it has touched the ground.
In the event of any temporary suspension of play from any cause, the ball not having gone into touch or behind the goal-line, the Referee shall throw the ball down where it was when play was suspended, and it shall be in play when it has touched the ground. If the ball goes into touch or behind the goal-line before it is played by a player, the Referee shall again throw it down. The players on either side shall not play the ball until it has touched the ground.
In the event of any infringement of rules 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, or 16, a free kick shall be forfeited to the opposite side, from the spot where the infringement took place [emphasis added]
The Committee agreed that if an infringement of Law 16 [the dropped ball] is committed the referee should again drop the ball
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