Ball in & ballout of playBall in & ballout of play

During a match, the ball is out of play when:

• it completely crosses the touchline or goal line on the ground or in the air
• it touches the referee or other match official and goes directly into the goal
• it touches the referee or other match official, stays on the pitch and a promising attack or change of possession occurs
• the referee stops play

At all other times, the ball is in play, including if it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or corner flagpost and stays on the pitch.

For more detailed information on this topic in the Laws of the Game, click here.