SRSport Rules
Football - Law 8

A drop ball restarts play when no other restart fits.

A dropped ball is used when the referee stops play and the Laws do not require a free kick, penalty kick, throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, or kick-off. It is not a contested bounce-up between two players. The referee drops the ball for one player, and everyone else must keep the required distance.

Quick ruling: if play is stopped for a reason that has no specific restart, the referee restarts with a dropped ball. Inside the penalty area it is dropped for the defending goalkeeper; outside the penalty area it goes to the team the referee judges had, kept, or would have gained possession if that can be determined.
Decision path

How the referee checks it

  1. Confirm that play was stopped while the ball was in play.
  2. Check whether another law gives a specific restart, such as a free kick, penalty kick, throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, or kick-off.
  3. If no specific restart applies, use a dropped ball.
  4. Identify where the ball was when play stopped, unless the stoppage came from contact with a match official or outside agent.
  5. Decide who receives the dropped ball: the defending goalkeeper if the ball was in the penalty area, or the appropriate team outside the penalty area.
  6. Make sure all other players are at least 4 metres from the ball until it is in play.
Core rule

What a dropped ball is for

A dropped ball is the law's neutral restart for interruptions that are not offences by a player and are not ordinary out-of-play restarts. Common examples include a serious injury when no foul has been called, a defective ball during play, an accidental whistle, interference from an outside agent, or certain cases where the ball hits a match official and play has to be stopped.

Not contested

Only one player receives the ball

Modern football no longer uses the old contested drop ball as a normal procedure. The referee drops the ball for one player from the team entitled to the restart. Opponents and team-mates must stay at least 4 metres away until the ball touches the ground and is in play.

Penalty area

The goalkeeper gets it inside the penalty area

If the ball was in the penalty area when play was stopped, the dropped ball is for the defending team's goalkeeper in that penalty area. This applies even if the attacking team had the ball or was about to shoot. The rule gives a clean restart in the most crowded and sensitive part of the field.

Outside the box

Possession is the main question

Outside the penalty area, the referee drops the ball for one player of the team that had possession, retained possession, or would have gained possession if that can be determined. If the referee cannot determine that clearly, the ball is dropped for one player of the team that last touched it.

Going out

A likely restart can matter

If play is stopped as the ball is going out of play, the referee can consider which team would have received the next restart. For example, if the ball was clearly about to cross the goal line for a goal kick before the stoppage, that expected possession can guide who receives the dropped ball.

Location

Where the ball is dropped

Usually, the ball is dropped at its position when play was stopped. If the stoppage happened because the ball hit a match official or an outside agent, the drop is taken from the position of that contact or interference instead. Inside the penalty area, the restart is still for the defending goalkeeper.

Referee contact

Not every referee touch stops play

The ball is not automatically dead just because it touches the referee. Play is stopped for a dropped ball only in the specific referee-contact cases covered by the law, such as when the touch creates a promising attack, the ball goes directly into the goal, or possession changes team. Otherwise, play can continue.

Timing

The ball must touch the ground first

The ball is in play when it touches the ground. If a player kicks or plays it before it has touched the ground, the dropped ball is taken again. A player who is not entitled to take part and refuses to retreat the required distance can be managed by the referee and may be cautioned if they delay or ignore the instruction.

Goals

You cannot score directly from it

A goal cannot be scored directly from a dropped ball. If the dropped ball enters the opponents' goal without touching at least two players, the restart is a goal kick. If it enters the player's own goal without touching at least two players, the restart is a corner kick to the opponents.

Common arguments

Misunderstandings to avoid

  • "Both teams should contest it" is outdated. The referee drops the ball for one player, with everyone else 4 metres away.
  • "The team that last touched it always gets it" is too broad. Outside the penalty area, possession or likely possession is considered first when the referee can determine it.
  • "The attacking team gets it back in the penalty area" is wrong. If the ball was in the penalty area when play stopped, the defending goalkeeper receives the dropped ball.
  • "A referee touch always means a drop ball" is wrong. Only certain referee-contact outcomes require play to stop.
  • "Fair play means giving it back" is a sporting choice after the restart, not a legal requirement built into every dropped ball.