SRSport Rules
Football

Restarts decide more than people think.

Throw-ins, corners, and goal kicks look routine, but they create arguments about where the ball should be placed, when it is in play, whether a goal can count directly, and what happens when the taker touches it twice.

Quick ruling: first identify why the ball left play, then check which team restarts, whether the restart was taken correctly, and whether the ball had entered play before the next offence happened.
Decision path

How the referee checks it

  1. Decide whether the whole ball crossed the touchline or goal line.
  2. Identify who last touched it before it went out.
  3. Choose the restart: throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, kick-off after a goal, or another restart if an offence came first.
  4. Check the restart procedure: location, ball placement, opponent distance, and legal delivery.
  5. Once the ball is in play, judge any second touch, foul, handball, or offside from that new phase.
Throw-ins

What makes a throw legal

  • Both hands and over the head: the ball must be delivered with both hands from behind and over the head.
  • Feet matter: part of each foot must be on the touchline or outside the field at delivery.
  • No direct goal: a goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. The restart changes depending on which goal the ball enters.
  • The ball must enter the field: if it hits the ground before entering, the same team retakes it from the same spot.
Goal kicks

When the ball is live

A goal kick is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. It no longer has to leave the penalty area before teammates can play it, but opponents must start outside the penalty area unless they had no time to leave.

Corner kicks

Direct goals and second touches

A player can score directly from a corner against the opponents. The kicker cannot play the ball a second time before it touches another player; if they do, the restart is usually an indirect free kick unless the second touch is a handball offence.

Common argument

"It barely went out"

It is not enough for the ball to touch the line. The whole ball must cross the whole line, whether in the air or on the ground. If any part of the ball is still above the line, play continues.