Law 9 - The Ball In and Out of Play

Ball out of play
The ball is out of play when:

• it has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line whether on the ground or in the air
• play has been stopped by the referee

Ball in play
The ball is in play at all other times, including when:

• it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or corner flag post and remains in the field of play
• it rebounds off either the referee or an assistant referee when they are on the field of play

The ball inside the field of play touches a person other than a player
If, when the ball is in play, it touches the referee or an assistant referee who is temporarily on the field of play, play continues because the referee and the assistant referees are part of the match.