Dropped-ball

A dropped-ball (or drop-ball) is a method of restarting play in a game. 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.

A drop-ball is used to restart play when the referee has stopped play for any reason not listed for another form of restart. Examples include when play has been stopped due to serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective.

Law 9 provides for a dropped-ball restart if the ball touches a match official, remains on the field of play, and any of the following occur:

• a team starts a promising attack;
• the ball goes directly into the goal; or
• there is a change in possession.

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.

Following changes to the Laws of the Game, the dropped ball is explicitly awarded to a specific player:

• the goalkeeper of the defending team, if the ball was in the penalty area when play was stopped, or the ball was last touched in the penalty area;
• a player of the team that last touched the ball, in all other cases.

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.

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.

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.

If a player touches the ball before it touches the ground, the drop-ball is retaken. 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. A dropped ball is the only restart which allows the first player who touches the ball to touch it a second time without penalty.

The rule change also provided for a dropped ball restart for certain situations involving the ball touching a match official. 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.