Ball in and out of play

The ball remains in play from the beginning of each period to the end of that period, except when: The first criterion can be phrased as "all of the ball must cross all of the line" and is of particular importance in decisions regarding goals.

The question of whether the ball has crossed the line has often caused controversy in high-profile matches, such as in the example of Geoff Hurst's goal in the 1966 World Cup Final, that put England 3-2 up over West Germany in extra time.

[2] The Law specifically notes that the ball remains in play if it rebounds off a goal frame or corner flag (both of which are considered "neutral elements" of the game) onto the field, or in any case of the ball touching a match official that is not mentioned above.

Until 2019, match officials were also considered neutral elements, so a goal that rebounded on a referee in the pitch would be considered valid, such as what happened with Brazilian referee José de Assis Aragão in a 1983 match.

For example, if the ball has gone out of play because the ball was kicked into goal by Team A and the referee has signalled that a goal has been scored, but then notices that an assistant referee has indicated a foul by a Team A player immediately before the goal was scored, the referee would change to the correct restart of a free kick to Team B where the foul occurred.