Question Number: 19482

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 6/22/2008

RE: Select Professional

Nadeem Akhtar Sherazi of Karachi, Pakistan Pakistan asks...

Can a player get the the ball back when it has crossed the the touch line/goal line (in the air), being remaining inside the play field and if it happened in some cases in Current Euro-Cup what is your justification please.....

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If you are asking if the ball is still in play if it leaves the field in the air and is taken from the air back to the field by a player, the answer is no. It doesn't matter whether the ball leaves the field on the ground or in the air, once all of the ball is beyond the outside edge of the touchline or goal line, the ball is out of play. The problem with balls in the air is determining if they are across the lines all the way. That is the assistant referees' job, and they are very good at it, and their positioning gives a better view than fans 99.99% of the time. So, I don't think balls are leaving the field and not being called in the Euro 2008. Instead the ball may still have some part touching the line, or judged to be touching the line, or if the referee or AR can't tell for certain the ball left the field, they must allow play to continue.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Nadeem, your question is somewhat ambiguous. For the record, unlike in basketball, in soccer we judge in and out of play strictly with the position of the ball. It makes no difference if it is on the ground or in the air. If the ball has been judged to have crossed the line, it is out of bounds. Just think of the boundary is a perfectly vertical plane going right up to St. Peter?s place. That?s a long ways up? But don?t forget, I did say that IF IT WAS JUDGED to have done that. Replays may show something different than what was in the mind of the A/R.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

When the whole ball passes over the whole line on the ground or in the air, then it is considered to be out of play. It is very different than other traditional American sports.