Question Number: 22212

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 10/11/2009

RE: Select Under 15

Mike Cox of Sisters, OR USA asks...

If a ball hit on top of the crossbar is it still in play?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
When all of the ball crosses a boundary line it is out of play. If any part of the ball is touching the line it is still in play. As the crossbar is directly on the boundary line when the ball hits the top of the bar it is still in play. The ball will then bounce either inwards or outwards. If it falls inwards, back into the field of play, play continues. If it goes outwards it is out of play and the game is restarted with a goal kick or a corner kick depending on who touched the ball last when it was in play.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Short answer, yes.

Longer answer - as Ref Dawson notes, if the goals are not only soccer goals, any part that is not for soccer when hit by the ball will cause it to be out of play.

The ball is out of play when all of the ball is beyond the outside plane of the lines of the field, which includes the top of the crossbar.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Mike the straight across crossbar is in fact a 5 inch piece of the goal line suspended in the air . The entire touch lines and goal lines that make up the pitch area are a 5 inch invisible wall, surrounding the pitch extending ever upward into the sky! The crossbar and posts are simply not invisible and as you note subject to rebounds. Once the ball strikes the top of the crossbar does the ball rebound into the field or out and way into touch?
Keep in mind that certain goals perform dual or triple duty rugby, football and soccer so the portion of the goals that are not for soccer are in fact OUTSIDE the field and if the ball hits then the ball is OUT of play over the goal line! This is league or field specific and is an opinion as a fact of play!
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 23209