The short answer
A dropped ball restarts play after the referee stops it for a reason that does not require another restart. Under the 2026/27 IFAB law, a stoppage inside the penalty area is restarted by dropping the ball to the defending goalkeeper. Outside the area, it goes to the team that had or would clearly have gained possession; if that cannot be determined, it goes to the team that last touched it. All other players must stay at least four metres away until the ball touches the ground.
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A dropped ball is a neutral restart with a designated recipient
The referee uses a dropped ball after stopping play when no free kick, penalty, throw-in, goal kick, corner or kick-off applies. Common examples include an injury stoppage or the ball hitting a match official and causing a prescribed change.
It belongs to the restart framework in the Laws of football, not to an informal sporting convention.
Inside the penalty area, the goalkeeper receives it
If the ball was in the penalty area when play stopped, the referee drops it for the defending goalkeeper in that penalty area.
This fixed rule avoids a contested restart near goal. The location follows Law 8 even if an attacker had touched the ball shortly before the whistle.
Outside the area, possession now guides the decision
For the 2026/27 law, the referee gives the ball to one player of the team that had possession or would clearly have gained it. If the officials cannot determine that, it goes to the team that last touched the ball.
The wording matters: last touch is the fallback, not always the first test. That keeps a stoppage from unfairly reversing an obvious change of possession.
Only one player stands at the drop
The ball is dropped for a single player. Every other player from both teams must remain at least four metres away until it is in play.
The old image of two opponents contesting a referee’s bounce is therefore obsolete under the modern law.
Ground contact puts the ball in play
The referee releases the ball from an appropriate height, and it becomes live when it touches the ground. A player who touches it before then forces the procedure to be repeated.
As with added time, the referee has procedural discretion but must apply a defined legal trigger.
A direct goal cannot count
At least two players must touch the ball before a goal can be scored. If it enters the opponents’ goal after touching only the receiving player, the restart is a goal kick; if it enters that player’s own goal, the restart is a corner kick.
This prevents a supposedly neutral restart from becoming an uncontested shot.
Fair-play returns are no longer required
Teams once commonly kicked a contested dropped ball back to the side that had possession. The designated-recipient procedure now restores the ball directly, making that custom unnecessary.
Technology does not alter the restart. Even where goal-line technology is operating, the referee still applies Law 8 after a qualifying stoppage.
The restart restores play, not lost opportunity
A dropped ball cannot recreate the exact attack that existed before the whistle. Its purpose is narrower: return possession as fairly as the law allows without inventing a foul.
That is why the place, recipient and four-metre distance are prescribed while teammates’ next pass remains unrestricted.
Frequently asked questions
When does a referee use a dropped ball?
After stopping play for a reason for which the Laws do not prescribe another restart.
Who receives a dropped ball inside the penalty area?
The defending goalkeeper receives it in their penalty area.
Who receives it outside the penalty area?
The team that had or would clearly have gained possession; if unclear, the team that last touched the ball.
How far away must everyone else stand?
At least four metres from the ball until it is in play.
When is the ball in play?
When it touches the ground.
Can a goal be scored directly from a dropped ball?
No. The ball must touch at least two players before a goal can count.