To understand a football decision, separate three questions: was the ball in play, what offence or event occurred, and how should play restart? A free kick, a yellow card and a video review answer different parts of that sequence.
This guide uses the 2026/27 Laws of the Game published by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s law-making body, checked on October 2, 2026. Competition rules and approved options must also be checked before applying an explanation to a particular match.
The Whole Ball Must Cross the Line
Under Law 9, a ball crossing a touchline or goal line is out only when it has completely crossed, whether on the ground or in the air. Play can also stop for the referee’s decision or other circumstances specified in the law.
In a hypothetical touchline incident, the bottom of the ball appears beyond the painted line but part of the ball still overhangs it. That image alone does not show the whole ball has crossed. The relevant boundary is a vertical plane, not simply where the ball touches the ground.
Check the timing as well as the location. Conduct after play has stopped can still warrant disciplinary action, but the restart must be determined under the rules that apply to that sequence.
A Foul and a Card Are Separate Decisions
Law 12 distinguishes careless challenges, reckless challenges and the use of excessive force. A careless challenge does not require a card merely for being careless; a reckless one requires a caution, while excessive force or endangering an opponent’s safety requires a sending-off.
Other circumstances can affect discipline, including an offence’s effect on a promising attack or an obvious goalscoring opportunity. That is why “the referee gave a foul” does not, by itself, establish which card should follow.
Hand or arm contact is also not automatically a handball offence. The law sets criteria for the contact and its circumstances. A replay showing contact is the beginning of that assessment, not always the complete answer.
Know What the Restart Allows
Law 13 distinguishes direct and indirect free kicks. A direct free kick can score directly against the opposing team. For an indirect free kick, the ball must touch another player before a goal can count.
Imagine an indirect free kick that enters the opponents’ goal without touching anyone else. It does not become a goal because the shot was accurate. The direct/indirect distinction controls the outcome.
A penalty is a particular restart governed by its own law. Do not assume that every infringement inside a penalty area produces a penalty; the type of offence and the relevant conditions matter.
Why Play Sometimes Continues After a Foul
The referee can apply advantage under Law 5, allowing play to continue when the non-offending team benefits. If the expected advantage does not develop at that time or within a few seconds, the original offence can be penalised.
For example, a team may retain a promising opportunity despite a foul. Continuing play can preserve that opportunity. A later disciplinary decision still needs to be assessed separately under the law; advantage is not a declaration that no offence occurred.
Added Time Is a Minimum
A standard match has two 45-minute halves under Law 7, subject to permitted arrangements. The referee allows for time lost, including interruptions covered by the law.
If the fourth official displays five minutes, that is the minimum additional time decided by the referee. A further delay can lead to more time being played. It is not an instruction to stop exactly five minutes after the scheduled end of the half.
Offside and Video Review Need Their Own Checks
Offside requires more than identifying the most advanced attacker in a replay. The relevant moment, the ball, opponents’ positions and the player’s involvement all matter. See the offside rule explained with examples for the position and involvement tests.
Okay News reports that IFAB’s 2026/27 changes include additions to the video assistant referee protocol. An older explanation saying that second yellow cards can never be reviewed is no longer a reliable summary of that edition. The guide to when VAR can intervene explains the current limits.
Before assessing a disputed incident, identify the applicable law, the evidence available and any competition-specific technology or option. A slow-motion clip without that context may show what happened while leaving the legal question unanswered.
