Characteristics
Spherical, made of leather or other suitable material. Circumference between 68 and 70 cm, weight between 410 and 450 g at the start of the match, and pressure of 0.6 to 1.1 atmospheres at sea level.
Defective ball during play
If the ball becomes defective while play is stopped, play restarts accordingly (goal kick, corner, throw-in, penalty…). If it becomes defective while in play, the referee stops play and restarts with a dropped ball.
Defective ball at a restart
If the ball bursts when a penalty kick or free kick is taken and it has not touched another player, post, crossbar or match official, the kick is retaken.
Changing the ball
The ball may not be changed during the match without the referee's permission. This prevents a team gaining an advantage with a tampered ball.
Practise with 3,800 questions in the app
FiveRef includes tests by Law and difficulty, a daily challenge, an AI chat on the Laws and assisted match reports. Free to start.