When is the ball out of bounds?

Q: When is the ball out of bounds?

Under the Laws of Australian Football 2026, the ball is out of bounds when it passes completely over the boundary line, or touches a behind post (or its padding or any other attachment to the post). If any portion of the ball is on or above the boundary line, the ball is not out of bounds. The boundary line is the white line on the ground that marks the playing surface. Whether the ball is simply out of bounds or out on the full depends on how it left. If it was kicked and crossed the line without touching the ground inside the playing surface or being touched by a player on or above the knee, it is out on the full, and a free kick is paid against the kicker. Otherwise, it is a normal out of bounds and you throw it in. Out of bounds also results when a player awarded a mark or free kick from beyond the boundary line does not bring the ball back into play properly, for example by being tackled before doing so, or by not moving in one direction off the line of the mark when re-entering (Law 20.3). The result is a boundary throw-in from the location of the mark or free kick.

Question

Accepted Answer

Under the Laws of Australian Football 2026, the ball is out of bounds when it passes completely over the boundary line, or touches a behind post (or its padding or any other attachment to the post).

If any portion of the ball is on or above the boundary line, the ball is not out of bounds. The boundary line is the white line on the ground that marks the playing surface.

Whether the ball is simply out of bounds or out on the full depends on how it left. If it was kicked and crossed the line without touching the ground inside the playing surface or being touched by a player on or above the knee, it is out on the full, and a free kick is paid against the kicker. Otherwise, it is a normal out of bounds and you throw it in.

Out of bounds also results when a player awarded a mark or free kick from beyond the boundary line does not bring the ball back into play properly, for example by being tackled before doing so, or by not moving in one direction off the line of the mark when re-entering (Law 20.3). The result is a boundary throw-in from the location of the mark or free kick.