Australian Football
Boundary throw-ins, out on the full and keeping the ball in play
How boundary restarts and out-of-bounds free kicks work under the 2026 Laws of Australian Football.
When the football is Out of Bounds
The football is Out of Bounds when it passes completely over the Boundary Line after touching the ground or a Player on or above the knee. If any part of the football remains on or above the Boundary Line, it is not Out of Bounds.
A boundary throw-in restarts ordinary Out of Bounds
When ordinary Out of Bounds is signalled and no Free Kick applies, the boundary Umpire throws the football over their head toward the centre of the Playing Surface. A field Umpire may recall a throw-in that does not give the football a fair opportunity to be contested.
Out of Bounds On the Full is a Free Kick
A Kick that passes completely over the Boundary Line without touching the ground inside the Playing Surface or being touched by a Player on or above the knee is Out of Bounds On the Full. Law 18.10 awards a Free Kick, taken at the point where the football crossed the Boundary Line.
Players must show sufficient intent to keep the football in play
Law 18.10 also awards a Free Kick when a Player Kicks, Handballs or forces the football over the Boundary Line without demonstrating sufficient intent to keep the football in play. It is an intent-based decision, not a rule that every ball crossing the line is automatically penalised.