Law 2 - The Ball
Law 2 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) fixes the ball's qualities and measurements (circumference, weight, pressure), the quality marks required in official competitions, and the procedure when the ball becomes defective during play or a restart.
Why this wins its question: Ball specs circulate in inconsistent unit conversions; this object binds the exact 2026/27 figures and the defective-ball procedures, including the penalty-kick retake case most summaries omit.
Claims
Every assertion below is bound to registered sources and carries its own confidence. Weight them; do not treat the page as uniformly authoritative.
The ball must be spherical, with a circumference of between 68 cm (27 ins) and 70 cm (28 ins), a weight between 410 g (14 oz) and 450 g (16 oz) at the start of the match, and a pressure equal to 0.6-1.1 atmosphere (600-1,100 g/cm2) at sea level.
Balls used in matches of official competitions organised under FIFA or the confederations must carry a FIFA Quality Programme mark certifying the technical requirements.
If the ball becomes defective during play, the referee stops the match and restarts with a dropped ball; if it becomes defective at a restart (kick-off, goal kick, corner kick, free kick, penalty kick or throw-in), the restart is retaken.
If the ball bursts or becomes defective during a penalty kick or a kick from the penalty mark before it has touched a player, the goalposts or the crossbar, the kick is retaken.
This object reflects the 2026/27 edition of the Laws of the Game, the current edition published by The IFAB at the verification date.