Out-of-Bounds Call

An out-of-bounds call is an official's judgment that the ball, puck, disc, or a player in possession has passed beyond the boundary of the legal playing area. Every sport marks that area differently — painted lines on a court or field, a rope or fence around an outfield, walls in an enclosed court, or lane markings — and each defines precisely when the object counts as out, whether that is the whole ball crossing the whole line, landing beyond a marked edge, or a foot touching the boundary. When that threshold is met, the official stops play with a whistle, a hand signal, or a spoken 'out' and identifies where and by whom the boundary was crossed.

What follows the call depends on the code. In many invasion and net games the opposing side is rewarded: play resumes with a throw-in, kick-in, lineout, restart, or face-off, or possession simply changes hands. In rally-scoring net sports the same in-or-out judgment decides the point itself, since a ball landing outside the lines ends the exchange. Other sports attach a penalty, such as a stroke added for a shot that finishes out of bounds. Because these decisions are often extremely close, the primary official is frequently supported by line judges, touch judges, or assistants, and many sports now supplement human judgment with electronic line-calling or video review.