Kick Your Way to Victory: 2026 Soccer Rules Practice Exam Extravaganza!

When the ball hits the referee and remains in play, the game continues unless the ball subsequently goes out of play. This is established in the Laws of the Game, which state that if the ball strikes the referee and remains in play, the match is not interrupted. The match only stops if the ball goes out of play or another stoppage occurs due to a foul or a different reason. Therefore, play continues and the teams must maintain their positions and follow the flow of the game.

The other options do not accurately reflect the rules regarding interaction between the ball and the referee. Stopping the game immediately would contradict the established rules allowing play to continue, while awarding a free kick to the team that kicked the ball is not relevant when the ball has merely made contact with the referee and not resulted in a foul or stoppage. Likewise, the act of the referee restarting play with a throw-in is not applicable since the ball remains in play.