If the ball leaves the field after being dropped for a restart without being touched, what action should the referee take?

When the ball leaves the field after being dropped for a restart without being touched by any player, the appropriate action for the referee is to re-drop the ball. This is based on the principle that a dropped ball must be out of play for a stoppage prior to the drop, and if the ball does not make contact with any player and goes out of play, it indicates that the drop was not valid.

In this scenario, since the ball did not hit anyone and left the field, the initial drop is considered ineffective. The referee must then re-drop the ball at the same location, ensuring that the game resumes correctly and fairly.

The other options do not address the situation accurately. Awarding a throw-in for the defense would not apply, as the ball did not go out of play as a result of an infringement, and a corner kick is irrelevant since there was no contact and no reason to award a direct restart in that manner. Continuing play as normal would not be appropriate either, as the match cannot resume if the ball is out of play following a failed dropped ball attempt. Thus, the only suitable response is to re-drop the ball.