If a ball strikes the referee and is controlled by an opposing player, what is the correct restart?

When the ball strikes the referee and is subsequently controlled by an opposing player, the rules dictate that the game should be restarted with a drop ball. This is established under the Laws of the Game, specifically addressing situations where the ball unintentionally interacts with match officials. A drop ball is the appropriate method to restart because the referee's action (or lack of) is not viewed as a foul or an infraction, but rather as an incidental contact that affects the flow of the game.

In this scenario, the focus on the defending goalkeeper for the drop ball highlights the acknowledgment that the game was disrupted without an infringement, emphasizing fairness in how play is resumed. Other options, such as free kicks or throw-ins, would not apply because of the nature of the incident with the referee; they are reserved for situations where a foul occurs or the ball goes out of play in a different manner. Therefore, the restart with a drop ball is that most accurately reflects the situation described in the question.