Ball gone over the fence instead?
A four-step ladder to stop it, plus who knocks and what to say.
Read about the over-the-fence ballFootball Stuck in a Tree or on a Roof: What to Do, and What to Leave Alone
Small Garden
A ball up high is a small problem until someone starts climbing, so we stay on the ground.
This page gives you ground-level things to try, a list of what never to do and the point where you stop and ask for help.
If a football is stuck in a tree or on a roof, the safe move is to stay on the ground. Do not climb, do not use a ladder and do not let a child try. HSE says to treat every roof as fragile until a competent person has confirmed it is not (HSE roof work). The NHS says a fall from more than 1 metre means a 999 call if someone hits their head (NHS). A ball you can see from the ground may come down with a hose or a long soft pole. If it will not, stop, ask whose tree or roof it is, and call someone qualified or buy a new ball.
I have stood on the back step looking at a ball on the gutter and doing sums about how tall I am, and the sums are always wrong, so now I walk back inside and put the kettle on.
Look first, from the ground
Retrieve a Stuck Football Safely: Stop or Go?
Find the row that matches what you can see from the lawn. If you are unsure which row fits, take the cautious one, which is the right-hand column.
| What you see | Ground-level options | Stop and ask |
|---|---|---|
| Ball low in a bush or low branch, within an adult's reach with feet flat on the ground, and nothing overhead. | A gentle shake of the branch, or a long soft pole held low. | Stop if you need to stretch or stand on anything. |
| Ball high in a tree. | Wait for a windy day, though do not rely on it. Try a hose from a safe distance. | Stop if you would need to climb. Ask a tree surgeon. |
| Anywhere near an overhead power line. | Do nothing. Keep at least 10 metres from an overhead line, measured horizontally from the nearest wire (HSE on power lines). | Ask the network operator for advice. |
| Ball on a roof. | Leave it. The main causes of death and injury in roof work are falls from edges and through fragile roofs (HSE). | Ask a roofer or the owner. |
| A nest or birds in sight. | Leave the tree alone. That is this page's own advice, not a legal claim. | Wait, then ask a tree surgeon. |
| Not your tree or roof. | Do not go in. Knock and ask: "Our ball has gone up in your tree, could we get it back when it suits you?" For more words to use, see who knocks and what to say. | Ask the owner first. |
The middle column is this page's own set of ground-level suggestions. A roofing company's advice on getting something off a roof backs the hose idea and warns against throwing things up and walking on the roof (Lyons Roofing). It also warns against sticks, so the long soft pole in step 2 gets no support from it. The pole is this page's own idea, for a low ball an adult can reach with feet flat, and it is the first thing to drop if you are unsure. The blog is commercial, and none of these ideas has been tested on children's footballs.
Three things to try
Get a Ball Out of a Tree From the Ground
This is a grown-up job. Children stand well back and wait, with the adult between them and the tree.
- 1
Look from the ground and decide. Is the ball within an adult's reach with feet flat on the floor? If not, go to the "high" row in the table. Stop if anything needs a stretch, a stool or a wobble.
- 2
A long soft pole held low, or a firm shake of a low branch. An adult does this, standing steady. Stop if the ball does not move at once.
- 3
A garden hose on a gentle jet from a safe distance. Only if no electrics, windows or people are in the line of the water and nothing is overhead. Stop if it does not work within a minute or two.
Throwing another ball up is a poor idea. It often sticks a second ball, and the roofing blog warns that throwing things can crack roof tiles (Lyons Roofing).
Leave it, then ask
Ball Stuck on the Roof: Why Kids and Parents Should Not Go Up
HSE says to treat all roofs as fragile until a competent person has confirmed they are not. It says the main causes of death and injury are falls from edges and openings and through fragile roofs and rooflights (HSE).
That is industry guidance for workers, and its figure that almost one in five deaths in construction work involve roof work is about construction, not homes (HSE). It is the reason this page stops at the ground, not a household risk figure.
HSE publishes rules for ladders, such as three points of contact, the right angle and never standing on the top three rungs (HSE's rules for ladders). That tells you a ladder is a work-at-height job with its own rules. This page does not cover ladders and does not tell you to use one.
Instead, ask a roofer, a gutter cleaner or the landlord. Many will lift a ball off during other work, though that is my suggestion, not a source. I used to think asking for help meant admitting defeat, and then I got a ball down by asking a neighbour with a long pole and a calm head.
If anyone does fall and hits their head, the NHS says to call 999 after a fall from more than 1 metre (the NHS page on head injuries). Read what to do after a head knock playing football for the checks.
Not even once
What Never to Do When a Football Is Stuck Up High
- Never climb the tree. A fall is the risk.
- Never climb onto a roof, shed or porch. Roofs can be fragile (HSE).
- Never use a ladder for this. It is a work-at-height job (HSE).
- Never let a child try. It is a grown-up job from the ground.
- Never throw things up. A second ball sticks, and tiles can crack (Lyons Roofing).
- Never stand under the ball. It can drop without warning.
- Never go near power lines or a tree touching them. Keep at least 10 metres away (HSE).
- Never climb a fence or wall to reach a neighbour's roof or tree.
A ball costs a few pounds and a fall can cost much more. Stay on the ground, keep children well back and ask for help when the ball is out of reach. If someone hits their head after a fall from more than 1 metre, the NHS says to call 999 (NHS).
Fewer high shots
Stop It Happening Again
- Play away from trees and low roofs.
- Turn the goal so shots go low.
- Try a boundary game that keeps the ball low.
- Take a quick look for hazards before a session.
- Check where trees and bushes sit.
- Use a softer, lighter ball. That is my own suggestion, and no source backs it.
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say, and Where They Stop
All roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person confirms otherwise, and falls cause most deaths and injuries in roof work. That is HSE's guidance on roof work.
Ladders have rules of their own, including three points of contact and never using the top three rungs. That is HSE's page on ladders and stepladders, updated 5 June 2024.
Stay at least 10 metres from an overhead power line, measured horizontally from the nearest wire, and take the network operator's advice. That is HSE's page on overhead power lines.
Call 999 if someone who has hit their head has fallen from more than 1 metre. That is the NHS page on head injury and concussion, last reviewed 29 May 2025.
All the HSE pages are written for workplaces. None is a study of households retrieving footballs. The hose, pole and wait ideas on this page are my own ground-level suggestions. Only the hose has any support, from a roofing company's blog, which warns against sticks, and none has been tested.
Quick answers
Common Questions About a Football Stuck in a Tree or on a Roof
How do I get a football out of a tree?
From the ground only. Look first, then try a long soft pole held low or a gentle hose if the ball is within an adult's reach. The pole is this page's own suggestion, and a roofing blog that supports the hose warns against sticks (Lyons Roofing). Stop if you would need to climb.
How do I get a ball off a roof?
Leave it and ask a roofer or the owner. HSE says to treat every roof as fragile until a competent person has confirmed it is not.
Is it safe to use a ladder?
This page does not cover ladders and never suggests one. HSE publishes rules for ladders because they are work at height, and that guidance is written for workplaces.
What if the tree is near power lines?
Do nothing and keep children away. HSE says to stay at least 10 metres from an overhead line, measured horizontally from the nearest wire, and to ask the network operator for advice.
What if it is my neighbour's tree or roof?
Ask them first. Knock and say: "Our ball has gone up in your tree. Could we get it back when it suits you, or could you help?" Do not go in. Who knocks and what to say has more.
What if someone falls?
If they hit their head after a fall from more than 1 metre, call 999 (NHS).
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what happened.
Shots heading for the car or a window?
A danger-zone layout and a fix ladder from free to last resort.
Read about protecting car windowsWant the ball to stay low and inside?
A small-garden boundary game that keeps play on the ground.
Read about keeping the ball inTonight's five minutes
Look up before you kick off.
Walk the garden once, note the trees, the low roofs and any wires, and turn the goal so shots go low.