Kick-off

A kick-off is the method of starting and, in some cases, restarting play in a game. The rules concerning the kick-off are part of Law 8 of the Laws of the Game.

A kick-off is used to start each half of play, and each period of extra time where applicable. The team that wins the pre-game coin toss may choose either:

• to take the initial kick-off (in which case the team losing the toss chooses which end of the pitch to attack in the first half), or
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• to choose which end of the pitch to attack in the first half (in which case the team losing the toss takes the initial kick-off).

The kick-off to start the second half is taken by team which did not take the initial kick-off. If extra time is played, another coin-toss is used at the beginning of this period.

A kick-off is also used to restart play after a goal is scored, and is taken by the team that conceded the goal.

The ball must be stationary and on the centre spot. All players, except for the kicker, must be in their own half of the field of play, and all opposing players must remain at least 10 yards (9.16m) from the ball (a distance marked on the pitch by the centre circle), until the ball is in play.

Once the referee has given the signal for the kick-off, the ball is kicked in any direction. The ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves. The player taking the kick-off may not touch the ball again until it has been touched by another player.

A goal may be scored directly from a kick-off against the opposing team. An own goal may not be scored directly from the kick-off; if the ball goes directly into the goal of the team taking the kick-off, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team.

If the kick-off is taken with a moving ball, or from the wrong place, the kick-off is retaken. A retake is also required if a player other than the kicker is in the opponents’ half, or an opponent is less than 10 yards from the centre spot. A player who excessively delays the restart of play is cautioned.

It is an offence for the kicker to touch the ball a second time before it has been touched by another player; this is punishable by an indirect free kick to the opposing team from where the offence occurred, unless the second touch was also a more serious handling offence, in which case it is punishable by a direct free kick.