Law 8 – The Start and Restart of Play

A kick-off starts both periods of a match and both periods of extra time, and restarts play after a goal has been scored. Free kicks (direct or indirect), penalty kicks, kick-ins, goal clearances and corner kicks are other restarts.

A dropped ball is the restart when the referees stop play and the Law does not require one of the above restarts.

If an offence occurs when the ball is not in play, this does not change how play is restarted.

1. Kick-off

Procedure

• The referee tosses a coin and the team that wins the toss decides whether to take the kick-off in the first or second period, and in the first or second period of extra time when played.
• Unless stated otherwise in the competition regulations, the home team chooses which goal to attack in the first period, and in the first period of extra time when played.
• The team that did not take the kick-off in the first period takes the kick-off to start the second period.
• For the second period, the teams change ends and attack the opposite goals.
• At half-time, each team changes benches so that its bench is on the defensive side of the pitch.
• After a team scores a goal, the kick-off is taken by the other team.

For every kick-off:

• All players, except the player taking the kick-off, must be in their own half of the pitch.
• The opponents of the team taking the kick-off must be at least 3m from the ball until it is in play.
• The ball must be stationary on the centre mark.
• Whichever of the on-pitch referees is situated on the bench side indicates that the kick-off can be taken by signalling with the whistle.
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.
• A goal may be scored directly against the opponents from the kick-off; if the ball directly enters the kicker’s goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opponents.

Offences and sanctions

If the player taking the kick-off touches the ball again before it has touched another player, an indirect free kick, or for a handball offence, a direct free kick, is awarded.

In the event of any other kick-off procedure offence, the kick-off is retaken.

2. Dropped ball

Procedure

One of the referees drops the ball for one player of the team that had or would have gained possession when play was stopped if this can be determined by the referees; otherwise, it is dropped for one player of the team that last touched it.

The ball is dropped at its position when play was stopped unless this was in the defending team’s penalty area and the attacking team had or would have gained possession (or, if the team that had/would have gained possession cannot be determined, was the last team to touch the ball). In that case, the ball is dropped for one of the attacking team’s players on the penalty-area line at the point nearest to the position of the ball when play was stopped, following an imaginary line parallel to the touchline (as illustrated below).

• All other players (of both teams) must remain at least 2m from the ball until it is in play.
• The ball is in play when it touches the pitch, whereupon any player (from either team) may play the ball.

Offences and sanctions

• The ball is dropped again if it:
  • touches a player before it touches the pitch;
  • goes out of play after it touches the pitch, without touching a player.
• If a dropped ball enters the goal without touching at least two players, play is restarted with:
  • a goal clearance if it enters the opponents’ goal;
  • a corner kick if it enters the goal of the player to whom the ball is dropped.

However, if a dropped ball enters either goal without touching at least two players due to circumstances beyond the control of the player to whom it is dropped (such as the facility conditions or the ball being improperly dropped), the ball is dropped again.