A kick-off starts play and restarts after goals.

How the referee checks it

1. Confirm the restart is a kick-off: start of a half, start of extra time, or after a goal.
2. Check that the correct team is taking it, based on the coin toss, half, or the team that conceded the goal.
3. Make sure the ball is stationary on the centre mark.
4. Make sure all players except the kicker are in their own half, and opponents are at least 9.15 metres or 10 yards from the ball.
5. Signal for the kick-off, then judge whether the ball has been kicked and clearly moved.
6. If the kicker touches the ball again before another player touches it, award the correct free kick to the opponents.

When a kick-off is used

A kick-off starts the first half, the second half, and both halves of extra time if the match uses extra time. It is also the restart after a goal. If Team A scores, Team B takes the kick-off. It is not used for ordinary stoppages, fouls, the ball going out of play, injuries, or referee interruptions; those have their own restarts.

The opening choice affects who kicks

Before the match, the referee tosses a coin. The team that wins the toss chooses either which goal to attack in the first half or to take the kick-off. Depending on that choice, the opponents either take the opening kick-off or choose the goal they will attack. The team that chose the first-half direction takes the kick-off to start the second half, and the teams change ends.

Everyone starts in their own half

For every kick-off, all players except the player taking the kick must be in their own half of the field. Opponents of the kicking team must also stay at least 9.15 metres or 10 yards from the ball until it is in play. That distance is marked by the centre circle on a full-size field.

The ball is live when it is kicked and clearly moves

The ball must be stationary on the centre mark before the restart. Once the referee gives the signal, the kick-off is taken by kicking the ball so that it clearly moves. The ball does not have to travel forward. A short touch sideways or backward can be legal if it clearly moves and the rest of the procedure is satisfied.

You can score straight from kick-off

A goal may be scored directly against the opponents from a kick-off. It is rare because the kick is taken from the centre mark and opponents are prepared, but the law allows it. If the ball somehow goes directly into the kicker's own goal from a kick-off, the result is not an own goal; the opponents receive a corner kick.

The kicker cannot play it twice in a row

After taking the kick-off, the kicker must wait until another player touches the ball before playing it again. If the kicker touches it a second time first, the opponents receive an indirect free kick. If that second touch is a handball offence, the restart is a direct free kick, or a penalty kick if the handling offence is by the kicker inside their own penalty area.

Most procedure mistakes mean a retake

If another kick-off procedure requirement is broken, the usual result is that the kick-off is retaken. Examples include players being in the wrong half, opponents entering too close before the ball is in play, the ball not being on the centre mark, or the referee not having signalled. Referees often manage minor positioning issues before the kick is taken so the restart can proceed cleanly.

The kick-off itself rarely creates offside

Offside is judged when a team-mate plays or touches the ball. At kick-off, all players other than the kicker must start in their own half, so attackers are not in an offside position at that moment. If play continues and a later team-mate touch finds an attacker in an offside position, the normal offside law can still apply.

The scoring team does not restart

After a goal is awarded, the team that conceded takes the kick-off. Players may return to their own half while celebrations, checks, or substitutions are completed. If a competition uses VAR, the restart should not be taken until any reviewable goal check is complete, because taking the kick-off normally confirms that play has restarted from the awarded goal.

Misunderstandings to avoid

• "The ball must go forward" is outdated. It only needs to be kicked and clearly move.
• "Two players must touch the ball at kick-off" is wrong. One player can take it, but that same player cannot touch it again before someone else does.
• "You cannot score directly from kick-off" is wrong. A direct goal against the opponents is allowed.
• "A restart mistake always gives a free kick" is too broad. Most kick-off procedure offences lead to a retake, while a kicker's second touch has its own free-kick sanction.
• "The team that wins the toss always kicks off" is wrong. The coin-toss winner chooses between taking the kick-off and choosing the goal to attack first.

Source material

• IFAB Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play
• IFAB Law 11 - Offside
• IFAB Laws of the Game