- At the beginning of the game, choice of ends and the kick-off shall be
decided by the toss of a coin. The team winning the toss shall have the
option of choice of ends or the kick-off. The referee having given a signal,
the game shall be started by a player taking a place-kick (i.e. a kick at
the ball while it is stationary on the ground in the center of the field of
play) into his opponents' half of the field of play. Every player shall be
in his own half of the field and every player of the team opposing that of
the kicker shall remain not less than 10 yards from the ball until it is
kicked-off; it shall not be deemed in play until it has traveled the
distance of its own circumference. The kicker shall not play the ball a
second time until it has been touched or played by another player.
- After a goal has been scored, the game shall be restarted in like manner
by a player of the team losing the goal.
- After half-time; when restarting after half-time, ends shall be changed
and the kick-off shall be taken by a player of the opposite team to that of
the player who started the game.
Punishment
For any infringement of this Law, the kick-off shall be retaken, except
in the case of the kicker playing the ball again before it has been touched
or played by another player; for this offense an IFK shall be taken by a
player of the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred,
subject to the overriding conditions imposed in Law 13.
A goal shall not be scored direct from a kick-off.
- After any other temporary suspension; when restarting the game after a
temporary suspension of play from any cause not mentioned elsewhere in these
Laws, provided that immediately prior to the suspension the ball has not
passed over the touch- or goal-lines, the referee shall drop the ball at the
place where it was when play was suspended, unless it was within the goal-
area at that time, in which case it shall be dropped on that part of the
goal-area line which runs parallel to the goal-line, at the point nearest to
where the ball was when play was stopped. It shall be deemed in play when it
has touched the ground; if, however, it goes over the touch- or goal-lines
after it has been dropped by the referee, but before it is touched by a
player, the referee shall again drop it. A player shall not play the ball
until it has touched the ground. If this section of the Laws is not complied
with, the referee shall again drop the ball.
Decisions of the International F.A. Board
- If, when the referee drops the ball, a player infringes any of the Laws
before the ball has touched the ground the player concerned shall be
cautioned or sent off the field according to the seriousness of the offense,
but a free-kick cannot be awarded to the opposing team because the ball was
not in play at the time of the offense. The ball shall therefore be again
dropped by the referee.
- Kicking-off by persons other than the players competing in a match is
prohibited.
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