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Football · Laws of the Game

Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play

2 parts · 4 tests · 40 facts · updated 6 September 2026 · markdown

Law 8 governs two restarts. A kick-off starts each half and each period of extra time and restarts play after a goal: the team that wins the coin toss chooses which goal to attack, the other team takes the first kick-off, and after a goal the kick-off is taken by the team that conceded. All players except the kicker must be in their own half, the opponents of the kicking team must be at least 9.15 m from the ball, the ball must be stationary on the centre mark, and the ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves; since 2016 it may be played in any direction. A goal may be scored directly from a kick-off against the opponents, but a ball played directly into the kicker's own goal gives a corner to the opponents. An illegal second touch by the kicker is an indirect free kick (a direct free kick or penalty for a handball offence); any other procedural fault means the kick-off is retaken. A dropped ball is the restart whenever the referee stops play for a reason the Laws do not otherwise cover, including a defective ball, outside interference and serious injury, and when the ball touches a match official, stays on the field and then goes into the goal, starts a promising attack or changes the team in possession. Since 2019 the ball is not contested: it is dropped for the defending goalkeeper if play stopped in that team's penalty area, otherwise for one player of the team that last touched it, with all other players at least 4 m away; the ball is in play when it touches the ground and is dropped again if a player touches it first or if it leaves the field untouched. A goal cannot be scored directly from a dropped ball: at least two players must touch it, and a ball that goes straight into a goal gives a goal kick or a corner.

8.81The kick-off

The occasions on which a kick-off is taken - the start of each half, each period of extra time and the restart after a goal - and the mechanics around it: the coin toss deciding which goal a team attacks, the opponents taking the first kick-off, the conceding team restarting after a goal, and the change of ends and fresh toss for the second half and for extra time. Then the procedure itself: all players except the kicker in their own half, opponents at least 9.15 m from the ball, the ball stationary on the centre mark, the referee's signal, the ball in play once it is kicked and clearly moves, and its being playable in any direction; a goal direct from the kick-off against the opponents but a corner if it goes into the kicker's own goal; an indirect free kick for an illegal second touch by the kicker, a direct free kick or penalty for a handball second touch, and a retake for any other procedural fault.

The kick-off: own halves, opponents outside the centre circle, ball in any directionA football pitch seen from above at a kick-off, the kicking team attacking to the right. The ball sits on the centre mark, every player of both teams is inside their own half, and the opponents stand outside the centre circle, 9.15 m from the ball. A dashed arrow shows the kicker playing the ball backwards to a team-mate: since 2016 the ball may go in any direction.GK681094569GKANY DIRECTION9.15 m
The kick-off: own halves, opponents outside the centre circle, ball in any direction. Every player in their own half, opponents outside the centre circle, and the ball in play once it is kicked and clearly moves, in any direction.SVG

Test 1When a kick-off is taken and the coin toss

  1. A kick-off begins each half and each period of extra time and restarts play after a goal; the other stoppages use a throw-in, corner, goal kick, free kick or dropped ball.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  2. Only one team kicks off; if the toss winner opts for the goal choice, that duty falls to their opponents.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  3. The current Law lets the coin-toss winner pick either which goal to attack in the first half or to take the kick-off.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  4. Once a goal is scored, the team that conceded restarts play with a kick-off.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  5. For the second half the sides swap ends, and the team that did not kick off to start the match takes the kick-off.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  6. Every player except the one taking the kick-off must be within their own half when it is taken.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  7. Opponents of the team taking the kick-off must be at least 9.15 m from the ball, which is exactly why the centre circle has that radius.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  8. Since opponents must be outside the centre circle when the kick-off is taken, the referee just has the encroacher retreat first.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  9. Any breach of the kick-off procedure other than an early second touch by the kicker is dealt with by retaking the kick-off.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  10. Extra time counts as a new kick-off, so the referee holds a fresh coin toss beforehand, with the same procedure as at the start of the match.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

Test 2Kick-off procedure and scoring from it

  1. The ball has to be stationary and sitting on the centre mark for the kick-off to be taken.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  2. A kick-off puts the ball in play only when it has been kicked and visibly moves; a mere touch does not count.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  3. The 2016 change lets the ball go in any direction from a kick-off; until then it had to be played forward.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  4. A kick-off can produce a goal directly, but only against the opponents; straight into the kicker's own net does not stand as a goal.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  5. Scoring straight into your own goal from the kick-off is not permitted; play resumes with a corner to the other side.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  6. Until another player touches it, the taker may not play the ball twice; the punishment is an indirect free kick to the opposition where that touch happened.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  7. The kicker's early second touch is normally an indirect free kick, but a handball offence makes it a direct free kick to the opponents.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  8. The Law sets no restriction on who takes the kick-off; any player on the team may do it, goalkeeper included.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  9. Here the ball stayed on the mark, so play never started; the kick-off must be taken again.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  10. A kick-off may be taken only after the referee has given the signal for it.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

8.82The dropped ball

When a dropped ball is the correct restart - any time the referee stops play, while the ball is in play, for a reason the Laws do not otherwise provide for, such as a serious injury, outside interference or a ball that becomes defective, and the separate case of the ball touching a match official, staying on the field and then going into the goal, starting a promising attack or changing the team in possession. Then the procedure since the 2019 change: the ball dropped, not contested, for the defending goalkeeper if play stopped in that team's penalty area and otherwise for one player of the team that last touched it, at the place it last touched a player, an official or the ground; all other players at least 4 m away; the ball in play when it touches the ground; and a re-drop if a player touches it before it lands or if it leaves the field untouched after landing. Finally the restrictions: no goal directly from a dropped ball, at least two players required, and a goal kick or corner if the ball goes straight in.

The dropped ball: one player receives it, everyone else at least 4 m awayA view of one end of a football pitch from above. The referee stands over the ball and drops it for a single player, who waits just in front of him. A dashed circle 4 m around the ball contains nobody else: two team-mates and two opponents stand outside it, as every other player must until the ball touches the ground.R781056GK4 mEVERY OTHER PLAYER 4 M AWAY
The dropped ball: one player receives it, everyone else at least 4 m away. The ball is dropped for one player; every other player, team-mate or opponent, stays at least 4 m from it until it touches the ground.SVG

Test 1When a dropped ball is awarded

  1. When the referee halts play and no throw-in, corner, goal kick, free kick or penalty fits, the ball is dropped; typical causes are injury, a defective ball or outside interference.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  2. A ball that becomes defective during play, no offence involved, is replaced and play resumes with a dropped ball.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  3. Interference from outside the game, not from a match official, brings a dropped ball taken from the place the match ball had reached when play stopped.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  4. The ball off a match official brings a stoppage when it then puts a team into a promising attack; play restarts with a dropped ball.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  5. A ball off a match official stops play only if it goes into the goal, sparks a promising attack or changes who is in possession; none applies, so play carries on.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  6. The ball touching a match official matters only while the ball stays on the field; once it has gone out, the normal throw-in restart applies.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  7. A stoppage purely for a serious injury carries no free kick, so play resumes with a dropped ball.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  8. A dropped ball covers only stoppages the Laws leave otherwise unprovided for; an offence that carries a free kick is restarted with that free kick.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  9. Because nobody has broken a Law, the referee cannot award a kick either way; the restart is a drop to whoever last touched the ball.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  10. The 2019 change ended the contested drop: the ball now goes to a single player, the defending goalkeeper inside the penalty area, otherwise the team that last touched it.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

Test 2Dropped ball procedure and restrictions

  1. Away from the penalty area a single nominated player receives the drop, from the side with the last touch or the one about to win possession.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  2. If the stoppage came with the ball in the penalty area, the drop is made to that team's goalkeeper, inside the area.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  3. Every other player from both teams has to be at least 4 m from the ball until the drop is in play.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  4. The drop is in play the moment the ball meets the ground, whether or not a player has touched it yet.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  5. A ball touched by any player before it reaches the ground must be dropped once more.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  6. A drop that leaves the pitch untouched by anyone, after bouncing, is retaken; it does not become a throw-in or goal kick.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  7. No goal may come straight from a dropped ball; at least two separate players must play it before it goes in.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

  8. Since the ball reached the opponents' goal untouched by a second player, no goal is given and the opponents take a goal kick.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  9. A ball put into the defenders' own goal off a single touch at a drop cannot count; the attackers get a corner.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · applied

  10. That 4 m gap is required of team-mates just as much as of opponents.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 · recall

Sources

IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 8 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Law, not reproduced)

  • IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 840