Soccer Kick-Off Rules (2026/27): Goals and Second Touches

A soccer kick-off begins each half, starts each period of extra time and restarts play after a goal. Under the 2026/27 IFAB Laws of the Game, the ball starts at the center mark, the referee gives a signal, and the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves. The player can kick it forward, sideways or backward. A direct goal against the opponent counts; a direct kick into the taker’s own goal instead gives the opponents a corner kick.

This guide follows IFAB Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play, checked October 11, 2026. It describes association football, not American football.

Soccer kick-off rules at a glance

Question	Rule
Where does the ball go?	Stationary on the center mark before the kick.
Where do players stand?	Everyone except the kicker stays in their own half until the ball is in play.
How far away must the opponents be?	At least 9.15 meters (10 yards) from the ball.
May you pass backward?	Yes. The ball only has to be kicked and clearly move.
May you score directly?	Yes, against the opponents.
May the kicker immediately touch it again?	No, not before another player touches it.

How to take a legal kick-off: step by step

Put the ball on the center mark. It must be stationary. Being anywhere else within the center circle is not enough.
Get into the correct positions. The kicker may stand across the halfway line, but all other players must be in their own half. Opponents stay at least 10 yards away until the kick.
Wait for the referee’s signal. The kicker must not start before that signal.
Kick the ball so it clearly moves. One short touch to a teammate is sufficient; the ball does not need to leave the center circle.
Continue playing normally. The kicker must wait for another player’s touch before playing the ball again.

These are the IFAB requirements. A television camera angle can make a player appear to be across the halfway line, but the referee judges actual positioning. The center circle’s purpose at the kick-off is to help enforce the opponents’ 9.15-meter distance.

Can a soccer kick-off go backward?

Yes. Some older explanations say kick-offs must travel forward, but that is not what the current Law 8 requires. The current wording says the ball must be kicked and clearly move. A player can send a short backward pass to a central defender or a longer pass toward a teammate, as long as all the other procedural requirements have been met.

This change makes it easier to keep possession at the beginning of a half. A team that wants a controlled buildup can start backward; one that wants a fast attack can play forward. Neither direction is inherently more legal than the other.

Can you score directly from kick-off?

Yes, a kick-off can score directly against the opposing team. IFAB explicitly allows this. It is unusual at professional level because the goal is far away and the goalkeeper normally has time to react, but the kick does not require a teammate’s touch for an attacking goal to be valid.

If a kick-off travels directly into the kicker’s own goal, IFAB awards the opponents a corner kick instead of an own goal. The word directly matters: it describes a ball that enters the goal without touching another player after the restart. A new touch changes the situation and the ordinary rules for scoring apply. For another restart that has its own goal-scoring conditions, see our soccer goal-kick guide.

Why is a second touch by the kick-off taker illegal?

The kicker may not touch the ball again until it has touched another player. If the kicker uses their foot to start play and immediately dribbles a second time without a teammate or opponent first touching the ball, the opponents receive an indirect free kick from the location of the offense. If that second touch is a handball offense, IFAB instead provides for a direct free kick, or an applicable penalty kick.

The restriction is easy to avoid: let a teammate take the first pass, or play the ball to someone else and receive a return pass. For a separate explanation of restarts involving offenses, see fouls, direct free kicks and indirect free kicks.

Who takes the first and second-half kick-offs?

Before the match, the referee tosses a coin. The team winning the toss chooses either which goal to attack in the first half or to take the opening kick-off. The other team gets the remaining choice. The side that decided which goal to attack in the first half takes the kick-off in the second half. A new coin-toss procedure is used before extra time when applicable.

After a goal, the team that conceded takes the next kick-off. A goal does not let the scoring team restart simply because it scored. A regulation match has two 45-minute halves with additional time when needed; see how long a soccer game lasts.

Common kick-off mistakes and the restart

Kicking before the referee signals

The kick-off is taken again by the same team. IFAB’s Law 8 FAQ specifically addresses this case.

A teammate standing in the wrong half

The referee can require the players to correct their positions before the restart. Law 8 says that, for any other kick-off procedural offense, the kick-off is retaken.

An opposing player entering the center circle too early

The opponents must remain at least 9.15 meters away until the ball is in play. The referee applies the Law 8 procedure, including retaking the kick-off when the offense affects the restart.

The kicker touching the ball twice

Once the ball is legally in play, a second touch before another player touches it means an indirect free kick, unless a handball offense requires the different sanction described above.

Kick-off versus goal kick versus dropped ball

A kick-off is taken from the center mark to begin or resume a half or after a goal. A goal kick restarts after the attacking side last touches a ball that crosses the defending team’s goal line without a goal. A corner kick is awarded when the defender last touches it over that line. A dropped ball applies to certain referee stoppages that do not require another restart. These restarts look similar on a broadcast but follow different laws.

Kick-off FAQ

Does the ball need to leave the center circle?

No. The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves, not when it exits the circle.

Can two teammates stand at the center mark?

Only the player taking the kick-off is exempt from the requirement to remain in their own half. Other players must stay in their own half until the ball is in play.

Does offside apply immediately after kick-off?

Normal offside principles apply once play is underway. Unlike a throw-in, a kick-off does not have a special offside exemption; use our offside rule examples for position and involvement. Most teammates starting in their own half will not be in an offside position at the instant of the kick.

Who checks these rules?

The referee and other match officials. For the authoritative wording, see IFAB Law 8. League competition rules can govern other matters such as substitutions or tournament formats, but they do not replace the basic Law 8 procedure.

Rules verified October 11, 2026. Photo: Connor Coyne / Unsplash, under the Unsplash License; original image. No edits.