Kick-off (association football)

Illustration of the kick-off used at Rugby School (1845)

One of the few things known about the rules of English traditional football is the means by which the matches were started: it appears to have been the custom in several places for the game to start with the ball being "thrown up" in the middle of the field of play by a neutral official. The players would then contest for possession of the ball as it descended.[4][5][6] The rules of Surrey Football Club, published in 1849, likewise specify that the game is started by the ball being "tossed up in the centre of the ground".[7]

A game played on Christmas Day 1841 began with the ball placed in the middle of the field of play. A pistol was fired to signal the beginning of the match, after which each team attempted to "get[] the first kick".[8]

The oldest published laws of football (Rugby School, 1845) specify that the game is to be started with a "kick off" from the middle of the field of play, which must be a place-kick.[9] Most codes of laws from this era provide for a similar "kick off" from the centre of the ground; these include the Cambridge rules of 1856,[10] the Sheffield rules of 1858,[11] and the 1858 rules of Harrow football.[12] One exception is the laws for the Eton field game (1862), which specify instead a "bully" in the middle of the field (similar to a scrummage in rugby union).[13]

The novel Tom Brown's School Days (published in 1857 but based on the author's experiences at Rugby School from 1834 to 1842) gives a detailed description of the kick-off:[14]

[H]as'nt old Brooke won the toss, with his lucky halfpenny, and got choice of goals, and kick-off? The new ball you may see lie there quite by itself, in the middle, pointing towards the school or island goal; in another minute it will be well on its way there [...] [O]ld Brooke takes a half-a-dozen quick steps, and away goes the ball spinning towards the School goal; seventy yards before it touches ground, and at no point above twelve or fifteen feet high, a model kick-off; and the School-house cheer and rush on; the ball is returned, and they meet it and drive it back amongst the masses of the School already in motion.

The passage above suggests that the winner of the toss, in the Rugby game, was awarded both kick-off and choice of goals. This was also the case in the Cambridge Rules of 1863,[15] while in the Melbourne FC Rules of 1859 and 1860 the winner of the toss chose goals, with the loser taking the kick-off.[16]

The original FA laws of 1863 specify that "[t]he winner of the toss shall have the choice of goals. The game shall be commenced by a place kick from the centre of the ground by the side losing the toss, the other side shall not approach within 10 yards of the ball until it is kicked off". A "place kick" is further defined as "a kick at the ball while on the ground, in any position in which the kicker may choose to place it". The kick-off, which required the ball to be on the ground, was thus distinguished from the free kick, which could be taken "in such manner as the kicker may think fit", language which was interpreted as permitting a kick from hand (a drop-kick or a punt).[17][18]

Another law states that "[a]fter a goal is won the losing side shall kick off and the goals shall be changed."[19]

The original laws of 1863 specified that the initial kick-off should be taken by the side losing the toss. In 1873, the team winning the toss was given the option of whether to choose ends or to take the initial kick-off.[20] In 1997, the law was changed back, so that the initial kick-off was once again taken by the team losing the toss.[21] The law was changed once again so beginning on June 1, 2019, the side winning the toss once again has the choice between kicking-off and choosing ends. The justification for this rule-change was that "[r]ecent law changes have made the kick-off more dynamic (e.g. a goal can be scored directly from the kick-off) so captains winning the toss often ask to take the kick-off."[22]

The original laws of 1863 made no provision for half-time. In 1870, based on a proposal by Wanderers F.C., a change of ends was introduced at half-time, but only if no goals had been scored in the first half; the law did not specify the means by which play should be started in the second half.[23] In 1874, a change in the laws proposed by Harrow Chequers specified that a kick-off should occur at the start of the second half, provided no goal had been scored up to that point; this kick-off was taken by same side as originally kicked off the game.[24] In 1875 a further change proposed by Queen's Park F.C. was accepted; there is always a break and change of ends at half-time, and the kick-off for the second half is taken by the opposite team to that which kicked off the first half.[25]

The original laws of 1863 placed no restriction (other than offside) on the players' position during the kick-off, except that opponents could not approach within 10 yards of the ball. In 1874, a new restriction was added that all players had to be in their own half of the field.[26] In 2017, the law was altered to allow the kicker to be in the opponents' half.[27]

Prior to 2016 the kick-off was required to be in a forwards direction. Typically one player would tap the ball forwards, immediately followed by a teammate passing the ball backwards to the rest of the team.

As a result of the International Football Conference of December 1882, it was decided that the kick-off had to be kicked forwards. This change was implemented in the Laws of the Game in 1883.[28] This restriction was removed in 2016.[29]

In 1905, it was specified that the ball "must make a complete circuit or travel the distance of its circumference" before being in play.[30] In 1997, this requirement was eliminated: the ball became in play as soon as it was kicked and moved.[31] In 2016, it was specified that the ball must "clearly" move.[32]

In 1875, it was forbidden for the player taking the kick-off to play the ball again until it had been kicked by another player. [33]

In 1875, it was forbidden to score a goal directly from the kick-off.[33] This restriction was reversed in 1997, when it was permitted once again to score a goal directly from the kick-off.[34] In 2016, at the same time the backwards kick-off was legalized, the possibility of scoring an own goal directly from the kick-off (an extremely unlikely situation) was removed, with a corner kick being awarded to the opponents instead.[35]

In 1891, internal pitch-markings were introduced. These included a "suitable mark" at the centre of the pitch and a "circle of radius 10 yards" (now known as the "centre circle") to mark the area within which opponents were forbidden.[36]

In 1882, an indirect free kick was awarded to the opposition when the player taking the kick-off touched the ball a second time before it had touched another player.[37] In 1887, an indirect free kick was also awarded for any other infringement of the laws;[38] in 1903 this was changed to a retake.[39]