A kick-off is a method or starting or restarting play in American football.

Award

A kick-off occurs at the start of each half and before each overtime. It is also traditionally decided by a coin toss at the beginning of each game carried out by the referee. The visiting team captain calls either head or tails. If he is right, he gets to choose whether to receive the ball or to kick-off. If an overtime is required, another coin toss takes place to decide who gets first possession during the overtime. After a touchdown or field goal, there is also a kick-off with the team being scored against receiving. There is a special "free kick" after a safety.

Procedure

The ball is to be placed between the kicking team's goal line and their own 30-yard line (35-yard line in Canadian football and in college football). All players on the kicking team must not cross the line at which the ball is placed until the ball is kicked. The receiving team must stay behind the line that is 10 yards from where the ball is placed. The ball can be fielded by the receiving team at any point after it has been kicked or by the kicking team after it has travelled 10 yards or has been touched by a member of the receiving team. If it is fielded by the kicking team, it is called an onside kick. A low, bouncing kick is called a squib kick. Although a squib kick typically gives the receiving team better field position than they would if a normal kick had been used, a squib kick is sometimes used to avoid giving up a long return, as well as to give the kicking team the best chance of recovering the ball, typically when behind near the end of the game.

Penalties

If a receiving player crosses the 10-yard line before the kick, the ball is to be advanced 5 yards then rekicked. If a kicking team player crosses the line at which the ball is placed before it is kicked, there is a loss of 5 yards and the kick is to rekicked. Should the ball go out of bounds without being touched by a player, the kicking team is penalized 10 yards and the ball is to be rekicked or the receiving team can take it where the ball went out of bounds. Should the ball go out of bounds in the receiving team's endzone or is recovered and downed in the receiving team's end zone, the ball is to be placed at the receiving team's 20-yard line (25-yard line in Canadian football) and possession given to the receiving team (this is known as a touchback).

American football plays