IX. THE START OF PLAY

1. At the beginning of the game, the choice of ends and kickoff shall be decided by the toss of a coin. The team winning the toss shall have the option of choice of ends or the kickoff.

   The main 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 centre of the pitch) into his opponents' half of the pitch. All players shall be in their own half and the players of the team opposing that of the player taking the kick shall remain at a distance of not less than 3 m from the ball until it is kicked off; it shall not be deemed to be in play until it has travelled 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.

2. After a goal has been scored, the game shall be restarted in the same manner as mentioned above, the kickoff being taken by a player of the opposite team to the one which scored.

3. After the half-time interval, the teams shall change ends and the kickoff shall be taken by a player of the opposite team to that which started the game.

PUNISHMENT:
For any infringements of points 1, 2 and 3 of this Law, the kickoff shall be retaken. However, if the player taking the kickoff plays the ball again before it has been touched or played by another player, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred. If this offence is committed by a player in his opponents' penalty area, the indirect free kick shall be taken from the 6 m line at the place nearest to where the infringement occurred.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a kickoff.

4. After temporary suspensions. When restarting the game after a temporary suspension of play from any other cause not mentioned elsewhere in these Laws, provided that immediately preceding the suspension the ball has not passed over the touch or goal lines, one of the referees shall drop the ball at the place where it was situated when play was suspended, except if it was in the penalty area, in which case it shall be dropped on the 6 m line, at the place nearest to the position of the ball when the game was stopped.

   The ball shall be deemed to be in play the moment it has touched the ground. If, however, it crosses 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 drop it again. No player shall play the ball until it has touched the ground. If this last provision is not complied with, the referee shall again drop the ball.

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