Question Number: 12715

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 5/3/2006

RE: Rec Under 19

Imal Brown of Florence, AL USA asks...

At kickoff, before the ball is touched by the offensive player initiating the kickoff, can the other offensive players be moving? Just wondering if we could have a bunch of our players get a running start to sprint into the defense's half of the field, kind of like how a team gets started running before the ball is kicked in an American football kickoff.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The attacking team must be on their own half of the field. Note that the attacking team can have as many players as they wish in the center circle as long as they are on their own half of the field. The attackers can sprint and move as long as they are not on on the wrong half before the ball is kicked. If they are, the kick is retaken.

As Always,

Ben Mueller

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Imal.
the key is in the timing of the your attacking runs. They cannot be past the centreline UNTIL your player has kicked the ball forward at kick off. Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

All players must be in their own half of the field and those defending are at least ten yards from the ball (outside the center circle). There are no other restrictions of what a team's manager will have his player's do. Timing runs is especially important and as soon as one player is in the wrong half the referee should stop things and follow what Law 8 requires:

For any other infringement of the kick-off procedure:

the kick-off is retaken.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

They can be running to their heart's content as long as they are even with or behind the ball when it is kicked