Soccer Kick-Off

Just before the start of the game, the referee will call for the Captains of each team to come onto the field. The referee will then toss a coin to decide which team kicks off first and which goal each team will attack during the first half of the game. The winner of the toss gets to choose which goal it will attack and the other team takes the kick-off. The teams will then take the field and referee will ask if they're ready to start the match, and will signal for play to start, at which time the kick-off will occur. To start the second half, the team that won the toss takes the kick-off and the teams attack the opposite goal (so they switch sides of the field). Each time a goal is scored, the team that didn't score gets to kick off. At each kick off, the ball is placed in the center of the "Center Mark" (on the half-way line) & both teams must be on their own half of the field & the receiving team must stay outside the Center Circle until the ball is "kicked". Moving the ball any constitutes a "kick off", even if it only goes an inch. The ball can go in any direction on the "kick-off" (forward, backward or sideways). The "kicker" may not touch the ball again until someone else (on either team) has touched it. Even though a goal may be scored on a direct kick off (i.e., another player is not required to touch it first), it is better to teach your players to control the ball on a kick off instead of just kicking it away. However, kicking it deep to the corner & rapidly "pushing up" to try to steal the ball back is a viable strategy that pro teams even use occasionally. Some coaches teach passing the ball backward on kick off. Before you try this, see Tip No. 7, "Steal Their Kick-Off", in Premium "41 Tips, Tactics & Strategies." Don't spend a lot of time teaching fancy kick-offs; there are so few in a game that it's not worth it.

For all Rec teams we recommend just lining up and kicking it deep to the corner so your Forwards and Midfielder's can push up and try to win the ball back. If you want, you can "overload" to the side you're kicking to, but you must be careful because that will pull your players out of position. But you can safely move the players on the "weak" side (which is the side you aren't kicking to) toward the center, which will prevent your opponent from easily driving through the center to your goal, put your players in a good position to win cleared balls and put your players in a good supporting position in case your team gets the ball on a turn over. Rec teams are more likely to score on a turn over (i.e., a mistake by the opponent) than on an attack starting with a kick-off. This kick-off has the advantages of being easy to teach and of moving the ball away from your goal so you avoid the possibility of turning over the ball in the midfield and giving your opponent the chance to score an easy goal on a quick "counterattack". Our experience is that it isn't worth Recreational teams spending much time practicing kick-offs (there aren't many kick-offs and there are many more important things to practice). Kicking the ball to the corner is a good strategy and you avoid the risk of turning over the ball and giving up an easy goal. In fact, many high school teams are now using this kick-off and most of the teams in the 2003 Women's World Cup used it. According to an article in the July 2004 issue of Soccer Journal, in the 2003 Women’s World Cup almost all the teams "had a kick-off designed to gain territory. Teams generally overloaded one side and drove the ball towards that side." Soccer Positions Basics & Kick-Offs