thumb|[[Kevin Kelly (placekicker)|Kevin Kelly and the 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team kicks the ball off after scoring a touchdown in their season opening game]]

A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in gridiron football. Additionally, it may refer to a kickoff time, the scheduled time of the first kickoff of a game. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team". The receiving team is then entitled to return the ball, i.e., attempt to advance it towards the kicking team's end zone, until the player with the ball is tackled by the kicking team, goes out of bounds, scores a touchdown, or the play is otherwise ruled dead. Kickoffs take place at the start of each half of play, the beginning of overtime in some overtime formats, and after scoring plays. Normally, the kicking team hopes to kick the ball as far down the field as possible in order to maximize the distance the team returning the kick must advance in order to score.

Common variants on the typical kickoff format include the onside kick, in which the kicking team attempts to regain possession of the ball by kicking it a short distance; a touchback, which may occur if the ball is kicked into the receiving team's end zone; or a fair catch, in which a player on the receiving team asks to catch the ball without interference from the kicking team, waiving his entitlement to attempt a return rush. Additionally, penalties exist for various infractions such as a player violating his position restrictions prior to the kick (5-yard penalty), or if the ball goes out of bounds before touching a player (25 yards past the spot of the kick or placed at the spot the ball left the field of play, whichever is more advantageous to the receiving team).

Award

thumb|right|End zone view of a kickoff about to occur. The [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State Seminoles, in garnet jerseys, at the far side of the field are about to kick to the Virginia Tech Hokies in white jerseys, in the foreground.]]

A kickoff occurs at the start of each half and before the first overtime (in the National Football League and Arena Football League). 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 heads or tails. The winner of the coin toss elects whether to take first choice in the first half or the second half. The captain with first choice then picks either a team to kick off or an end of the field to defend. The other captain chooses the remaining option. At the beginning of the second half, the two captains choose in the reverse order. If an overtime is required, another coin toss takes place to decide who gets first possession during the overtime. After a touchdown the scoring team kicks the ball off to the opposing team. In American football a field goal also results in a kickoff by the scoring team, but in Canadian football the scored-against team has an option of scrimmaging from their 35-yard line or receiving a kickoff. An exception to the Canadian rule applies in U Sports competition; if a team scores a field goal on a play that began after the three-minute warning in the fourth quarter, a kickoff is mandatory, with the scoring team kicking off from the standard position of its own 45-yard line.

After a safety in Canadian football, the scored-against kicks off. In American football, a kickoff is an option, but most teams choose to punt the ball on the free kick; the National Football League, in contrast to most other leagues, prohibits the use of a kicking tee on a safety free kick.

Procedure

left|thumb|[[Dallas Cowboys kick-off during an NFL game. This picture was taken when the NFL kicked off from the 30-yard line, as it did from 1994 to 2010.]]

The line where the ball is placed for kickoff varies among the rule books. It is placed on the kicking team's 20-yard line in the current UFL (inherited from the second USFL), the 30-yard line in six-man football and the now-defunct second XFL, 35-yard line in college and the NFL, 40-yard line in American high school football, on the 45-yard line in amateur Canadian football, and the goal line in indoor and arena football. For the 2016 season only, the Ivy League placed the ball on the 40-yard line in conference games. All players on the kicking team except the kicker (and, if used, a holder) 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 traveled 10 yards or has been touched by a member of the receiving team. In American football (but not Canadian) touchback and fair catch rules apply to the kicked ball. 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 use up a valuable amount of time on the clock, as it is impossible to fair catch such a kick. It is usually done when a team takes the lead in the final seconds, and is done to safely run out the remainder of the clock. Squib kicking with more than 20 seconds remaining has had unfortunate results (a line drive kick is more common when there are 20 to 50 seconds remaining; the typical hurry-up offense drive takes over a minute), but has been done by some teams.

The second XFL used a unique kickoff procedure. Kickoffs took place from the kicking team's 30-yard line, as opposed to the 35-yard line in the NFL. The positioning of players was dramatically different from that in any previous outdoor football league. All players on both teams, except the kicker and a single returner, were required to line up directly across from each other, with the kicking team on the receiving team's 35 and the receiving team on its own 30. On each side of the ball, each team had to have at least two players lined up between the outside of the yard markers and the sideline, and at least two players between the inside of the yard marker and the hashmarks. All players except the kicker and returner had to remain stationary, with both feet on the ground and at least one on the team's appropriate yard line, until the returner caught the ball, or the ball was on the ground for 3 seconds. Touchbacks were spotted at the receiving team's 35-yard line. The XFL also had severe penalties for kicks that went out of bounds, or fell short of the receiving team's 20-yard line. Onside kicks were allowed, using more conventional outdoor football rules, but the referee had to be informed before such a kick could be attempted.

thumb|right|[[Kansas City Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright (left) kicks off to the Las Vegas Raiders on November 29, 2024, under the 2024 kickoff rules]]

Dynamic kickoff

In 2024, the NFL adopted a new kickoff procedure very similar to that used by the second XFL, called the "dynamic kickoff". In 2025, the new kickoff rules were made permanent. Touchbacks were also moved to the 35-yard line and onside kicks can now be declared any time in the game if a team is losing. In the 2024 season, corresponding with the NFL's dramatic change to kickoff procedures, touchbacks on kickoffs will be spotted at the receiving team's 30-yard line.

In the second XFL, the standard spot for a touchback was the receiving team's 35-yard line. However, if a kickoff or free kick after a safety first bounced outside the end zone and was then downed by the receiving team in its end zone, the ball was spotted on the receiving team's 15 instead of the 35.

Return

thumb|A video of a kickoff and return, played between the [[Baker Wildcats and Benedictine Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri in 2014.]]

Under standard rules (i.e., those in leagues other than the NFL), to receive a kickoff and set up a kick return, the receiving team sets up its players starting from 10 yards back from the point the ball is kicked from. There are usually one or two players positioned deep (around the goal line) that will attempt to catch or pick up the ball after it is kicked off by the opposing team's kicker. They will then attempt to carry the ball as far as possible upfield, without being tackled or running out of bounds. The other players are to back the kickoff team from getting to their kick returner.

Alternatives

In certain leagues consisting of younger players, and in the short-lived professional Alliance of American Football, there are no kickoffs. Teams are automatically awarded the ball at a certain spot on the field. In the AAF, this spot was the 25-yard line of the team receiving possession.

History in the NFL

In 1974, the kickoff was moved five yards back from the 40-yard line to the 35-yard line in order to create more exciting returns. Kick returns increased from 75% to 92%. In 2016, touchbacks were moved from the 20-yard line to the 25-yard line, further incentivizing teams to not return kickoffs. In 2023, the average number of kick returns per team for the whole season was only 18.

In 2024, the NFL implemented new rule changes to increase kick returns while also maintaining heightened player safety, called the "dynamic kickoff". However, these new rule changes only increased the average number of kick returns per team to 29. In 2025, the NFL made the dynamic kickoff permanent and modified it some more.

See also

  • Punt

Notes

References

  • NFL rulebook online
  • NFL Rules concerning Free Kicks (Kickoffs and Safety Kicks)
  • CFL Rulebook