What it is

A kickoff is the long kick that starts each half and restarts the game after every score. One team kicks the ball deep and the other team catches it and runs it back.

In a game

The kicker kicks from his own 35-yard line. The ten teammates line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line and have to wait until the ball hits the ground or a player touches it. The receiving team sets up most of its players in a small zone around its own 35 and 30-yard lines, with one or two returners deep. The landing zone is the area from the receiving goal line to the 20-yard line.

More detail

The kickoff rules are called dynamic kickoff and were adjusted in 2024 and 2025 to make the play safer by reducing the full-speed collisions. A kick that lands short of the landing zone is a dead ball and the receiving team starts at its 40-yard line. A kick into the end zone that is downed there is a touchback, usually placed on the 35. Rules about the kickoff keep changing from year to year, so it is worth checking the current rulebook.

Animated play

Blue circles are the team with the ball. X marks the other team. The yellow oval is the ball.

1. Every half and every time after a score begins with a kickoff. The kicker sets the ball on his own 35-yard line.
2. His ten teammates line up in a row on the receiving team’s 40-yard line and must wait. Most of the receiving team stands in a setup area, with one or two returners waiting deep.
3. The kicker sends the ball deep. The landing zone is the stretch between the receiving goal line and the 20-yard line.
4. As soon as the ball lands, everybody runs. The returner catches the ball and runs it back while his teammates block.
5. Where he is tackled is where the receiving team starts its drive.