Restart
The general term for any method by which play is resumed after it has been stopped.
Definition
A restart is the umbrella term for putting the ball or puck back into play after a stoppage. Each sport defines a family of restarts for different situations — for example, football (soccer) uses kick-offs, throw-ins, corner kicks, goal kicks, free kicks, penalty kicks, and drop balls, each triggered by a specific event.
Restarts matter both procedurally and tactically: set-piece restarts such as corners and free kicks are rehearsed scoring chances, while the choice and speed of a restart can shift momentum. In rugby, restarts include the kick-off, scrum, line-out, and drop-out, and in field hockey the free hit and push-in serve the same purpose of resuming play.
Where you’ll hear “restart”
Sports that use this term:
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Rugby
A physical team sport of carrying, passing and kicking an oval ball toward the opposing line.
Field Hockey
An outdoor team sport that uses curved sticks to move a ball, built on agility and teamwork.
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Rules
- Direct and indirect free kicksThe two types of free kick awarded in football to restart play after a foul or other stoppage.
- Backcourt violationA basketball rule breach for returning the ball into a team's own defensive half after it has crossed into the attacking half.
- Double dribbleA basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
- Shot clockA timing rule that requires the attacking basketball team to attempt a shot within a set number of seconds.
- LetA call that stops a point and has it replayed without penalty, used across several racket sports.
Tactics
- Set-piece playRehearsed routines from a dead-ball situation such as a corner, free kick or throw-in used to create chances.
- Serve-receive formationHow a volleyball team arranges its passers to receive the serve and set up a clean first attack.
- Fast breakPushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.
Officiating
- Out-of-Bounds CallAn official's ruling that the ball or a player in possession has left the legal playing area, stopping play and handing a restart or possession to the opponent.
- AdvantageIn many sports, officials let play continue after a foul when stopping would help the offender, so the fouled team keeps the advantage it has gained.
- Penalty SignalA standardized hand or flag signal an official uses to announce a foul, penalty, or restart so players, teammates, and spectators can read the call.
Scoring systems
- Volleyball scoringVolleyball uses rally scoring, in which a point is won on every rally, and matches are decided over a best-of-five sets.
- Tiebreak scoringA tiebreak is a short deciding game used in racket sports to settle a set that has reached an even number of games, scored in simple numbers to a fixed target.
- How fitness progress is trackedGeneral fitness has no formal scoring, so progress is tracked through measurable markers such as repetitions, load, time, distance and personal bests.
Player roles
- Set-Piece SpecialistA player a team relies on to take or defend dead-ball restarts — free-kicks, corners, penalties, and serves — with practiced accuracy and composure.
- CaptainThe captain is a team's on-field leader who communicates, makes in-game decisions and sets standards — a role any player can hold, not a fixed position.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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