The team that kicks off ahs its center
forward and its inside right and inside left within the 10-yeard circle in the
center of the field. Opponents may not move inside the circle until the center
forward has kicked the ball a distance equal to the ball’s circumference (27
inches). He may not kick the ball twice in succession at the kick off. Usually
he passes the ball to a teammate. Play is then continuous except for
out-of-bounds, fouls, goals, and period endings. International matches are
divided into halves, each 45 minutes long.
The game is a contest of maneuvers. Short passes
along the ground may be combined with long crosses to the wings, or outside
men. Sometimes a backward pass to a halfback or fullback will draw the defense out
of passion.