The team losing the toss gets kickoff. At halftime, the teams will switch ends. Thus, there is often no real advantage in picking one end or another, unless the sun's angle will affect the goalkeeper's vision or the wind may affect the ball's flight. The two halves of the game should be of equal length, however the referee will probably add a minute or two to allow for time lost through substitutions or injuries. Each team goes to its own half of the field, and the defending team must be outside the 10-yard circle in the center.
Kickoffs also occur after every score.
The most common stoppage in a soccer game is when the ball leaves the field along one of the sides, going over one of the touch lines. The throw-in is taken by a player from the team that did not touch it last. A throw-in must be thrown with two hands, straight over the top of the head, with both feet on the ground. The other team must vacate the penalty area and stay outside of it until the ball leaves the penalty area. A corner kick is played by the attackers from inside the little arc at the corners of the field on the side where the ball went out.