Glossary of Rugby League Terms - K

K

Kick-in (obsolete)

See: Punt-out

Kick-off

A coin is tossed and the winning captain either chooses which direction his team shall play, or elects to take the kick that starts the game. Both halves of the match are started with a kick off a tee from the centre-point of the halfway line. The kick must cross the opposition's 10-metre line, unless played by a member of the receiving team. The opposition are not allowed to encroach beyond the 10-metre line until the ball is kicked.

If the ball does not travel 10 metres, goes straight into touch, or goes over the dead ball line at the end of the pitch, the opposing will be given a penalty at the centre.

After a score, the game is restarted from the same place under the same restrictions, with the conceding team drop-kicking the ball to the scoring team.

Knock-on

It is also called a knock-forward. A knock-on is committed when, in an attempt to play at the ball, a player knocks the ball towards their opponents' dead ball line with their hands or arms and it touches either the ground, or an opposing player. However, the ball may be knocked back. A knock-on results in a scrum with the put-in to the opposition apart from when a knock-on is committed by a player whose team is on their last tackle, when the result is a handover, and apart from if the opposing team gains possession of the ball, which results begins their set of tackles with a zero tackle.