A kickoff is the special play that starts a football game or begins play after a touchdown or field goal. One team kicks the ball downfield to the other team, sending it high and far through the air. The receiving team catches it and runs it back as far as they can before being tackled. Every football game begins with a kickoff, and fans know that once the kicker's foot meets the ball, the game is officially underway.

The word has jumped far beyond the football field. When people talk about the kickoff of a project, campaign, or event, they mean its official beginning or launch. A school might hold a kickoff assembly to start Spirit Week, or a company might have a kickoff meeting to launch a new initiative. A teacher might say, “Let's kick off our discussion by sharing what everyone learned over the weekend.”

The word captures that sense of energy and forward motion that comes with starting something new. Just as a football kickoff sends the ball flying and players sprinting, kicking off a project means setting it in motion with energy and purpose.