Anstoß

Anstoß is a German noun with several related meanings. The most common sense is the start or restart of action in ball games, especially football (soccer), where play begins with a kick from the center and is restarted at various points during a match. Beyond sports, Anstoß also denotes an impulse, impetus, or incentive that triggers action, initiative, or reform. The related verb forms include anstoßen (to toast, to bump against, or to push) and the set phrase Anstoß nehmen (to take offense).

Etymology and usage extend to figurative language. The term derives from an- plus Stoß, meaning a push initiated toward something. In everyday German, Anstoß can describe a stimulus for change, such as “ein Anstoß zu einer Reform,” and appears in phrases that signal the beginning of processes or movements.

Sports usage in football is the best-known sense: the Anstoß is taken from the center circle at the start of the match and after a goal. After a goal, the restart is taken by the team that conceded the goal; after halftime, teams switch ends and the second-half kickoff is taken by the team that did not kick off at the start of the first half. The ball must be played forward from the center during a kickoff, and all players except the kicker must be in their own half until the ball moves.

Other uses include Anstoß nehmen (to take offense or objection) and the verb anstoßen, which is also used in social contexts to mean to toast with glasses. The term remains common in both literal and figurative German, functioning as a concise label for beginnings, triggers, and occasions for action.