Abstract: A yarn being spun in a spinning station of a spinning machine is drawn off with an apparatus which includes a pair of rollers for clamping the spun yarn in a gap between the rollers and transporting the spun yarn. The rollers include a draw-off roller being driven continuously in a draw-off direction at a given circumferential speed and a switchable feed roller for contacting the draw-off roller and for being driven through friction by the draw-off roller when contacting the draw-off roller. A method for drawing off the spun yarn includes positioning the yarn to be drawn off between the rollers while the feed roller is not contacting the draw-off roller. The feed roller is driven with a fluid in a circumferential direction and accelerated to a circumferential speed being at most the given circumferential speed. The feed roller is then placed in contact with the draw-off roller.