Kick (football)

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A soccer striker taking a shot at the goal.
A soccer striker taking a shot at the goal.
Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the most important skill in Australian rules.
Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the most important skill in Australian rules.

Kicking is a method used by many types of football, including:

Kicking is the act of propelling a ball by striking it with the foot or, depending upon the sport, with the shin. Kicking is most common in Association Football, where only the two goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands. It is also the primary method of transferring the ball in Australian rules football and Gaelic football. Although kicking is used less frequently in Rugby League, Rugby Union, American, Canadian forms of football and is restricted to specialist positions, it is still an important tactical skill.

[edit] List of common kicking styles

The range of kicking styles available is typically influenced by the shape of the ball and the rules (whether hands can be used to carry or pick up the ball).

In many football codes, kicking is a function of a specialist position, and cannot be done by any member of the team. The exceptions to this rule are Australian rules football, Soccer and Gaelic Football.


Off the ground Grubber kick Bomb kick Drop kick Drop punt Punt Torpedo punt Checkside punt Bicycle kick Place kick Rabona
Association football Yes No No No[1] No No No No Yes No Yes
Australian rules football Yes Yes Yes No[2] Yes Yes Yes[3] Yes Yes[4] No[5] No
Gaelic football Yes No No No No No No No Yes No Yes
Gridiron football No No No Yes[6] Yes Yes Yes No No No[7] No
Rugby union Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes No
Rugby league Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes No

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Can be executed only by a goalkeeper to gain extra distance when kicking out
  2. ^ once used frequently but now extremely rare
  3. ^ rare at professional level
  4. ^ extremely rare
  5. ^ once used but now never used
  6. ^ uncommonly used
  7. ^ once used in play but now uncommonly used or deprecated


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