Kick (football)

For other uses, see Kick (disambiguation) and Kick (soccer).

Drop punt Australian rules football

A Football 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.

An American Football Punter.

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

• Association football
• Australian rules football
• International rules football
• American football
• Canadian football
• Gaelic football
• Rugby league
• Rugby union

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. Whereas most sports allow goals, touch downs or tries to be scored by methods other than kicking, in Australian rules football kicking for goal is the only method allowed to score a goal and get the maximum six point score. Kicking is used less frequently in Rugby League, Rugby Union, American, Canadian forms of football and may be restricted to specialist positions, but it is still an important tactical skill in each sport.

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).

	Off the ground	Grubber kick	Bomb	Drop kick	Drop punt	Punt	Torpedo punt	Checkside punt	Bicycle kick	Place kick	Dribbling
Association football	Yes	No	No	Specialist	No	Specialist	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Australian rules football	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Rare	Yes	Rare	Dropped	No
Gaelic football	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Rare
Gridiron football	No	No	No	Rare	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Dropped	No
Rugby union	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Restricted	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Rugby league	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Restricted	Rare	Yes	No	Yes	No

See also

• Kick-to-kick