A drop kick is a maneuver in the football codes. Football is the word given to a number of similar Team sports all of which involve (to varying degrees kicking a Ball with the foot in an attempt to score a It involves someone dropping a ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. Kicking is a method used by many types of Football, including Association football Australian rules football It contrasts to a punt wherein the dropper kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first. The Punt kick is one of if not the most common style of kicking in football games

The simplest version of a drop kick exists in soccer, where it is used optionally by the goalkeeper to perform a long-range clearance after receiving possession of the ball from open play. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The goalkeeper drops the ball so that it bounces, after which point he kicks the ball in midair. Kicking the ball after, rather than before, a bounce helps it to fly further.

Other football codes have particular ways of using drop kicks as outlined below.

Contents 1 Rugby football 1.1 Drop kick technique 1.2 Rugby union 1.3 Rugby league 2 American and Canadian football 3 Arena football 4 Australian rules football 5 See also 6 References

Rugby football

Drop kick technique

The drop kick technique in both rugby codes is to hold the ball with one end pointing downwards in two hands above the kicking leg, and the fingers pointing to the ground. The ball is dropped onto the ground in front of the kicking foot, which makes contact at the moment or fractionally after the ball touches the ground, called the half-volley. The kicking foot usually makes contact with the ball slightly on the instep. ^[1]

In a rugby union kick-off or drop out, the kicker usually aims to kick the ball very high but not a great distance, and so usually strikes the ball after it has started to bounce upwards off the ground, so the contact is made close to the bottom of the ball.

For the tactics of the drop goal in open play (field goal), see drop goal. A drop goal, also referred to as a dropped goal or field goal, is a method of scoring points in Rugby union and Rugby league.

Rugby union

In rugby union, a drop kick is used for the kick-off and restarts and to score a field or drop goal. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short A drop goal, also referred to as a dropped goal or field goal, is a method of scoring points in Rugby union and Rugby league. Originally it was one of only two ways to score points, along with the place kick. The place kick is a kicking style commonly used in Rugby football when kicking for goal and is also used in American football and Canadian football

Drop kicks are mandatory:

• from the centre spot to start a half (a kick-off)
• from the centre spot to restart the game after points have been scored
• to restart play from the 22-metre line (called a drop-out) after the ball is touched down or made dead in the in-goal area by the defending team when the attacking team kicked or took the ball into the in-goal area
• to score a field goal or drop goal (or dropped goal) in open play, which is worth three points.

Drop kicks are optional:

• for a conversion kick after a try has been scored, but this is rare, as place kicks are generally used for the conversion
• for a penalty kick to score a penalty goal, but this is rare, as place kicks are generally used
• when kicking for touch (the sideline) from a penalty, although the option of a punt kick is usually taken instead.

Additionally, in rugby sevens, the drop kick is used for all conversion attempts which must be taken within 40 seconds of the try being scored.

Rugby league

In rugby league, drop kicks are mandatory:

• to restart play from the goal line (called a goal line drop-out) after:
  • the defending team forces the ball in the in-goal area
  • the defending team is tackled or knocks on in the in-goal area
  • the defending team causes the ball to go dead or into touch-in-goal
• to restart play from the 20 metre line (called a 20 metre drop-out) after an unsuccessful penalty goal attempt goes dead or into touch-in-goal
• to score a field goal or drop goal (or dropped goal) in open play, which is worth one point. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games

Drop kicks are optional:

• to restart play from the 20 metre line except after an unsuccessful penalty goal attempt goes dead or into touch-in-goal
• for a conversion kick after a try has been scored, but this is rare, as place kicks are generally used for the conversion
• for a penalty kick to score a penalty goal, but this is rare, as place kicks are generally used
• when kicking for touch (the sideline) from a penalty, although the option of a punt kick is usually taken instead.

In rugby league nines as with rugby union sevens, the drop kick is used for all conversion attempts after a try has been scored. Rugby league nines is a version of Rugby league played with 9 players on each side

American and Canadian football

In both American football and Canadian football, one method of scoring a field goal or extra point is by drop-kicking the football through the goal. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with In accordance with the Manual of Style (see) Canadian English is used throughout this article (see Canadian_English#Spelling) A field goal (formerly "goal from the field" in US football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play ("from In American and Canadian football, the convert, conversion, try, extra point, point after touchdown, point-after try

The drop kick was often used in early football as a surprise tactic. The ball would be snapped or lateraled to a back, who would perhaps fake a run or pass, but then would kick the field goal instead. A snap (colloquially called a "hike" "snapback" or "pass from center" starts each American football and Canadian football In American football a lateral pass or lateral, officially referred to as a backward pass, and an "onside pass" in Canadian football

This method of scoring worked well in the 1920s and 1930s, when the football was rounder at the ends (similar to a modern rugby ball). The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Early football stars such as Jim Thorpe and Paddy Driscoll were skilled drop-kickers. Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk: Wa-Tho-Huk) (28 May 1888 – 28 March 1953 was an American athlete John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll ( January 11 1895 - June 28 1968) was a Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback.

In 1934, the ball was made more pointed at the ends. This made passing the ball easier, as was its intent, but made the drop kick obsolete, as the more pointed ball did not bounce up from the ground reliably. The drop kick was supplanted by the place kick, which cannot be attempted out of a formation generally used as a running or passing set. The drop kick remains in the rules, but is seldom seen, and rarely effective when attempted.

The only successful drop kick in the last sixty-plus years in the NFL was by Doug Flutie, the backup quarterback of the New England Patriots, against the Miami Dolphins on January 1, 2006 for an extra point after a touchdown pass by third-string quarterback Matt Cassel. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is a retired American football and Canadian football Quarterback. Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami Florida Metropolitan Area. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In American and Canadian football, the convert, conversion, try, extra point, point after touchdown, point-after try Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982 in Northridge California) is an American football Quarterback and current starter for the Since Doug Flutie estimated that he had "probably an 80 percent chance" of making a drop kick[1] and regular place-kicked point after attempts have a much higher probability of being good, the kick was not a strategic move. After the game, New England coach Bill Belichick said "I think Doug deserves it"[2] and Flutie said "I just thanked him for the opportunity". William Stephen Belichick (born April 16, 1952 in Nashville Tennessee) is the American football head coach for the New England Patriots [3] (The play was probably attempted due to the fact that Flutie, who was 42 at the time, was playing in his final NFL game. Indeed, the drop kick was his last play in an NFL uniform. ) The last successful drop kick in the NFL before that was executed by Ray "Scooter" McLean of the Chicago Bears in their 37-9 victory over the New York Giants on December 21, 1941 in the NFL championship game at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Ray "Scooter" McLean ( December 6, 1915 - March 4, 1964) was a football player and coach at both the collegiate and The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1941 National Football League Championship game was the 9th annual championship game and was held December 21, 1941 at Wrigley Field in Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Though it wasn't part of the NFL at the time, the All-America Football Conference saw its last drop kick November 28, 1948 when Joe Vetrano of the San Francisco 49ers drop kicked an extra point after a muffed snap against the Cleveland Browns. The All-America Football Conference (AAFC was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL from 1946 For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. [4]

Prior to Flutie's historic drop-kick, the only recent vocal proponent of the drop-kick in the NFL had been Jim McMahon, quarterback for several NFL teams. James Robert "Jim" McMahon (born August 21, 1959 in Jersey City New Jersey) is a former American football player playing collegiately During the 1980s, while playing in Chicago, McMahon regularly practiced the drop kick, and was known to frequently petition Bears head coach Mike Ditka for an opportunity to use the maneuver. The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Keller Ditka Jr (born October 18, 1939, in Carnegie Pennsylvania) also known as Iron Mike Ditka or Da Coach, is a former Ditka, who regarded the play as an anachronism, never allowed it. An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος "

In August 1974, Tom Wilkinson, quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos, attempted a drop-kick field goal in the final seconds of a 20-2 romp over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian Football League team based in Edmonton Alberta. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian Football League team based in Winnipeg Manitoba. He missed. This may have been the last time the play was deliberately attempted in the CFL.

Exclusively in Canadian football, the drop kick can be attempted beyond or behind the line of scrimmage. Any player on the kicking team behind the kicker, and including the kicker, can recover the kick. A drop kick that goes out of bounds is considered a change of possession.

During one game in the 1980's Hamilton Tiger-Cats wide receiver Earl Winfield was unable to field properly a punt and in frustration he kicked the ball out of bounds. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Earl Winfield (born August 6, 1961 in Petersburg Virginia) is a former Canadian Football League receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats The kick was considered a drop kick and it led to a change of possession and the team that punted regained possession of the ball.

The last successful drop kick extra point in NCAA was by Aaron Fitzgerald of the University of LaVerne on November 10, 1990 against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. [5]

In popular media, a drop kick was successfully attempted in the Burt Reynolds film The Longest Yard, complete with an explanation by Reynold's character of its proper name and point value to a player (Ray Nitschke's character) on the opposing team. Burton Leon Reynolds Jr (born February 11 1936 is an American Actor. The Longest Yard is a 1974 Film about inmates at a prison who play American football against their guards Raymond Ernest "Ray" Nitschke ( December 29, 1936 – March 8, 1998) was a professional football player who played middle

Because it is a relatively obscure and obsolete maneuver in American and Canadian football today, sport laymen often confuse the term "drop-kick" for a punt.

Arena football

In Arena football a drop-kicked extra point counts for two points rather than one; a drop-kicked field goal counts for four points rather than three. This article is about the sport of Arena Football See Arena Football (video game for the EA Sports Video game of the same name Seemingly the game's inventors hoped that a team trailing by four points on an apparent final play might attempt a very dramatic drop kick in order to tie the game. However, the additional incentive has not been enough of an enticement to produce many drop kicks after the first few years of Arena play. The absence of drop-kicking with any degree of frequency from any other level or variety of gridiron football in the present day (see above) means that there is no pool of experienced and capable drop kickers for the Arena league to draw from, and the play would in any event occur too seldom to seem to be worth the amount of practice time that would have to be devoted to it for it to be executed at any real level of proficiency; in practice a pass off of the rebound nets above the endlines which, if completed, would result in six points and a win for the team down by four points, rather than a tie and overtime, probably has at least an equal and possibly a superior chance of success. In 1994, Cleveland's Brian Mitchell kicked 6 four point drop kicks and 18 two point drop kicks. Brian Mitchell (born October 15, 1969) played College football for Marshall University in 1987 and the University of Northern Iowa

Australian rules football

In Australian rules football, a similarly named and executed kick was used in general play, particularly after a free kick was awarded. Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players It was popular as players could kick the ball long distances, and the ball's backwards rotation was reasonably easy for teammates to mark (catch) the ball (a major feature of the game).

A variation known as the stab pass or more poetically, the daisy cutter, involved an abbreviated follow-through and travelled on a notably low trajectory, which made it very useful for short-range passing.

The drop kick and stab pass gradually disappeared from the game by the 1980s, as it was unreliable given the game's fast pace, particularly on wet grounds, and players were coached to use either the drop punt or torpedo (ball rolls sideways on its axis rather than rotating backwards like the punt) kicking style for reliability. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The Punt kick is one of if not the most common style of kicking in football games

See also

• Drop goal
• Punt kick
• Grubber kick
• Bomb kick
• Glossary of American football

References

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