Kicking is a skill used in many types of football, including:

Drop punt Australian rules football
An association football striker taking a shot at the goal.

Kicking is the act of propelling a ball by striking it with the foot or, depending upon the sport, 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 points 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 football, and Canadian football, and may be restricted to specialist positions, but it is still an important tactical skill in each sport.

List of common kicking styles

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Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the most important skill in Australian rules.
 
An American football punter.

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).

Football code Off the ground Grubber kick Bomb Drop kick Drop punt Punt Torpedo punt Checkside punt Bicycle kick Place kick Dribbling
Association (soccer) Yes No No Goalkeeper No Specialist[1] No No Yes Yes[2] Yes
Australian rules Yes Yes Yes Rare[3] Yes Yes[4] Rare[5] Yes Rare[6] Dropped[7] Rare
Gaelic Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Rare
Gridiron (US & Canadian variations) [8] No No No Rare Yes Yes[9] Yes No No Yes No
Rugby union[8] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Restricted[10] Yes Yes No Yes Rare
Rugby league[8] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Restricted[10] Rare Yes No Yes Rare

See also

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References

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  1. ^ kicking out by goalkeeper only
  2. ^ Place kicks in association football are the corner kick, free kick, goal kick, kick-off and penalty kick.
  3. ^ once used frequently but now extremely rare
  4. ^ See main article.
  5. ^ Rare at professional level
  6. ^ has happened but extremely rare, especially at professional level
  7. ^ Once used, still legal, but extremely rare
  8. ^ a b c Specialist Positions Only
  9. ^ See main article.
  10. ^ a b Not allowed for goal attempts
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Association 6
INTERN 1
Note 1
Verify 1