Corner kick

“ Since 1911, an improvement has been made in the defensive plans of teams to prevent a full-field run from kick-off. Many elevens now deliver the kick-off into a corner of their opponent’s territory instead of in front of the goal-posts. When the kick-off is sent into a corner of the field, it gives to the kicking side the advantage of a deadly side-line over which to force the runner and also to hamper him in his flight. ”

“ The art of being able to place [Pg 27] corner kicks effectively is a thing of the past. Perhaps this is due to the restrictions against charging the goalkeeper unless he is in actual contact with the ball. Still, it behoves an outside man to study this point. ”

“ Every opportunity should be utilised in developing the left foot, which is rather weaker than the other, and every eleven out of twelve are greatly inclined to use the right foot, but if you keep on practising, it will not be long before you will be quite as proficient with your left as your right. To become a good artist you must study kicking the ball from any position or angle that it may come to you. There is what we call the drop kick, the free kick, the overhead kick, the place kick, and taking the ball on the run. ”

“ KICKING
IN executing the kick, the horse stops its forward motion, plants its fore legs firmly on the ground, and using these as a point of support, sends both its hind legs backward and up. This true kick should not be confused with the kick with one hind leg only, which is called in French ruade. In the ruade, the horse is trying to reach some object with the purpose of damaging it. A kick out with both feet may, of course, injure anything that is near enough to be touched; but it is seldom that a horse of good temper will actually try to hit a man in this way. ”

“ The kick is completed and the legs straightened before the left hand is replaced ready for the next stroke. As the legs are opened the upper leg is kicked forward with the knee slightly bent, and the foot kept in its ordinary position. The lower leg is bent double until the heel approaches the thigh, which is brought backwards slightly. In the actual kick the upper leg is sent forward, and as it is straightened vigorously the under leg from the knee downward come/forward to meet it with a vicious kick; the swirl of the feet/Shd closing of the legs drives the body forward. ”

“ Kicking is an important part of the offense. The team that does not have a good punter in the game and one or two in reserve is seriously handicapped. Just when and where to kick are decisions that must be governed largely by the strength of the two teams and the condition of the wind and weather. Again, can you out-kick the opposing team, and what is your ability to hold your opponents when they have secured the ball from a punt? If the opponents' back-field men are poor at catching, kick often. ”

“ When his side is kicking, the guard should play close to center and block long and effectively. He is practically in front of the kicker and, if he permits anyone to get through his position, the opponent will be directly in front of the kicker and will probably block his kick or interfere with the distance or the direction of the punt. ”

“ In the same manner a diagonal kick, short, over the heads of the first men of the opponents, was exploited by some of the adventurous captains. But toward the end of the season the problem narrowed itself down to a question of the relative value of a kick, short enough, and in a sufficiently high slanting direction, to enable the rushers to get fairly well down to its falling-point, and a long kick driving the opponents back, admitting, it is true, of a run [Pg 922] in because the rushers cannot reach the dropping-point in time to down the man receiving the ball. ”

“ As soon as the good kickers begin to forge ahead, practice should be concentrated into kicking from behind a scrimmage line, where all this work is done in the game. Men who can kick 70 yards in the open often cannot punt 50 consistently while facing the charge of an opposing line. Not merely one, but three or four good men, should be developed in the punting department.
There is still another indispensable set of kickers, who need not necessarily be on the punting squad. They are the place-kickers. ”

“ The rider must remember to lean well back, and have her left knee well braced against the third pommel, as in this position it [284] will be almost impossible for him to unseat her by his kicking. If the kick be made during a stand-still, a sharp, vigorous stroke of the whip upon the animal's shoulder will be apt to check him; but if the kick be made while he is on the gallop, a stroke of the whip will be apt to make him run away. Should kicking be an old vice of the horse, he must be ridden with a severe curb-bit, that he may be prevented from getting his head down. ”

“ The kicker's position on short kicks should be not over four feet behind the ball. If he stands too far away it is harder for him to approach and kick exactly as he should, and he acquires no advantage by being so far back. After the kicker has assumed his proper position and the ball is ready, he should step forward about six inches with his right foot and then step forward with the left foot until the toe is practically on line with the rear of the ball, but a little to the left. ”

“ Kick′er, one who kicks, esp. a horse; Kick′-off, the first kick in a game of football; Kick′-up, a disturbance.—Kick over the traces, to throw off control; Kick, or Strike, the beam, to rise, as the lighter scale of a balance, so as to strike against the beam—hence to be of little weight or importance; Kick the bucket (see Bucket) ; Kick up a dust or row, to create a disturbance.—Drop kick, a kick made as the ball, dropped from the hand, rebounds from the ground; Place kick, a kick made when the ball is lying on the ground. ”

“ Many of our best backs have been moderate kickers, but when they did kick they did so with discretion and judgment, placing the ball to the half-back if he was free or to the outside right or left, as the run of the play might be. Above all, a back should be a fine tactician, knowing when to go for the ball or when to put it quickly into touch, thus giving his fellow players time to get back and save the position. ”

“ When the ball has been touched down in the opponents' goal, none of the side in whose goal it has been so touched down shall touch it, or in any way displace it, or interfere with the player of the other side who may be taking it up or out.
53. The ball is dead whenever a goal has been obtained; but if a try at goal be not successful, the kick shall be considered as only an ordinary kick in the course of the game. ”

“ First of all, the young men are taught to jump on one foot, throwing the other as far backward and as high as possible, with a movement suggestive of the kick delivered by a mule's hind leg. The legs are alternately employed in this backward kick, and by degrees the utmost speed possible is acquired. ”

“ The kick could be prevented by bending the knee so as to bring the heel up to the buttock, and projecting it, when the knee caught the administering player on the leg-bone above the knee with such force as to paralyse it for a while, and it has even been known to break it. ”

“ Trying to kick this dog was like playing football with a ball that was never there—not when you went to kick it, but after you had started to kick it, and had gone too far to stop yourself, so that the kick had to go on in any case, your only hope being that your foot would find something or another solid to stop it, and so save you from sitting down on the floor noisily and completely. When anybody did kick the dog it was by pure accident, when they were not expecting to kick him ”

“ The players stand in a ring, and when the ball approaches one, he swings on one heel till his back is turned, and, glancing over his shoulder, gives it a queer backward kick with the heel of his unoccupied foot. ”

“ At the kick-off, after the kick, a guard should go down directly under the bail to prevent any return and to be on hand to line up instantly when the ball is downed. When the opponents are kicking, the guard is in one of the best positions to block kicks or to aid in getting the center or the other guard through for that purpose. The three center men should work together to get one of their number through. ”

“ One means, in Rugby football, to catch the ball in the hands, drop and kick it before it reaches the ground, as distinguished from a “drop-kick,” where the kick is given half-volley, as it reaches the ground. ”

“ Therefore, particular attention and practice should be given to kicking until the proper amount of control can be exercised over the ball. Every kick should be gotten off quickly and cleanly, toe well under the ball so that it is raised.
In shooting for the goal the kick should be hard, with all the force of the toe behind it. In all defensive work the kicks should be carefully sent to the forwards; not too hard, since the ball then may go too far.
The player should learn to kick with either foot so that the ball does not have to be maneuvered into a suitable position for kicking. ”

“ The quick kick is a tremendous offensive weapon which we now employ frequently, depending upon our particular opponent. We think the quick kick has helped us win a few football games in the past, and I suspect it will continue to aid us in the future if we execute it properly. Consequently we will continue to spend time practicing and coaching the quick kick. Since we quick kick frequently, this makes our short passing game more effective as our opponents must play their safety man deeper than usual. ”

“ The kick, although resulting in the loss of the ball, nevertheless gives it to the enemy much nearer his goal. When the wind is strong the side favoured by it usually kicks often, as the other side, not being able to kick back on equal terms, is forced to play a rushing game, which is always exhausting. Again, the kicking game is often resorted to by the side that has the lead in the score, in order to save its men and yet retain the advantage. The only remaining way to advance the ball is on a free-kick after a fair catch, as in the English game. ”