Kick

“ 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. The overhead kick is practically one to be avoided, except in a grave case of emergency, because you are never certain of it coming off, or of placing it to any advantage. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The free kick may be either a punt, a drop-kick or a kick from placement. Whenever the ball goes over the side line into touch it is brought back to the point where it crossed the line by the man who carried it over, or, if kicked or knocked over, by a man of the side which did not kick it out, and there put in play in one of two ways. Either it may be touched to the ground and then kicked at least 10 yds. towards the opponents’ goal, or it may be taken into the field at right angles to the line a distance not less than 5 yds. ”

“ A bullock can kick in any direction. There is terrible power in his side kick, also his front kick, throwing his hind leg forward with a speed that is remarkable for such an unwieldy animal. But his back kick, when you stand back to back with him, has not the least power to cause hurt. The other watchman and myself had about an equal number of cattle under our charge, and when I was in difficulty he kindly came to my assistance, and I did likewise for him, although he seldom seemed to need other help than his own. ”

“ KICKINGBut although the kick is considered a defense of the horse, and indeed is so when it involves the refusal to move forward, it is not in the least dangerous. For a rider with an accurate seat, it is like a wave to a sailboat. It does, however, sometimes make trouble for young riders, if they let the horse repeat the kick too often, until it becomes a habit, called forth by the slightest annoyance or provocation. In this case, it does become a defense. We here are concerned with the horse which kicks when mounted, and uses this action to resist our means of control. ”

“ In conjunction with this work, all types of kicking steps are taught, front kick, side kick, back kick, hitch kick, and65 the others. Since strength for kicking comes from the abdominal muscles, a workout that will especially exercise these muscles around the waist line is essential, and a series of strengthening activities is given to this end.
Imagine that you are in practice costume, one of a class of students similarly dressed, standing in line on a padded rug in my Foundation Technique studio. ”

“ Kick, kik, v.t. to hit with the foot.—v.i. to thrust out the foot with violence: to show opposition or resistance: (of a gun) to recoil violently (see also Bullet) : (print.) to work a press by impact of the foot on a treadle.—n. a blow with the foot: the turn of kicking the ball at football, the person who kicks or kicks off: the recoil of a gun: (slang) fashion.—adj. Kick′able.—ns. ”

“ Kick. To kick over, verb. phr. (Winchester) .—To kick a ball up in the air, when it is rolling along, or lying on the ground: considered very bad play.—Mansfield (c. 1840) . Ibid., 217. Kick-in.—In a game at football the bounds on each side were kept by a line of Juniors, whose duty it was to KICK the ball IN again whenever it passed outside the line. See Kicking-in.
Kicking-in, subs. (Winchester) .—See quot., and Kick.
c. 1840. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 138. But football wasn’t all beer and skittles to the Fags. ”

“ Thus you add to the blow the force of a kick, and the stroke comes with such terrific force that I have seen a tall man lifted fairly off the ground and deposited on his back by a straight shoulder-hit, even though the two were merely sparring with the gloves.
Never draw back your hand before you strike, as that tells your opponent what you are contemplating. Your stroke should flash out like the lightning, without warning and straight to the mark. You cannot strike too rapidly, and you cannot recover yourself too quickly. ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ In the kick, the legs are stiff from the hip, knees close together, then they are moved up and down alternately with the feet close together. It is difficult at first to maintain the leg drive, to make the whole stroke smooth, and to breathe easily, but these difficulties may be conquered by practice. ”

“ How much kicking can be done depends on the direction of the wind more than upon anything else.
Do not wait until the third down to kick. Your opponent expects you to kick, because you must. Good judgment should be exercised in the placing of the kicks. A team should not kick from right under its own goal-posts, because of danger of the ball's striking an upright or the cross-bar. Change the territory by running a play out on the end, then kick.
Signals.—A signal is a sign of some kind given to indicate to the player the play to be used, and the time of its execution. ”

“ 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 first boy says to the second, kick this marble north (south, east or west) of the other at one kick. If he succeeds he wins, if he fails the other wins.
If he puts it north as ordered, he may kick again to hit the other ball, in which case he wins again. If he hits the ball and goes north, as ordered, at one kick, he wins double.
Each boy tries to leave the balls in as difficult a position as possible for his successor; and here comes in a peculiarity which leaves this game unique among the games of the world. ”

“ A free-kick awarded by way of penalty shall be taken by either a drop, punt, or place-kick, and by any member of the side to which it has been awarded. In all other respects the kick shall be taken in the manner prescribed for fair catches in Law 26, it being understood that the place whence the kicker is entitled to take his kick shall be regarded as the mark of a player who has made a fair catch. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Definitions of terms A 'Place Kick' is a kick at the ball while it is on the ground, in any position in which the kicker may choose to place it. A 'Free Kick' is the privilege of kicking at the ball without obstruction, in such manner as the kicker may think fit. 'Hacking' is kicking an adversary intentionally. 'Tripping' is throwing an adversary by the use of his legs. 'Knocking on' is when a player strikes or propels the ball with his hand or arm. 'Holding' includes the obstuction of a player by the hand, or any part of the arm below the elbow. ”

“ 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. ”

“ A code of minute regulations governed the apparel of the players,—robes, head-gear, sandals, stockings, and fans,—and another code indicated the proper postures of the body,—the movements of the hands, the paces of the feet, the expression of the face; the pose of the hips; the spread of the step; the recover; the side kick; the fore kick; the separate kick; the extra-tree kick; the numerical kick, and the indefinite kick—all were clearly prescribed. In short, foot-ball became a cult, and even the physical strength that it demanded was decorously and elegantly exercised. ”

“ Suggestion.--In case a short kick is made by your side on a kick-off, kick-out or kick from a fair catch, and the ball does not go ten yards, fall on it. Do not let the opponents secure it, as it will be in play if they do, and you will not have an opportunity to kick off again, which you will have if you fall on it before it has gone ten yards. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ As the leg begins to swing the knee is bent and the body pitched a little forward, so that the weight of the kick seems to start from the hip and travel down the leg as it straightens, reaching the foot just as it meets the ball, as above mentioned. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The player selected to kick the ball must send it at least ten yards into the opponent's camp, and it is usually sent as much farther as the judgment of the kicker directs. When the ball comes sailing over into their ranks the enemy catch it and either return it by a kick or one of them runs with the ball. ”

“ 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. ”

“ You want all the kicking practice you can get. I never saw anything feebler than that shot of yours after Drummond’s try.”
“I’d like to see you take a kick like that. It was nearly on the touch-line. Still, when we play you, we shan’t need to convert any of our tries. We’ll get our thirty points without that. Perhaps you’d like to scratch?” ”

“ And men of fifty can kick too. It is the scientific kick, not done with the toe of the boot but the flat sole. You get there all the same, however, that is, sprawling on your face on the muddy pavement. ”

“ 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. ”

“ There are two illustrations used in connection with this article to show the form and style necessary in order to become a proficient and accurate place kicker. The skillful execution of a place kick depends almost as much upon the holder of the ball as upon the kicker himself. Great care should be used by the former in placing the ball upon the ground in the exact position desired by the kicker. ”

“ When the ball is kicked to the limits of the field into line with the adversaries' goal, one of the opposite side is entitled to a fair kick either from the ground or a hoist — that is after throwing the ball in the air, to kick it while descending. ”