The grubber kick is a type of kick in various codes of football with an oval ball which results in the ball moving erratically along the ground.
The point of the grubber is to make the ball roll and tumble across the ground, making it hard for the defending team to pick up the ball without causing a knock-on. Its properties make it hard to handle, giving it both high and low bouncing. On random occasions, the ball can uncannily sit up in a perfect catching position.
It is commonly practised in games derived from rugby football: rugby league and rugby union. In league, the grubber is usually executed when close to the opposition's line as an attacking play - grubbering into the ingoal. It can produce irregular bounces making it difficult for the opposing team to secure possession.
The kick is rare in Australian rules football, usually seen only in rushed, close proximity shots for goal. In recent times, rules players have practised techniques which use the unpredictable bounce of the ball to curve it towards goal, making it possible to kick goals from seemingly impossible angles (see also Checkside punt).
A fast kick close to or along the ground in Australian rules football is sometimes also referred to as a worm burner. These kicks are often used to prevent an opposition player from marking the ball.
To execute a grubber, the ball is held on each side in an upright position slightly tilted toward the body. The kicker leans toward the ball, with their head and eyes over the ball. The release and the contact with the ball is the most important aspect and the most defining feature of the execution from other kicks. Contact is made with a slight bend in the knee on the upper half of the ball, before it makes contact with the ground. The follow through is with a straight leg and results in the ball moving along the ground.
Canadian football, or simply football, is a sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field 110 yards (101 m) long and 65 yards (59 m) wide, attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's end zone.
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player intentionally dropping the ball and then kicking it either 'as it rises from the first bounce' (rugby) or 'as, or immediately after, it touches the ground'.
In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team kicks the ball far downfield in order to maximize the distance the receiving team has to advance the ball in order to score. The risk to the team attempting an onside kick is that if it is unsuccessful the receiving team gets the ball and usually has a much better field position than with a normal kickoff.
In gridiron football, a quick kick is any punt made under conditions in which the opposing team would not expect a punt. Typically this has been a kick from scrimmage from a formation that is, or resembles, one usually used other than for punting, or at least not resembling the one usually used for punting. Typically it will also be on some down before last down, unless done from a formation usually used for place kicking.
A bomb, also known as an up and under or a Garryowen, is a type of kick used in various codes of football. As the names suggests, it is a high kick intended to send the ball relatively straight up so players can get under it before it comes down.
The punt kick is a common style of kicking in Australian rules football. It is a kick where the ball is dropped from the players' hands and kicked slightly off the longer centre line of the ball before it hits the ground. It is the primary means of kicking the ball in Australian football and is similar to punts used tactically in other football codes, such as American and Canadian football.
Like most forms of modern football, rugby league football is played outdoors on a rectangular grass field with goals at each end that are attacked and defended by two opposing teams. The rules of rugby league have changed significantly over the decades since rugby football split into the league and union codes. This article details the modern form of the game and how it is generally played today, although rules do vary slightly between specific competitions.
In Australian rules football, a ruck, or ruckman/ruckwoman, is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages. The ruck is one of the most important players on the field. They are often key to coaching strategy and winning centre clearances which result in the most goal kicking opportunities.
A comparison of American football and rugby union is possible because of the games' shared origins, despite their dissimilarities.
A comparison between American football and rugby league is possible because of their shared origins and similar game concepts. Rugby league is arguably the most similar sport to American football after Canadian football: both sports involve the concept of a limited number of downs/tackles and scoring touchdowns/tries takes clear precedence over goal-kicking.
A drop goal, field goal, or dropped goal is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league and also, rarely, in American football and Canadian football. A drop goal is scored by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the posts of the goal posts. After the kick, the ball must not touch the ground before it goes over and through, although it may touch the crossbar, the uprights or an opponent. A drop goal in rugby union is worth three points, and in rugby league a drop goal is usually worth one point.
Rugby union is a contact sport that consists of two teams of fifteen players. The objective is to obtain more points than the opposition through scoring tries or kicking goals over eighty minutes of playing time. The play is started with one team drop-kicking the ball from the halfway line towards the opposition. The rugby ball can be moved up the field by either carrying it or kicking it. However, when passing the ball it can only be thrown laterally or backward. The opposition can stop players moving up the field by tackling them. Only players carrying the ball can be tackled and once a tackle is completed the opposition can compete for the ball. Play continues until a try is scored, the ball crosses the side line or dead-ball line, or an infringement occurs. After a team scores points, the non-scoring team restarts the game at the halfway with a drop kick toward the opposition. The team with the most points at the end wins the game.
The place kick is a type of kicking play commonly used in American football, association football (soccer), Canadian football, rugby league, and rugby union. It was historically used in Australian rules football, but it was phased out of the game more than 100 years ago.
This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of rugby union. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics.
Rugby league football has accrued considerable jargon to describe aspects of the game. Many terms originate in the Laws of the Game. Some aspects of the game have more than one term referring to them. Different terms have become popularly used to describe an aspect of the game in different places, with notable differences between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
This list is an alphabetical glossary of Australian rules football terms, jargon and slang. While some of these entries are shared with other sports, Australian rules football has developed a unique and rich terminology.
A drop kick in rugby union is a type of kick that involves someone dropping a ball and then kicking when it hits the ground, in contrast to a punt wherein the dropper kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first.
There are various individual skills and team tactics that are required to play Australian rules football effectively. These are dictated by tradition and the sport's laws.
A comparison of Canadian football and rugby union is possible because of the games' shared origins, despite their dissimilarities.
A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.