Not to be confused with dropkick, a move in professional wrestling.
A drop kick involves someone dropping a ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt wherein the dropper kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first.
Rugby football
In rugby union and rugby league, a drop kick is used to restart play and to score a field or drop goal.
Drop kicks are used in rugby union:
- from the centre spot to start a half
- from the centre spot after points have been scored
- for a 22-metre drop-out when the ball is touched down or made dead in the in-goal area by the defending team, the attacking team having kicked or taken the ball into the in-goal area.
- from a penalty kick to score a penalty goal or after a try to score a conversion, although the option of a place kick is usually taken instead.
In rugby league, a drop-out ensues from underneath the posts on the goal line when:
- 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 orn into touch-in-goal.
A drop-out from the 20 metre line ensues when:
- an unsuccessful penalty goal attempt goes dead or into touch-in-goal.
In each game, a player may attempt to score a goal from open play by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the posts. A goal scored this way is called a dropped goal, abbreviated to "drop goal" in speech. A dropped goal scores three points in rugby union but only one point in rugby league, where the option is usually only taken late in a tied game.
American Football
In American football and Canadian football, one method of scoring a field goal or extra point is by drop-kicking the football through the goal.
The drop kick was often used 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.
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). Early football stars such as Jim Thorpe and Paddy Driscoll were skilled drop-kickers.
In the 1930s, 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 execution of the drop kick in the modern-day NFL was by Doug Flutie, reserve quarterback of the New England Patriots, against the Miami Dolphins on January 1, 2006 for an extra point after a touchdown. This was the first successful drop kick the NFL in over 64 years; last 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.
Flutie's drop-kick was a farewell gesture by Coach Bill Belichick for the 43-year-old Flutie in what was expected to be his last regular season home game before retirement; it was not a strategic move. With 6:10 remaining in the game, the Patriots scored a touchdown to bring them within six points of the Dolphins. Flutie's drop kick closed the gap to five points, 20-25. The Patriots lost this final game of the 2005 regular season 26-28, but had already qualified for the upcoming playoffs as division champions. Also, it should be noted that the Patriots were playing their second and third-string players aginst Miami's first-string.
Prior to Flutie's historic drop-kick, the only vocal proponent of the drop-kick in the modern NFL had been Jim McMahon, quarterback for several NFL teams. 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. Ditka, who regarded the play as an anachronism, never allowed it.
Canadian Football
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. The last player in the CFL to attempt a drop kick was Montreal Alouette quarterback Anthony Calvillo in the 2005 Grey Cup. Having passed the line of scrimmage, and running out of running room, Calvillo attempted a desperation left-footed drop kick that was recovered by the Edmonton Eskimos on the last play of the 2005 Grey Cup.
Druing 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 kick was considered a drop kick and it lead to a change of possession and the team that punted regained possession of the ball.
The drop kick is often used as a desperation play at the end of a game. Winnipeg won a Grey Cup during the 1960's on a game winning drop kick by quarterback Ken Ploen.
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. 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 from any other level or variety of gridiron football in the present day 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.
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. It was popular as players could kick the ball long distances, and the ball's backwards rotation was reasonably easy for teammates to catch (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, particularly on wet grounds, and players were coached to always use the drop punt kicking style to avoid having to make a decision on what kind of kick to perform.