How to Kick a Football Field Goal
There are only a few seconds left in the game, and one field goal attempt is all that stands between you and gridiron glory, or a place in the Hall of Shame. Kicking a field goal, and making sure that it makes its mark right between the goal posts, is the surest sign of victory in a football game. If you’re told to kick a field goal during practice sessions or a game, here are some ways that you can send that pigskin flying through the air for the win you very much deserve.
Kicking Styles
How you kick can have a significant effect in the direction, angle, and velocity of the football. Remember not to throw a wild kick; your aim is to keep the ball far and away from the opposing team while making sure the ball is converted to a point as it passes through the goal posts.
There are two common kicking styles used in professional football today: the soccer kick and the straight kick.
Soccer Kick
The soccer kick is the most common way to make a field goal in professional football. Soccer kicks are accurate and quick; a well-timed, well-placed, and well-positioned soccer kick is almost always guaranteed to make it between the goal posts. Here’s how to perform a soccer kick:
Take three steps behind the holder of the ball.
If you’re right-handed, take two steps diagonally left. If you’re left-handed, take two steps diagonally right. The crooked “L” shape puts you in the best position to run toward and kick the ball in the most accurate, powerful way possible.
Run toward the ball and kick the ball with the instep of your kicking foot. The ball will go off in a bit of an angle, so make sure that your foot is angled in such a way that the instep will kick the ball straight between the goalposts, instead of outside the goalposts.
Straight Kick
The straight kick is one of the lasting images of American football. Before the soccer kick was innovated and perfected, the straight kick was the preferred means of unloading a game-winning field goal. Here’s how to perform a straight-kick:
Wear a straight-kicking shoe during the time-out. A straight-kicking shoe is designed to be very rigid to protect the player’s foot, as well as give the necessary force for the kick to be effective.
Take five steps straight behind the ball as it is held by the holder.
Make a run for the ball, and kick it with the toe of your kicking foot. Follow-through by completing the movement of your kicking leg.
A field goal may be that one deciding play that will win you the game, whether it’s an exhibition or a playoff. With these kicking styles, you can choose just the right kick for the right play, and get that game-winning field goal just right between the goal posts.