The grubber kick is a type of
kick
A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...
in various codes of
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
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.
Rugby football
It is commonly practised in games derived from
rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league.
Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...
:
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
and
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
. 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.
Australian rules football
The kick is rare in
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
, usually seen only in rushed, close proximity shots for
goal
A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ai ...
. 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
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 center line of the ball before it hits the ground. It is the primary me ...
).
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.
Execution
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.
See also
*
Punt kick
*
Drop kick
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it as it touches the ground.
Drop kicks are used as a method of restarting play and scoring points in rugby union and rugby league ...
*
Bomb kick
*
Squib kick
A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team. The ball is kicked so short that it forces the receivi ...
References
Coaching the Grubber
{{Australian rules football terminology
Rugby league terminology
Rugby union terminology
Australian rules football terminology