The Skills of Football

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The Block Down in Gaelic Football

Key points in performing a block down in Gaelic Football.

There are many different skills involved in the game of football.

The skills can be broadly broken down into those that involve Gaining Possession, Maintaining Possession, Releasing Possession and Contesting Possession. Many of these skills can be performed on the ground, without the need to get the ball into the hand and out of the hand.

Gaining Possession

Involves gaining possession and control of the football. Thus, skills such as catching and lifting are included.

Maintaining Possession

Once the football is under the control of the player, there are a number of skills which help the player in possession to maintain possession. These skills encompass soloing skills and evasion skills.

Releasing Possession

Involves releasing the football, with either the hand or the foot. All of these skills should be performed and developed using both the left and right hand and foot.

Contesting Possession

Involves many of the skills used to tackle an opponent in possession, or to contest for possession when neither player is in possession of the football.

It should be noted that this method of "grouping" skills is only a suggestion, and there are a number of different ways of matching the skills together.

Gaining Possession	Maintaining Possession	Releasing Possession	Contesting Possession
The Crouch Lift	The Bounce	The Fist Pass	Side to Side Charge
The High Catch	The Toe Tap	The Hand Pass	Checking/Shadowing
The Body Catch	The Feint/Side step	The Punt Kick	The Near /Hand Tackle
The Low Catch	Evasion/Roll off	The Hook Kick	The Block Down
The Reach Catch		The Penalty Kick