Coaching Review: Kick Passing in Gaelic Football

Each week an example of good play from either the Hurling or Gaelic football Championships will be examined from a coaching point of view. This week, we will focus on the skill of Kick passing in Gaelic Football.

Passing to a team-mate in Gaelic football can be achieved through using either the foot or the closed fist or open hand. The hand pass is used when a team-mate is within a close distance and the kick pass is used for a pass over a longer distance. There were a number of excellent examples of technically well executed kick passes in last weekends All Ireland Senior and Minor Gaelic football semi finals. The majority of these kick passes employed the Hook Kick or Punt kick though there were also a number of swerve kicks performed. This video clip shows some fine examples from last weekend’s games.

Kick passing in Gaelic football is an extremely important and essential skill to master. Accurate kick passing of both feet is a great skill to possess as a player, as it allows you to retain possession as a team, get yourself out of a tight situation by passing to a team-mate in space and is a very important aspect of attacking play as a kick pass is the quickest way to move the ball forward and turn defense into attack with a quick break forward, and can be used to bypass and cut out the blanket defense and sweeper systems that we see so much of in today’s game. One of the most effective ways of cutting out these defensive tactics is by using a long diagonal cross field ball. An accurate kick pass into the space in front of a team-mate gives your team-mate more time and space on the ball to get a score or set up an attack.

When analysing the kick passing in the above clip it is possible to identify each of the areas of the OTú Coaching Model in the play:

Technical Proficiency

• The body positioning to get in the correct position to perform the kick passes.                                                          
• The positioning of head, hands, and feet to perform the kick pass correctly.
• The ball handling, moving from holding the ball in two hands to one hand
• The hand positioning, release the ball into the hand at the kicking side and extend the opposite arm away from the body to aid balance
• Stepping forward into the kick with non-kicking foot.
• The connection between the foot and ball.
• Following through in the direction of the target.

Tactical Prowess
For players on the ball:

• Choosing the correct type of kick pass to perform.
• Read cues from team-mates and opponents to judge the timing of the use of the kick pass and were to pass to.
• Perform the skill in pressure situations
• Choosing the correct time to pass
• Selling the dummy or side step to generate space to kick from.

For players off the ball:

•  Correct positioning in order to open up the space for themselves or their team-mates to receive a pass.
•  Correct timing of the runs to make themselves available to receive the pass from team-mate on the ball.

Team Play

• Recognising the movement of team mates, creating space for each other to receive the pass or perform the pass.
• Supporting your team-mate after they receive the pass.

Physical Fitness

• Being physically fit enough perform a pass over a long distance
• Being able to change the pace of the attack to take advantage of open spaces
• Being physically fit enough to get into the correct positions to both pass and receive the ball
• Displaying high levels of agility, balance and coordination to loose your marker to receive the pass or create the space to perform the pass.
• Having the required speed, movement ability and strength to take advantage of the additional time and space on the ball created by the use of an accurate kick pass.

Psychological Focus

• Being engaged in the game; being fully aware of the play to identify the cues from team mates and opponents
• Maintaining composure to perform the kick pass while under pressure from opponents

Playing Facts

• Knowing which side to kick from to avoid tackles from opponents
• Taking account of all of the external factors involved during the kick pass, including direction, distance, weather conditions.
• Understanding the principles of attack and defense to increase penetration, or change the point of attack.

When performed correctly the kick pass can be very spectacular especially when performed over distance.
As can be seen from the above, each of the different aspects of the OTú Coaching Model interact together to create good play. For more information on the OTú Coaching Model and each of its constituent parts click here.

For more information on some of the key skills of kick passing  in Gaelic football, click on:

• Hook Kick
• Swerve Kick
• Punt Kick

For information on the key teaching points of the skills, click on:

• Hook Kick- key points
• Punt Kick- key points
• Swerve kick- key points

February

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