Bomb kick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In football, the bomb, also known as a Garryowen or up and under, is the name given to a kick, much like the punt but which results in a small distance and a large height. The bomb is useful for both attacking and defensive tactics of games derived from rugby football: rugby league and rugby union.
The execution of a bomb is similar to the punt kick, with the main difference in execution being the angle held relative to the body and the position of the ball where the foot makes the contact. The ball is held vertically (upright) or parallel with the body. It is released with one hand on each side and the boot makes contact on the bottom point of the ball.
The result is a towering ball which should rotate end on end. The height of the kick makes the ball susceptible to wind which causes the ball to change direction. Also, the ball gathers speed as it falls closer to the ground and this combined with the swirling can also cause the ball to change direction.
In Australian rugby league, the bomb was popularised by Easts' and Parramatta's John "Bomber" Peard in the 1970s. However, by the 1980s, it became increasingly seen as a negative or unexciting tactic, and a rule change was made to lessen its effect: A bomb (or any type of kick) caught on the full in the in-goal area by the defending side now resulted in an automatic 20 metre tap restart, sometimes colloquially known as defusing the bomb. Grubber kicks or cross kicks are now sometimes used in preference to bombing into the in-goal area.
In recent times the "Up and Under" was mastered by Bobby Goulding helping St. Helens to the inaugural Super League title, and several others after that. It was a common feature of the Saints and though it suffered criticism for its 'negative' quality (at the same time Rugby Union was under similar scrutiny for turning into a 'kicking' game) it was an extremely effective tactic by probably the finest exponent of the kick in recent memory. The risky nature of the ball (for the catcher) and the opportunity for the pursuing players to challenge for it made it an often comical, and controversial move particularly in the case of defensive players 'chickening out' under pressure.
The technique is used to a lesser extent in Australian rules football when kicking from deep in a forward pocket or half forward to full-forward and the goal square. The ball is given extra height so that a tall forward has a chance to mark (Australian football) it above other players in front of goal rather than the player risk a low percentage kick from an angle or too far out to score.
In rugby union, the Up and Under, also known as the Garryowen, is a very high kick designed to put the opposing team under pressure, by allowing the kicking team time to arrive under, and compete for, the high ball. [1]
