See early football players go airborne during kicking practice
 

See early football players go airborne during kicking practice
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1929

Joe Le Maistre of Tufts.

Image: Leslie Jones Collection/Boston Public Library

Though today the roles of kicker and punter are reserved for specialized members of a football team, in the early years of the game, when small rosters required players to play both offense and defense, players in all positions were expected to practice kicking skills.

Before the pointy-ended shape of an American football was finalized in 1934, footballs had significantly rounder ends. This allowed players to reliably pull off a drop kick, where the ball is bounced off the ground before being kicked. The shape of modern footballs made bouncing unpredictable, leading to the replacement of the drop kick with the stationary place kick for field goals and conversions. Read more...

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