What does dropkick mean?
A dropkick is a kick performed by dropping a ball from the hands and striking it at the moment it hits — or just after it rebounds from — the ground. It is most familiar from rugby union and rugby league, where dropgoals are scored this way, and from Australian rules football, where it was once a fundamental skill taught to every junior player. In professional wrestling, the term has taken on a second life, describing an acrobatic attack in which a performer leaps and drives both feet into an opponent's chest or head. Used as a verb, 'to dropkick' can describe executing such a kick or, informally, knocking something down decisively. The word carries a connotation of precision and timing: because the ball must be struck at exactly the right instant of its bounce, the dropkick demands more skill than a simple punt. Though less central to modern play than it once was, it remains a distinctive and dramatic technique whenever it appears.
A kick made by dropping a ball to the ground and kicking it just as, or immediately after, it bounces; in professional wrestling, a leaping attack delivered with the soles of both feet.
"His last-minute dropkick won the match by a single point."
To kick (a ball) in the manner of a dropkick; to strike someone with a dropkick; informally, to knock down or defeat forcefully.
"He dropkicked the ball over the bar from long range."
Regular plural; used chiefly in sporting commentary and match reports.
"Both sides traded dropkicks throughout the first half."
In early rugby and football, the dropkick wasn't a stunt — it was the standard way to score points.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dropkick
Dropkick is a straightforward English compound of 'drop' and 'kick', formed in the nineteenth century when the technique was a standard method of kicking the ball in football codes. It combines the Germanic-rooted noun 'drop' with the Norse-derived verb 'kick', reflecting the word's wholly English pedigree rather than any classical origin. Its extension into professional wrestling jargon came in the twentieth century, when the acrobatic two-footed variant became a staple manoeuvre.
Related word forms
How dropkick is actually used
Primarily a sporting term; in rugby union it retains a technical meaning for restarts and scoring, while in professional wrestling it denotes an acrobatic two-footed attack. The verb form is usually written solid ('dropkick') though 'drop-kick' is also accepted.
Easily confused with dropkick
A placekick is taken with the ball held or resting on the ground, whereas a dropkick is struck while the ball drops from the kicker's hands and rebounds off the ground.