The snap kick is a kicking technique used in many martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 including karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 as well as in Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

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Australian rules football

A snap kick (or snap shot) is a hurried shot at goal in Australian rules football. It is mostly taken from difficult angles such as the forward pocket and is generally across the body, over the head, over the shoulder or a scissor kick

Bicycle kick

A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...

. Many players are particularly accurate with snap kicks, including Darren Jarman

Darren Jarman

Darren Jarman is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League. An elite midfielder-cum-forward, Jarman amassed a total of 386 games of senior football at SANFL, AFL and Representative level. He was widely reocgnised as one of the most skillful players of his era...

, Gary Ablett, Sr, James Hird

James Hird

James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....

, Daniel Motlop

Daniel Motlop

Daniel Motlop is an Indigenous Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League.- Kangaroos career :...

, Dale Thomas

Dale Thomas (footballer)

Dale Robert Jordan Thomas is a professional Australian rules football player currently with the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...

, Russell Robertson

Russell Robertson

Russell "Robbo" Robertson is a professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club....

, Leon Davis

Leon Davis (footballer)

Leon Davis is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Drafted to Collingwood in 1999 as a small forward, Davis is of Aboriginal heritage. Davis made an early impression at the Pies and played Round 1 in his debut season. He showed that he was capable of turning a match but...

, Alan Didak

Alan Didak

Alan Didak is a professional Australian rules footballer of Croatian descent playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.- Early life :...

, Stephen Milne

Stephen Milne

Stephen Milne is a professional footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:...

 and Eddie Betts

Eddie Betts

Eddie Betts is an Australian rules footballer playing for Carlton in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Betts grew up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and played for the Mines Rovers Football Club...

. However, for most players, the snap is a low-percentage shot which only scores on a fluke. Players are encouraged to take snaps when they are under extreme pressure, or about to go out of bounds. The term snap-happy, however, refers to a player who instinctively takes snap shots when there are much higher-percentage options available, such as passing to a teammate, or steadying and kicking with a drop punt. Players often fall into this category to seek attention, because the goals from snap-shots are invariably the goals which are replayed at the end of the game, and are the goals that win Goal of the Year

Goal of the Year (Australia)

The Goal of the Year is a competition for the best goals kicked in the VFL/AFL during that season. It is run in conjunction with the Mark of the Year competition and is currently sponsored by Panasonic. The award is also known as the Phil Manassa Medal....

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