Kicking is the easiest method of gaining ground, although it gives the ball to the opponents; but it is better to allow the opposing team to have the ball on its 25-yard line than to have it yourself on your own 25-yard line. It is almost impossible, when the teams are anywhere near equally matched, to rush the ball from goal to goal without relinquishing it. One team starting from its own 25-yard line may rush the ball to the centre of the field, or to its opponents' 40-yard line. There it is more than likely to lose it. The defensive team is getting stronger all the time, and the offensive one weaker. An eleven should have a scheme for a kicking game determined by the relative strength of its rushing and kicking. How much kicking can be done depends on the direction of the wind more than upon anything else. Do not wait until the third down to kick. Your opponent expects you to kick, because you must. Good judgment should be exercised in the placing of the kicks. A team should not kick from right under its own goal-posts, because of danger of the ball's striking an upright or the cross-bar. Change the territory by running a play out on the end, then kick. _Signals._--A signal is a sign of some kind given to indicate to the player the play to be used, and the time of its execution. Signals should be as simple as possible, so as to be easily understood by the side using them. The signals, once decided upon, should be thoroughly learned by constant drill, drill, drill! It is important that every man should know them thoroughly. They ought to be second nature to him. They should be perfectly clear to him the moment they are given, so that there is no conscious effort of the memory at all. Without them there can be no concert of action, and team-play is absolutely impossible. [Illustration: FIG. 4.] In the first place, there must be a vocal signal, as it is almost impossible for the whole eleven to catch a visible signal. A very simple code is to number the holes in the rush-line from left to right, or _vice versa_, and then disguise the hole number by some simple combination of figures. (Number the holes as shown in Fig. 4.) Let the hole where the play is to be made be the second digit of the second number. If the signal were "12, 61, 83," then 61 would denote the hole or indicate a play around the left end; the numbers 23, 24, etc., would indicate a play between left guard and centre. There are six possible variations from this simple code. There may also be a system with an index number--as 43, for instance. Let the hole number be the second digit of the first number after the index; the numbers "81, 43, 36," call for a play between right guard and tackle, 6 being the number of that hole. The plays may be numbered, and the figure indicating the play may be disguised. Or plays may be lettered, as is often done. All formations should be numbered or lettered in some way.