Footedness

Footedness is the natural preference of one's left or right foot for various purposes. While purposes vary, such as applying the greatest force in a kick or stomp, footedness is most commonly associated with the preference of a particular foot in the leading position while engaging in foot, or kicking related sports, such as association football and kickboxing.

Over 90% of right-handers are also right-footers; right-footedness hence predominates in the general population. Only about half of the left-handers, however, are left-footed.

In association football, the ball is mostly struck by the foot. Footedness may refer to the foot a player uses to kick with the greatest force and skill. Most people are right-footed, kicking with the right leg. Capable left-footed footballers are rare and therefore quite sought after. Also rare are "two-footed" players, who are equally capable with both feet. Such players make up only one sixth of players in the top professional leagues in Europe. Two-footedness can be learnt, a notable case being England international Tom Finney, but can only be properly developed in early years. In Australian Rules Football, several players are equally adept using both feet to kick the ball, such as Sam Mitchell and Charles Bushnell (footballer, retired). In basketball, a sport composed almost solely of right-handed players, it is common for most athletes to have a dominant left leg which they would use when jumping to complete a right-hand layup. Hence left handed basketball players tend to use their right leg more as they finish a left handed layup (although both right and left handed players are usually able to use both hands when finishing near the basket).

When one must stand erect on a single, lightweight object that slides along the ground or on water, the need for balance causes one to position the body perpendicular to the direction of motion, with one foot leading the other. As with handedness, when this task is repetitively performed, one tends to naturally choose a particular foot for the leading position.

Boardsport riders are "footed" in one of two stances, generally called "regular" and "goofy". A "regular" stance indicates the left foot leading and a "Goofy" leads with the right. Professionals seem to be evenly distributed between the stances. Riders generally — but not always — quickly choose a preferred stance that generally becomes permanently preferred. Practice can yield a high level of ambidexterity between the two stances, such that even seasoned participants of a boardsport have difficulty discerning the footedness of an unfamiliar rider in action.

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Wikipedia