How to Make a Rugby Kicking Tee

Make a tee out of an old 1.5-liter bottle for a quick and easy kicking platform., Clean out the bottle and remove any labels., Use a boxcutter, sharp knife, or a fresh pair of scissors to cut the bottom off the bottle., Make a mark 4.5" from the...

10 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Make a tee out of an old 1.5-liter bottle for a quick and easy kicking platform.

    There are no hard and fast rules about what can and can't be a kicking tee, so as long as the finished bottle doesn't have any jagged edges it should be perfect.

    In fact, Dartmouth recently used a water bottle against Yale in a game where they forgot their tee., Give the bottle a quick rinse to get the juice or soda out, then remove any labels and caps.

    You just want a plain clear bottle to work with. , You want to cut a clean, straight line across the bottom, roughly
    1.5 inches up.

    The final cylinder should be smooth and regular, forming a perfect circular opening on the bottom.

    This is the part of the tee that sits on the ground, so the more evenly you cut it the better it will balance. , This is going to be the lower end of your tee.

    Most rugby tees are angled, allowing you to balance the ball so that you kick the nose of it, so you'll need to make two different cuts.

    Mark them out first to make sure the finished tee is even. , This is going to be the high end of your tee.

    Look through the bottle and make your mark so that it is lined up across from the
    4.5" mark. , This is easiest if you just connect the two marks with your marker.

    You'll be left with a diagonal ring around the bottle.

    Try your best to make these lines identical.

    It is not crucial for a quick, makeshift tee, but it will help the ball stay in place.

    Try to connect the sides with a gentle, sideways "s" shaped line, so that the highest point on the tee is just before the 9" mark., Once you've finished your lines, use the box cutter again to cut along your line, making your final tee.

    Depending on your cutting tool, the edge may be rough and jagged.

    If it is, simply cover the entire edge with electrical tape.

    This has the added benefit of making the tee easier to see as well. , The basic design can be easily tweaked if you need, and requires few other tools:
    Tape 4-5 quarters to the tee to make it heavier, which will keep in place on windy days.

    Cut a gentler line if you usually kick horizontally.

    If you kick on the nose, simply cut the 9" mark further down, near 7-8" instead.

    Trace out the arc of a real tee and cut it into your bottle for a better tee.

    The "s" shaped curve of a real tee is hard to replicate, but you can study real tees and trace their shape on paper.

    Transfer this paper to the bottle, trace the line on the bottle, and then cut.
  2. Step 2: Clean out the bottle and remove any labels.

  3. Step 3: Use a boxcutter

  4. Step 4: sharp knife

  5. Step 5: or a fresh pair of scissors to cut the bottom off the bottle.

  6. Step 6: Make a mark 4.5" from the bottom of the bottle.

  7. Step 7: Make a mark 9" from the bottom of the bottle directly opposite your first mark.

  8. Step 8: Connect your two marks with a circle around the entire bottle.

  9. Step 9: Cut along your outline to make the tee.

  10. Step 10: Customize your tee to make it heavier or suit it to your needs.

Detailed Guide

There are no hard and fast rules about what can and can't be a kicking tee, so as long as the finished bottle doesn't have any jagged edges it should be perfect.

In fact, Dartmouth recently used a water bottle against Yale in a game where they forgot their tee., Give the bottle a quick rinse to get the juice or soda out, then remove any labels and caps.

You just want a plain clear bottle to work with. , You want to cut a clean, straight line across the bottom, roughly
1.5 inches up.

The final cylinder should be smooth and regular, forming a perfect circular opening on the bottom.

This is the part of the tee that sits on the ground, so the more evenly you cut it the better it will balance. , This is going to be the lower end of your tee.

Most rugby tees are angled, allowing you to balance the ball so that you kick the nose of it, so you'll need to make two different cuts.

Mark them out first to make sure the finished tee is even. , This is going to be the high end of your tee.

Look through the bottle and make your mark so that it is lined up across from the
4.5" mark. , This is easiest if you just connect the two marks with your marker.

You'll be left with a diagonal ring around the bottle.

Try your best to make these lines identical.

It is not crucial for a quick, makeshift tee, but it will help the ball stay in place.

Try to connect the sides with a gentle, sideways "s" shaped line, so that the highest point on the tee is just before the 9" mark., Once you've finished your lines, use the box cutter again to cut along your line, making your final tee.

Depending on your cutting tool, the edge may be rough and jagged.

If it is, simply cover the entire edge with electrical tape.

This has the added benefit of making the tee easier to see as well. , The basic design can be easily tweaked if you need, and requires few other tools:
Tape 4-5 quarters to the tee to make it heavier, which will keep in place on windy days.

Cut a gentler line if you usually kick horizontally.

If you kick on the nose, simply cut the 9" mark further down, near 7-8" instead.

Trace out the arc of a real tee and cut it into your bottle for a better tee.

The "s" shaped curve of a real tee is hard to replicate, but you can study real tees and trace their shape on paper.

Transfer this paper to the bottle, trace the line on the bottle, and then cut.

About the Author

J

Janice Johnson

Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.

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