punting out of bounds?

figs86 · 18-01-2009 03:52AM #1

hey guys, can anyone clear this up for me?

why do punters in the nfl punt to the middle of the field, down the throat of the punt returner?

i have rarely seen them punt out of bounds (like kicking to the corners in rugby)

why do they afford the opposition opportunity to run the ball back?

themont85 · 18-01-2009 03:59AM

There are occasions when they do aim for the corner(usually when looking at the one). I'm no expert but i suppose the configuration of the ball for starters makes it more difficult along with the angles to shank the ball completely. Perhaps the kicking down the middle is safer as it reduces the chance of it being blocked as you are kicking higher than if you were kicking to an angle. Also whilst it gives the opposition a good chance at a return it also gives them a good chance to mess it up thus giving you the ball with good field position. I have never played the game or really thought about this so could be completely wrong...

tallaghtoutlaws · 18-01-2009 01:15PM

Its not as easy as it looks to get it out of bounds. Their position on the field means they have to shank the ball off the side of their foot to put that angle on it. Alot of things can go wrong.

- You slice it to bad and it goes no more than 20 yards

- You punt it and still stays in bouns but you still have given the return better field position.

- You kick it to one side and you dont adjust your angle to make blocks and its caught you could give up more lanes for the returner to get further downfield.

A friend of mine does the kicking for his Rugby team and tried punting in 5 attempts to the same spot out of bounds far down the field and the 2 example above always happened. His reason the ball is too small compared to a rugby ball and he had less time to kick it. Due to the defense rushing him.

Safest option just punt it all the way downfield and hope your guys get to the returner before he breaks for major yards.

JJ · 18-01-2009 04:05PM

This post reminded me of the coffin corner punt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_punt). I think punters are more likely to go for out of bounds when they're in their opponents half but their team is too far away to go for an FG. You don't want to punt it and end up with a touchback so the coffin corner may be the way to go.

DaXiS · 18-01-2009 04:07PM

Teams generally trust their coverage team to get their to stop any big return so they opt to punt it long to get best field position.

tallaghtoutlaws · 18-01-2009 04:09PM

DaXiS wrote: »

Teams generally trust their coverage team to get their to stop any big return so they opt to punt it long to get best field position.

Exactly always seen as the safest option.

Max Power1 · 19-01-2009 01:43AM

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Exactly always seen as the safest option.

Football is a game of percentages.. it works out better to let the coverage team defense the returner than to lose yardage by angling the kick.

tallaghtoutlaws · 19-01-2009 01:46AM

Max Power1 wrote: »

Football is a game of percentages.. it works out better to let the coverage team defense the returner than to lose yardage by angling the kick.

Hence what I said earlier. 2 posts above the one you quoted.

Dodge · 19-01-2009 12:19PM

Unless its Devon Hester from 2-3 years ago in which case they'd rather lose the 20 yards extra they may have got rather than give it to him.

A huge amount of punts in the last 2 minutes go out too rather than give somebody the chance to make a play

dulpit · 19-01-2009 05:41PM

Are you allowed punt the ball anywhere on the field or is it behind the line of scrimmage or what? Just curious, i was watching some college game and the punter had a weird style of kicking, but he would get the ball and run towards the line of scrimmage and kick it at the last second, instead of normally what you see (when they get the ball and boot it)

Also, I've heard commentators refer to people punting it "rugby style" which apparently is harder to deal with for the returner. This true/false?

tallaghtoutlaws · 19-01-2009 05:46PM

dulpit wrote: »

Are you allowed punt the ball anywhere on the field or is it behind the line of scrimmage or what? Just curious, i was watching some college game and the punter had a weird style of kicking, but he would get the ball and run towards the line of scrimmage and kick it at the last second, instead of normally what you see (when they get the ball and boot it)

Also, I've heard commentators refer to people punting it "rugby style" which apparently is harder to deal with for the returner. This true/false?

If he crosses the line of scrimmage he can no longer kick it. And some college punters are known to run to the line of scrimmage to make up the 7 yards were they recieved the ball. But its a dangerous move and you could potentially lose the football.

There are many ways for guys to punt the football. Different guys have different methods. They take the basic method and adjust it to suit themselves. A friend of mine his son is a Punter in WI and he has the weirdest punt I have ever seen but its effective.

jdivision · 19-01-2009 05:48PM

rugby style means the ball comes down end over end whereas American style the football comes down in a spiral. End over end means the ball tends to travel less far but yeah, it's a bit harder to catch, partly because the pads restrict your movement.

You can't punt the ball ahead of the line of scrimmage afaik

Running Bing · 19-01-2009 05:55PM

I imagine yardage is a lot more crucial in NFL too so its just not worth the risk like in rugby.

Here's another punt question: So one team punts.....the other team either catches and returns, calls a fair catch or if the ball goes into the endzone its replaced at the 20 yard mark (I think)...but how come sometimes the returning team just lets the ball drop and sit there and the punting team all huddle around the ball without touching it like its a new born baby.

Im sure I have seen this. Maybe I am completely misreading whats going on. Does this happen and if it does whats the story?

eagle eye · 19-01-2009 05:59PM

Babybing wrote: »

I imagine yardage is a lot more crucial in NFL too so its just not worth the risk like in rugby.

Here's another punt question: So one team punts.....the other team either catches and returns, calls a fair catch or if the ball goes into the endzone its replaced at the 20 yard mark (I think)...but how come sometimes the returning team just lets the ball drop and sit there and the punting team all huddle around the ball without touching it like its a new born baby.

Im sure I have seen this. Maybe I am completely misreading whats going on. Does this happen and if it does whats the story?

If the punt is excellent and there is no chance of a return and the catch is difficult that often happens.
Also sometimes a player might mistakingly think the ball will make the endzone therefore getting a touchback and lets it go but it doesn't make the endzone and the kicking team wait for it to roll out before touching it and declaring the ball dead at that spot where the opposition will then start on offence.

Running Bing · 19-01-2009 06:02PM

eagle eye wrote: »

If the punt is excellent and there is no chance of a return and the catch is difficult that often happens.
Also sometimes a player might mistakingly think the ball will make the endzone therefore getting a touchback and lets it go but it doesn't make the endzone and the kicking team wait for it to roll out before touching it and declaring the ball dead at that spot where the opposition will then start on offence.

But cant the returning team just call a fair catch and take it from the 20 yard line or is there a rule that states a catch has to be likely to call a fair catch?

tallaghtoutlaws · 19-01-2009 06:02PM

Babybing wrote: »

I imagine yardage is a lot more crucial in NFL too so its just not worth the risk like in rugby.

Here's another punt question: So one team punts.....the other team either catches and returns, calls a fair catch or if the ball goes into the endzone its replaced at the 20 yard mark (I think)...but how come sometimes the returning team just lets the ball drop and sit there and the punting team all huddle around the ball without touching it like its a new born baby.

Im sure I have seen this. Maybe I am completely misreading whats going on. Does this happen and if it does whats the story?

Some returners will just let the ball sit there as its not worth the risk picking up. Say the ball is kick and doesnt get the returner or flys past him, he wont risk touching it as it will make it a live ball. Meaning he would have to make sure he gained possesion of it or the Kicking team could recover it and get their offense back on the field with good field position. So rather than the risk they just let the ball settle whereever it lands. Crap field position but at least they still have posession

The fair catch is called usually by a returner who feels the kicking team guys are right on top of him. He doesnt want to risk taking a hit and fumbling the ball as he might not have full control of it or he is still standing still and has yet to move.

Vikings · 19-01-2009 06:03PM

Babybing wrote: »

Here's another punt question: So one team punts.....the other team either catches and returns, calls a fair catch or if the ball goes into the endzone its replaced at the 20 yard mark (I think)...but how come sometimes the returning team just lets the ball drop and sit there and the punting team all huddle around the ball without touching it like its a new born baby.

If you can't catch it then get the hell away from it and let the ball do its own thing.

On punts where you are not able to get under the ball and securely make a fair catch, let the ball come to rest and let the kicking team recover it, your own team then gets the ball at that spot.

Returners do this instead of trying to make an awkward catch in which they could cough up the football - once they receiving team touch the ball it is live and if the kicking team recover it then they get the ball at that spot. It is safer to leave the ball the hell alone than to try and make a catch where you have a chance of missing it. And anyway, that ball could take a lucky bounce and you end up better off!

eagle eye · 19-01-2009 06:08PM

Babybing wrote: »

But cant the returning team just call a fair catch and take it from the 20 yard line or is there a rule that states a catch has to be likely to call a fair catch?

A fair catch means you start at the spot of the catch not the 20 yard line. If you fair catch it at the one 1 yard line thats where you start.

Running Bing · 19-01-2009 06:09PM

eagle eye wrote: »

A fair catch means you start at the spot of the catch not the 20 yard line. If you fair catch it at the one 1 yard line thats where you start.

Ahhh the penny drops.

Cheers eagle eye, vikings and tallaghtoutlaws.:)

davyjose · 19-01-2009 07:49PM

You're thinking of a Touchback, Babybing. That's where it goes into the returning teams end-zone (I think) and is re-started from the 20.

punting out of bounds?

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