ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon (2024)

Football is littered with specialized terminology. From option routeto spin move, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Please contact us with any terms or phrases you’d like to know more about.

The punter is a member of the team tasked with drop kicking the ball downfield to gain an advantage on field position on fourth down after an ineffective drive. Punters are usually tall and lanky, creating long levers for them to impart force on the ball. In addition to punting responsibilities, many punters are also holders for field goals and extra points. On a successful punt, punters will also function as a safety, trailing the coverage unit by 15 to 20 yards, though many punters struggle in this role against more athletic returners.

The punter is typically set up 14 yards behind the line of scrimmage in spread punt formation, the core alignment used by most NFL teams. The Green Bay Packers show this formation from their right hash in the still below:

ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon (1)

The Chicago Bears show the same formation when punting from the center of the field:

ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon (2)

In both scenarios, the punter is located in the exact same position relative to the line of scrimmage, as this distance provides maximum protection while still placing the punter as close to the line as possible to maximize the distance of the punt.

In addition to their punting duties, punters typicallyfunction as the holder for field goals and extra points. Below, Brad Wing, then on the Pittsburgh Steelers, receives a snap as a holder on the extra point unit:

ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon (3)

Punters also function as safeties on punts, as they trail the play and represent the last line of defense before the end zone. While many punters may struggle with this role due to not possessing the raw athleticism of returners as well as injury concerns, Pat McAfee of the Indianapolis Colts shows that punters can be effective tacklers in open space when necessary:

ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon (4)

Watch McAfee bring the wood to Denver Broncos returner Trindon Holliday.

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Chuck Zoddawrote this entry.Follow Chuck on Twitter @ITP_ChuckZ.

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ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon (2024)

FAQs

ITP Glossary: Punter - Inside The Pylon? ›

What are the responsibilities of a punter? The role of a punter is much more simple, kick punts. A punt will take place on a fourth down when the offense has failed to advance 10 yards down the field in three attempts.

What is the punters' responsibility? ›

What are the responsibilities of a punter? The role of a punter is much more simple, kick punts. A punt will take place on a fourth down when the offense has failed to advance 10 yards down the field in three attempts.

Why does the punting team touch the ball? ›

This is often not considered to be detrimental to the kicking team; for example, it is common for a player on the kicking team to deliberately touch the ball near the goal line before it enters the end zone to prevent a touchback.

What is a pin punt? ›

A pin deep punt is defined as any punt kicked when the line of scrimmage is from a team's 41-yard line forward.

What is the role of a punter? ›

A punter (P) in gridiron football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts (kicks) the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage.

What makes a good punter? ›

A punter has to be ready for anything: there is no quicker way to lose a ball game than to have a kick blocked. Since I constantly keep my eye on the ball, I can see in advance when the pass is going wrong. This gives me time—not much, but enough—to prevent a disaster.

Can the punter catch his own punt? ›

While punting is done as part of one of the downs of an offensive team. In the rules this is a "scrimmage kick", and the rules to recover are different. The kicking team has no option to retain possession by catching or recovering the punt (unless the receiving team becomes involved).

Does the punter hold the ball? ›

In today's NFL, most teams use their punter as a holder.

What is illegal touching on a punt? ›

A punt that first touches the kicking team is a foul for illegal touching. After this illegal touching occurs, the receiving team is allowed to return the punt with very low risk.

Why are punters tall? ›

Even for punters, size matters — specifically, leg strength and height — because taller punters have longer legs. Longer legs create a bigger “swing” for the leg to come through and connect with the ball.

What is a checkside punt? ›

For the true checkside, the ball is held with ends pointing to 2 and 8 o-clock (for a right-footed kick) and is kicked more off the outside of the boot with the ball spinning at an opposite direction to the swing of the leg.

What is a drop punt? ›

The most basic kick that every player should master is the drop punt, which is done by dropping the ball so that its end hits the lower laces of your boot, causing the ball to spin end-over-end. While it sounds simple, there is a lot of technical skill that goes into it to ensure an accurate hit.

Why don't punters coffin corners anymore? ›

In recent years, as punters have become more adept at kicking the ball so as to not have it bounce forward after landing, punting teams have increasingly eschewed coffin corner punts in favor of kicking inbounds and downing the ball before it reaches the end zone.

What is a spread punt? ›

Spread punt formation typically uses an inside-out blocking scheme in order to take away the shortest path between defenders and the punter – the route directly through the middle.

What do professional punters do? ›

The professional punter is solely concerned about unearthing potentially profitable betting opportunities, where the price offered about the outcome of an event is high compared to the actual chance of it happening.

Does the punter do anything else? ›

For Part I, the punter stays on the field and hopefully he will not have to tackle the returner. If he does, he is most likely the last line of defense. Part II: After the play is over, the punter goes back to the sidelines. Sometimes the punter may do the occasional kickoff or may be a holder.

Why do the English call customers punters? ›

A punting shop was a gambling establishment specialising in games like faro and baccarat, and a punter was a customer at such places. The meaning for someone who bets on horse or greyhound racing in particular is still common.

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