A punt in football is when the punter, a kicker on the special teams, kicks the ball to the opposing team. A punt can be made on any down and from anywhere on the football field.
To perform a punt, the center hikes the ball directly to the punter instead of the quarterback.
The punter can also drop the ball and kick it out of the air, which is called a drop kick. The punt is a very high kick where the ball travels to the other side of the field without going out of bounds.
Punts are usually made on 4th down and to prevent a turnover on downs. The following are reasons to punt:
Punts clear the field and allow for a restart of the play. It gives the other team possession. To learn more about possession, read Football Possession.
To avoid a turnover on downs, a team will punt the ball to maintain strong field position when giving the ball back to the other team.
