Football Punt

Football Punt

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.

Punt Procedure

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.

Why Punt in Football?

Punts are usually made on 4th down and to prevent a turnover on downs. The following are reasons to punt:

• To maintain strong field position
• To prevent a turnover on downs

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.

Turnover on Downs

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.