Punting is not necessarily always a bad thing in the sport of college football. While teams do sacrifice possession of the ball, an effective punter can switch field position in favor of his team by trying to pin the offensive team as close to its goal line as possible. In college football, teams punt on fourth down when they would rather try to change field position than risk giving the ball up by failing to convert the first down.
Calculating Net Punting Average
Step 1
Calculate gross punting yards by figuring the distance the punt travels in the air from the line of scrimmage to the yard line where the ball lands or where the return man catches the ball. If the ball is caught or lands in the end zone, count that as on the goal line.
Step 2
Subtract the number of yards the punt is returned from the gross punting yards. If the ball is downed for a touchback, subtract 20 yards from the gross punting total because the receiving team will start its possession at the 20-yard line. For example, if the Ohio State punter kicks the ball 42 yards and the Michigan punt returner gains 7 yards on the return, subtract 7 from 42 to get a 35-yard net punt.
Step 3
Subtract the total yards from all punt returns from the gross total yards of all punts in a game. Divide that number by the number of punts. The result is the net punting average, which equates to the average change in field position on a punt in college football. For example, Michigan's punter kicks three punts in a game for 120 gross yards. Ohio State's punt returner gains 30 yards on returns. Subtract 30 from 120 to get 90. Divide 90 by 3 to get a 30-yard net punting average.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember that a punt can be returned more than 100 yards if the ball is caught in the end zone.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
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