Punting the ball in football is a strategy designed to help the team with its field position. If a team has failed to gain a first down on its first three plays and it is not in field-goal range, a coach usually will elect to punt the ball to the opposition. While the team gives up possession of the ball, it gains a strategic advantage because the opponent may be forced to take possession deep in its own territory. Both the punting team and receiving team have specific rules to follow.
Roughing the Punter
After the punter drops the ball and kicks it away to the opposition, he is in a very vulnerable position and the rules protect him. The punter cannot be hit once he has kicked the ball and he is in the process of following through on the kick. He has the right to finish his punt, land on two feet and then start his journey down the field to make a play on the punt returner. If any defensive player hits the punter while he is in the kicking motion -- and he has gotten the ball away -- that defensive player will be called for roughing the kicker. That is a 15-yard personal foul penalty that will allow the punting team to keep possession. If the contact is deemed incidental, the penalty is called running into the kicker and it results in a 5-yard penalty.
Ineligible Man Downfield
Once the punter receives the snap from center, he needs to get into his motion and punt the ball without delay. If he takes too long to punt the ball and players on the interior line run downfield before he has punted the ball, a penalty for ineligible man downfield will be called and a 5-yard penalty will be enforced. This penalty prevents the punting team from sending all its players downfield and then having the punter kick the ball to prevent a long return. The two outside tacklers -- called gunners -- may sprint downfield without penalty. However, the rest of the players must wait until the ball has been punted to run downfield.
Blocked Punt
A punt that is blocked may be advanced by the other team as long as it is behind the punting team's line of scrimmage. If the punt is blocked and the ball rolls around and a member of the punting team recovers the ball before it has reached the line of scrimmage, he can pick it up and advance the ball as far as he can until he is tackled. However, if an offensive player recovers the ball after it has crossed the line of scrimmage, the ball is dead at that point and belongs to the defensive team. A defensive player can pick up a blocked punt at any spot and advance the ball.
No Pass Interference
When a team lines up in punt formation, it does not have to punt the ball. The punter can run with the ball or pass the ball from the punt formation. However, outside receivers are not given protection from pass interference on a pass from punt formation. For example, the outside gunner may sprint downfield and the punter can throw the ball to him. However, a defender can hit that player as he is sprinting downfield because the opponent is under the impression that he is a tackler who is trying to make a play against a punt return. The rationale behind the rule is that the defensive team does not have to afford the gunner room to run without being hit and may attempt to prevent him from getting downfield.
References
- "NFL Rule Book"; NFL Publishing; 2010
- "Play Football the NFL Way"; Tom Bass; 1991
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
- Football Scrimmage.com: Kicks From Scrimmage
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