Punter (football)

In American football, a punter is the player who is responsible for punts. Besides the kicker, the punter is one of the "specialists", i.e. someone who plays neither in the offense nor in the defense, but in the so-called special teams.

Since the positions are related, it is not uncommon for amateur teams to use the same player for both. A good punter, like a kicker, must have a good kicking leg as well as good technique because the ball is snapped to him first and then he must be kicked as far and accurately as possible. However, good nerves are not necessary because the punt is more of a liberation shot than a scoring opportunity. Therefore, the punter's low effort is an indicator of his team's superiority.

Average punts have a distance of 30 to 40 yards, peak values are over 80 yards. The distance alone is not important for a punt, because the ball has to stay in the air for a long time (hang time) so that the players of the punting team can advance as far as possible in the direction of the returner to stop him. Good punters also have the ability to give the football spin, which causes the opponent to muff, resulting in a fumble.

For example, if punting from the center line or even closer to the opposing end zone, the football should be kicked at, but not into, the opposing end zone: Flying into the end zone results in an unwanted touchback, giving the ball back to the opposing team at the 20-yard line and negating most of the space gained. The punter's goal is to catch the ball in the so-called coffin corner just before the opponent's end zone or to have it go out of bounds. Any punt that ends within the opponent's 20-yard line ("Inside the 20") is considered a success. In extreme cases, the opponent is even on his own one-yard line and thus in the worst offensive position. The distance to the other end zone would be the maximum possible 99 yards. If there is a quarterback sack, there is probably a safety, and if there is an interception, there is a high risk of a touchdown.

Another role of many punters is to serve as "holders" for the kicker on field goal attempts, i.e., to catch the football after the snap and set it up for him.