Punting Technique: The Drop, the Contact and Hang Time
How a punter turns a snap into a high, well-placed kick: the catch, the steps, the drop, the point of contact, and why hang time matters as much as distance.
Most fans judge a punt by one number: how far it went. Special teams coaches look at a different one first, which is how long the ball stayed in the air. A punt that travels fifty yards on a low line can be returned for a long gain, while a shorter, higher one gives the coverage team time to arrive and make the tackle. That tension between distance and hang time sits at the center of punting technique.
Punting is a deceptively difficult skill. The punter drops a ball from his hands and kicks it before it reaches the ground, striking a moving, oddly shaped object at a precise point with a precise part of his foot. The whole process, from snap to contact, takes roughly two seconds or less at the highest levels, and a rusher is trying to block it. This guide breaks the motion into its parts: the setup, the catch, the steps, the drop, the contact and the follow-through, then looks at hang time, the different kinds of punts and the faults coaches correct.
As with kicking in general, there are many personal variations. Coaches teach the number of steps, the drop angle and the foot position differently. What follows describes shared fundamentals and flags the points where methods differ.
Where the punter stands and what he does first
A punter lines up well behind the line of scrimmage, deeper than a quarterback in shotgun. The depth is set by the formation and the coach; the goal is to give the protectors time to hold their blocks while the punter completes the kick. The long snapper delivers the ball back to him. For how that exchange works, see snapping technique: the center and the long snapper.
Before the snap, the punter takes a relaxed stance with arms extended toward the snapper, hands ready, eyes on the ball. Many punters stand with the kicking foot slightly back. The posture is calm, because a tense punter catches poorly and rushes.
The catch
Everything depends on the first touch. A punter who bobbles the snap has no time to recover, so catching is a skill in itself.
- Soft hands, eyes on the ball. The punter watches the ball into his hands, as a receiver would, and absorbs it rather than snatching at it.
- Quick transition. Right after the catch he brings the ball to the kicking position, with the laces and the ball's long axis lined up the way he prefers.
- Handling bad snaps. A snap that is high, low or wide is a fact of life. Punters practice adjusting, and coaches teach them to secure the ball first and decide second. If the kick cannot be made, the play may become a run, a pass or a safe fall, depending on the situation.
The timing between the snap and the kick is something teams measure carefully, often called the operation time. A slow catch or a slow first step puts the kick at risk of being blocked.
The steps
Most punters take one or two steps before the kick, starting with the kicking foot or the opposite foot depending on their method. A common description is a short, controlled first step followed by a longer step with the plant foot, then the swing. Punters who use a one-step method sometimes call it a "step and drop," and those with a two-step method a "two-step approach." Both are in use, and the better choice depends on the punter's rhythm and the formation.
The steps have two purposes:
- Move the body forward so that the swing carries through toward the target.
- Set the rhythm that gets the foot to the ball at the right moment.
The steps travel on a straight line toward the target. A punter who drifts left or right with his steps tends to kick across the ball and send it off line. Many coaches have punters practice on a line marked on the field to check the path.
The rule that matters most is that steps should be the same length every time. A punter who takes a long step on Monday and a short one on Tuesday has changed his contact point, and the kick will be different even if he cannot feel it.
The drop
The drop is the heart of punting. It is the release of the ball from the hands to the foot, and almost every flaw in a punt can be traced back to it.
What the drop looks like
The punter holds the ball in both hands, extended in front of his body, at about waist height. As he takes the last step, he lowers the ball and lets it go, aiming to have it fall to the foot at the right spot. The release is smooth and slightly downward, not a toss.
The ball is usually held with its nose angled slightly down, and many punters tilt it a little toward the inside or the outside. The tilt matters because it decides how the ball meets the foot, and the details vary from punter to punter and coach to coach. The key idea is consistency: the same hold, the same angle, the same fall.
Why it is so hard
A tiny change in the drop changes the contact. If the ball turns or tips during the fall, it will meet the foot at a different spot, and the kick will curve or fly low. Two things make the problem harder in real games. The punter is under pressure, and wind and weather push the ball as it falls. Punters spend a great deal of practice time on the drop alone, often dropping balls onto the ground without kicking to check how they land.
Common drop problems
- Dropping too early or too late. The ball hits the foot too high or too low.
- Dropping across the body. The ball lands on the side of the foot and spins off line.
- Flipping the ball instead of releasing it. It spins unpredictably.
- Dropping from too high or too far from the body.
A reliable drop is the foundation. Coaches often say that if the drop is right, the rest will largely follow.
The contact
Contact is the moment of the kick. The instep, meaning the top of the foot, meets the lower part of the ball.
Where on the foot and where on the ball
The ball is struck by the top of the foot (the instep) with the toes pointed down and the ankle locked. A relaxed ankle absorbs energy and weakens the kick. The point of contact on the ball depends on the kind of punt and the punter's method, and punters find the spot that produces their best flight and then repeat it exactly.
The spiral
A well-struck punt usually turns in a spiral, rotating around its long axis. The spiral reduces air resistance and keeps the flight predictable. A ball that tumbles end over end instead flies less predictably, and it is usually a sign of a mis-hit. Choosing a kick for a particular purpose is a strategic call, covered in punting strategy.
Head and eyes
As with kicking, the head stays down, eyes on the point of contact. A punter who looks up early often mis-hits the ball. The eyes follow the ball into the foot and stay there until the ball leaves.
The swing and follow-through
The swing is driven by the hip, like a placekick, and the leg whips through at speed. The knee extends, the foot snaps, and the leg continues up and across toward the target.
The follow-through shows the quality of the punt. A good one finishes with the kicking leg extended high toward the target, the body balanced over the plant foot and the shoulders square. A short, chopped follow-through is a sign of a rushed or poorly timed kick.
After the kick the punter is in a vulnerable position, on one leg with his weight forward. The rules protect him against some contact, as explained in roughing the kicker and running into the kicker. But a punter is also a player who may need to make a tackle after a return, so he practices recovering quickly.
Hang time and distance
Two numbers describe a punt, and they trade off against each other.
- Distance is how far the ball travels from the line of scrimmage to where it lands or is caught.
- Hang time is how long the ball stays in the air, measured in seconds from the moment of contact to the moment it is caught or lands.
A high punt has more hang time and, if the angle is right, covers decent distance. A low, line-drive punt travels far but gives the return man more room, and gives the coverage team less time. The coverage team has a job to get downfield and surround the returner, and the time it takes depends on the distance to cover. The longer the ball hangs, the more of them arrive in time.
Coaches also talk about net punting, the distance of the punt minus the return. A long punt that is returned a long way has a short net. A shorter punt with a high hang time that is fair caught or downed has a longer one. This is why many coaches judge a punter by the net, not the gross.
What counts as good hang time depends on the level. A punter in high school will have a different range than one in the NFL, and the situation matters too. Punting from the 20 requires different choices than punting from midfield, as explained in the punting strategy article. Many punters aim for height, because a high punt that falls straight down gives the returner less room to work and may encourage a fair catch. For the rules on what the returner may do, see punt rules: fair catch, downed ball and touchback.
Types of punts
| Type | How it works | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Standard spiral | Ball struck on the instep so it spins around its long axis | The default; balances distance and hang time |
| Directional | Kicked toward a sideline or part of the field | To keep the ball away from a dangerous returner |
| Rugby style | Punter runs to one side and kicks on the move | To change the angle and escape a rush |
| Pooch | A short, high, soft kick that lands near the goal line | When the offense is near midfield and does not want a touchback |
| Coffin corner | Aimed to land near the sideline inside the 10-yard line | To pin the opponent deep |
Several of these require specialist technique, and not every punter does all of them. Rugby-style punting, in particular, is a different motion, with a different drop, and it is used more at some levels than others.
Conditions and the level of play
Wind changes everything. A punter kicking into a strong wind will lose distance and may favor a lower ball, while one kicking with the wind gains distance but should worry about the ball floating. The sun, cold and rain affect the ball's flight and the player's grip. A wet ball is harder to drop consistently.
Surface and stadium matter too. Dome stadiums remove the weather, and punters who warm up before a game often use a few kicks to check the conditions wherever they are. Our stadiums page lists the venues.
Common faults and their fixes
- A bad drop. Fix: drop the ball without kicking to see where it lands, then repeat.
- A rushed operation. Fix: practice the catch and first step until they are relaxed.
- Looking up early. Fix: the head stays down through contact.
- A floppy ankle. Fix: lock the ankle and point the toes.
- Drifting off line. Fix: practice on a marked line.
- Swinging across the ball. Fix: fix the drop and the plant, and swing along the line to the target.
- Overswinging. Trying to kick too hard often costs control. Fix: smooth, not maximum, effort.
Watching it yourself
The next time your team punts, watch the punter's hands and not just the ball. See whether the drop looks the same each time, whether his head stays down, and where the ball first meets the foot. The leaders page lists punting numbers, and the scores page lists the games. Remember that rules and conditions differ by level, so for your own play, ask your coach. And if you plan to practice punting, our Play section is a place to start; warm up well first.
The short version
- A punt is a catch, one or two steps, a drop, contact on the instep and a follow-through, all in about two seconds or less.
- The drop is the heart of the skill: a consistent hold and release makes everything else easier.
- The ankle stays locked, the head stays down, and the ball is struck on its lower half.
- Hang time and distance trade off, and coaches judge a punter by the net, not just the gross.
- Different punts, such as directional, rugby-style and pooch, are tools for different situations.
- Wind, surface and level of play change what a good punt looks like.