Fielding punts inside the 10

[Helobious 9490]

 I see this done with regularity at all levels of football now. Fair catches inside the 5 sometimes. Then the punt returner casually jogs off and no coaches/players seem to yell or care. When I played in HS not even that long ago the coaches told the returners to only ever catch a punt inside the 10 if a coverage guy got behind you. Catch a punt inside the 5 ever and you were doing bear crawls unless you housed it. 

Why/when did this seemingly stop being taught? Is there some analytic stat I've missed or something? 

[T-shirt Sip 2097]

I mentioned this in the preseason and I think it holds true. Punters like Dicko have changed the game. They have much better control of the ball when punting into the end zone. Coaches think it’s better to fair catch at the 9 or 8 rather than have the ball downed at the 1 or 2. 

[Tex Long 4356]

I'm considerably more pissed about our apparently un-coached punt "returners" watching short punts land ten yards in front of them and roll another 20 or 30 yards. 

Unlike the CCG, our next opponent does need field position, and giving away 20 yards or more every fucking exchange is not acceptable.

[FondrenRoad 4378]

31 minutes ago, T-shirt Sip said:

I mentioned this in the preseason and I think it holds true. Punters like Dicko have changed the game. They have much better control of the ball when punting into the end zone. Coaches think it’s better to fair catch at the 9 or 8 rather than have the ball downed at the 1 or 2. 

Are there other punters like Dickson?  I haven't seen any. Nobody else has that completely dead bounce inside the 5. A good 3/4 of punters are lucky to drop it inside the 5 at all even if it bounces for a touchback. Some, like ours, are doing well if they do better than a 15 yard shank. 

I think it has more to do with the new kickoff return rules where a fair catch anywhere within the 25 gets a touchback.  The same players are returning punts and making quick and wrong instinctive decisions. That doesn't explain why coaches are nonchalant about it though. 

Edited December 7, 2018 by FondrenRoad

[Machinator 32098]

2 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

Are there other punters like Dickson?

Johnny Hekker, who plays for Dickson's division rival LA Rams, is pretty good at it.

[formermav43 4599]

9 hours ago, T-shirt Sip said:

I mentioned this in the preseason and I think it holds true. Punters like Dicko have changed the game. They have much better control of the ball when punting into the end zone. Coaches think it’s better to fair catch at the 9 or 8 rather than have the ball downed at the 1 or 2. 

It’s not even punters like Dickson, who is obviously one of only a few guys with the ability to that degree. Teams are just better at downing punts now. When you’ve already got 2 or 3 defenders down there, it makes sense to fair catch inside the 10 rather than risk it being on the goal line.

[wood 11186]

10 hours ago, T-shirt Sip said:

I mentioned this in the preseason and I think it holds true. Punters like Dicko have changed the game. They have much better control of the ball when punting into the end zone. Coaches think it’s better to fair catch at the 9 or 8 rather than have the ball downed at the 1 or 2. 

There really aren't many of those.

10 hours ago, Helobious said:

 I see this done with regularity at all levels of football now. Fair catches inside the 5 sometimes. Then the punt returner casually jogs off and no coaches/players seem to yell or care. When I played in HS not even that long ago the coaches told the returners to only ever catch a punt inside the 10 if a coverage guy got behind you. Catch a punt inside the 5 ever and you were doing bear crawls unless you housed it. 

Why/when did this seemingly stop being taught? Is there some analytic stat I've missed or something? 

Yeah I see it every game & was asking about this earlier in the season. Everyone then pretty much wrote it off to player stupidity & said the coaches still coach 'em to stand on the 10 and if they have to take a step back for the ball, just let it go. Rarely see that now tho, & as mentioned above I never see anyone giving em shit over it.

[AUS-97HORN 11687]

well the good news is, if a Texas punt returner is back there you dont have to worry- whichever decision they make will be the wrong one for sure.

 

Stand at the 10, run backwards to catch it at the 2, and then run for 5 yards.... check,

Stand at the 10, terribly kicked line drive punt, coverage outkicked so no one can down the ball, 95+ % chance its careening into the endzone...  go ahead and fair catch it at the 5.... check

Stand at the 30, terribly kicked line drive punt that is going to probably hit around the 40.... and continue to stand there while it does land at the 40, takes a 15 yard bounce that goes about 10 feet in the air over you... and proceeds to bounce another 15 yards downfield.... check

Stand at the 30, punter outkicked their coverage, there is no one within 8 yard of you when you catch the ball..... fair catch instead.... check

 

[High Plains Drifter 10984]

I was a punt returner (and kick off returner) in HS. On short field punts, I was told to stand on the 10, and if it goes over my head,  let it go and get the f out of the way. If I had fair caught it inside the ten, I would have been sitting my ass on the bench the next punt.

Not sure why its changed, but I have no doubt if this is a player fuckup, the coaches would be on their asses. Probably a combo of better punting and fielding.

 

I agree with Tex Long-- letting a punt bounce in front of you, then roll 20 more yards is no bueno. I would have been called a pussy, then be sitting on the bench if I had let that happen--

"What's the matter, Drifter, you fucking scared of the ball? Scared of getting hit? At least fair catch it, you pussy."

 

 

 

 

 

[High Plains Drifter 10984]

2 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

well the good news is, if a Texas punt returner is back there you dont have to worry- whichever decision they make will be the wrong one for sure.

 

Stand at the 10, run backwards to catch it at the 2, and then run for 5 yards.... check,

Stand at the 10, terribly kicked line drive punt, coverage outkicked so no one can down the ball, 95+ % chance its careening into the endzone...  go ahead and fair catch it at the 5.... check

Stand at the 30, terribly kicked line drive punt that is going to probably hit around the 40.... and continue to stand there while it does land at the 40, takes a 15 yard bounce that goes about 10 feet in the air over you... and proceeds to bounce another 15 yards downfield.... check

Stand at the 30, punter outkicked their coverage, there is no one within 8 yard of you when you catch the ball..... fair catch instead.... check

 

How about, terrible line drive kick that lands in front of you, continue to stand there while it bounces around near you, risking it touching your leg or something?

[Mr. Drummond 2192]

Why are you worried about it now?  What baring to the University of Texas football history could fielding a punt against Georgia in a bowl game have?

[Surly Bevo 24717]

Why are you worried about it now?  What baring to the University of Texas football history could fielding a punt against Georgia in a bowl game have?

This post is a very unlikable post.

[Sock Drawer 214]

With all the things that go wrong for receiving teams on kickoffs and punts, e.g., penalties, fumbles, injuries, etc., it makes sense to me to play the percentages on  kickoffs (unless you're behind and out of time and need a miracle) and fair catch/let it go into/through the endzone. On punts, go old-school: put your heels on the 10 and don't back up to catch it; take your chances with the bounce/coverage. It's not glamorous or sexy, but it's sound football. 

[Steamboat1874 4037]

As many punts that have bounced in front of our returner this year I do not understand why we don't have another returner 10 to 15 yards if front of the other one to field them.

If you are not sending 10 to try and block it put two guys deep, one in front of the other.

[El Hornarino 371]

The real question is why punters don't just try to punt it out of bounds in between the 10 and the goal line, which requires no help from gunners.

[GreenspointTexas 9568]

Coaches dont really coach/put emphasis on special teams much anymore

 

seriously

 

id like to see numbers on average return yards, punt blocks, tds, etc for kickoffs and punts

 

Id bet the farm they have taken nosedives over the past decade

[Pato del Muerto 52365]

42 minutes ago, Mr. Drummond said:

Why are you worried about it now?  What baring to the University of Texas football history could fielding a punt against Georgia in a bowl game have?

Too soon bro

[kopp0e 1135]

I would think unless an opposing player is within reach of the ball, only call fair catch between the 10 & 20 yard lines...

[Steamboat1874 4037]

9 minutes ago, El Hornarino said:

The real question is why punters don't just try to punt it out of bounds in between the 10 and the goal line, which requires no help from gunners.

This....

The coffin corner kick was always a part of football in the "good old days".

[wood 11186]

1 hour ago, AUS-97HORN said:

...

Stand at the 30, terribly kicked line drive punt that is going to probably hit around the 40.... and continue to stand there while it does land at the 40, takes a 15 yard bounce that goes about 10 feet in the air over you... and proceeds to bounce another 15 yards downfield.... check

...

 

I see you kindly omitted the ever-popular, 'let it bounce over your head and field it over-the-shoulder at the 5 on a dead sprint toward the endzone'.

[wood 11186]

27 minutes ago, El Hornarino said:

The real question is why punters don't just try to punt it out of bounds in between the 10 and the goal line, which requires no help from gunners.

Yeah you don't see many guys trying this in the last 10-15 years. Dunno why. 

[Wally Fairway 5528]

11 hours ago, FondrenRoad said:

Are there other punters like Dickson? 

What I saw the kid from Ohio State (Drue Chrisman) do this year at MSU was the best punting performance I've ever seen, and IMO he was a huge reason that the Bucknuts won that game (well that and MSU shitting the bed at their own 5 yard line, twice)

That kid started the game with a 4-yard shank, you read that right 4 fucking yards. And then he did this:
- 47 yards to the MSU 30, fair catch
- 46 yards to the MSU 35, fair catch
- 47 yards to the MSU 12, downed
- 33 yards to the MSU 5, downed
- 53 yards to the MSU 3, out of bounds
- 39 yards to the MSU 1, downed (led to a MSU Safety)
- 44 yards to the MSU 2, downed (MSU fumbled in the endzone on the next play, OSU recovered for a TD to go up 10)

In summary - 1 shank, and 4 punts inside the 5 yardline that put MSU into a hole they never recovered from

[runthebone 7933]

Texas players know this rule, but they interpreted it to be 10 inches, not 10 yards. 

[Armybrat 40755]

3 minutes ago, wood said:

Yeah you don't see many guys trying this in the last 10-15 years. Dunno why. 

 

32 minutes ago, El Hornarino said:

The real question is why punters don't just try to punt it out of bounds in between the 10 and the goal line, which requires no help from gunners.

Back in the day that was called the “coffin corner”, and most punters practiced it a lot.

[Tex Long 4356]

As an occasional punter in HS (limited substitution days - NO individual specialists, the team on the field did everything... offense, defense, special teams...) we always called left or right for coverage and aimed for that sideline, including coffin corners. There was another thing then - not sure when it changed, but I know it happened in one of the 0U games: a ball punted into the end zone wasn't a touchback unless it died there or was fielded or went out... if it went in and the spin brought it back out, it was not a touchback. (/good ol' days)

[Tex Long 4356]

4 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Texas players know this rule, but they interpreted it to be 10 inches, not 10 yards. 

So, less than a dicklength™, right?

[idigTexas 2266]

Our coaching staff places a premium on minimizing turnovers.  You are going to see more fair catches and ball avoidance as a result.  That doesn't cover all of the scenarios we are seeing, but it explains some of them.

 

 

[wood 11186]

5 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

 

Back in the day that was called the “coffin corner”, and most punters practiced it a lot.

Yep, it was very common. I would even say most punters did it pretty frequently.

[FondrenRoad 4378]

1 hour ago, wood said:

Yep, it was very common. I would even say most punters did it pretty frequently.

Yeah.  Maybe they don't do it anymore because it offers no chance of a turnover.

[High Plains Drifter 10984]

11 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

Yeah.  Maybe they don't do it anymore because it offers no chance of a turnover.

I'm sure the moneyball types have done statistical analysis on this: number of times a punt results in a turnover vs touchback vs return vs etc etc etc.

[Horndog 2219]

Related question:  What is the purpose of having a player deep to catch a punt when the game situation dictates that there is no reward and very high risk?  It seems like several times this year Texas has fielded a punt - or tried to - in  the last few seconds of a half, when it served no purpose.  In those situations, only bad things can happen - namely a fumbled punt or a penalty.  For example, in the Iowa State game, ISU had a fourth and 12 with about 3 and a half minutes left, and lined up to punt.  The score was 24-3.  The  game was over at that point, unless we did something stupid to create quick points.  Yet we had a guy at our own 10 yard line to field the punt.  It turned out to be a short kick and bounced out of bounds at the 15.  Why even have someone to return in that situation?  Is the benefit of saving a few yards with a fair catch worth the risk of a muffed punt at the 10 yard line? 

[runthebone 7933]

2 hours ago, Tex Long said:

So, less than a dicklength™, right?

Well, there are two methods.  There is from the base, and then from the ground.

[Tex Long 4356]

2 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Well, there are two methods.  There is from the base, and then from the ground.

Huh? Yours are different distances?