Can someone explain why our punt wasn’t down at the 3 yard line? I thought in college when the punt comes in contact with with the defensive team it’s dead right there. Stovall touches the ball at the 3 but it rolled into the end zone.
Downing punts
- Thread starter Baxter48_rivals204143
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I don't believe the ball is dead where the punting team first touches it. The receiving team always has the option of taking the ball where it's first touched, and that's why it's often returned to that point. But obviously that's not going to happen when the final result is a touchback.
A better question is why so many players flock to punt returners who call the fake fair catch deep in their own territory? He's calling a freaking fair catch, so he doesn't need to be tackled. When that happens, I would like to see more players find the ball and get to it, so that when Stovall gets his hands on the ball, there's someone else there to down it.
That's why, when the fair catch signal goes up, you need to find the ball. If it's a legitimate fair catch, you're already heading where you need to be. But if the ball is 20 yards away, there's no need to surround the return man.
The fake fair catch has been working way too well for about 40 years, and I don't know why.
I would guess because it's hard to avoid blockers, run your fastest, and locate the ball all at the same time.
On the play last night, you have to control the ball to down it which our guy never did. In college, you can actually catch the ball and then run into the end zone with it as long as you controlled it before you got to the EZ.
On the play last night, you have to control the ball to down it which our guy never did. In college, you can actually catch the ball and then run into the end zone with it as long as you controlled it before you got to the EZ.
But I'm not saying you should try locate the ball from the outset of the play - I'm only talking about what happens when the fair catch signal goes up. At that point, try to locate the ball. And when the fair catch signal is being made at the 8-yard line, there's a very good chance the ball will be nowhere near the return man.
Sometimes that's true. But fake fair catch signals on that part of the field often go up way early, and the return man waves his arm all over the place because he wants to attract as many defenders as possible. I can understand why it worked the first 10,000 times someone did it, but not in 2019.