Real Talk Co.

I’ll be explaining why punters hold for Field goals.

You can find more educational posts on the football topic by clicking here.

why do punters hold for field goals?

It’s because rosters are limited in the NFL. Punters’ jobs are limited, they have good hands and punters work well under pressure. Also, punters are good athletes.

Rosters are limited in NFL

The space for punters in the NFL because they have one of the most reliable positions in the entire league.

This is actually why most teams only carry one punter on their roster, the usually have one job and one only, to kick the ball.

With the reliability of their position, this is also the reason why it’s usually so hard for new punters to make it into the league.

The ones that are drafted usually stay for a long time.

On average, a punter’s lifespan in the NFL is 4-5 years.

Punters jobs are limited

When I say the job for them is limited, I specifically mean that their expectations are generally lower than other positions.

All that makes a good punter is to get distance on a punt, and to ensure that it gets hang time on the kick.

This is different from older posts that give you the expectation of other positions in football in where most players are supposed to be fast.

Fast and generally strong.

You can get away with simply being average in both categories as a punter.

The only expectation is to make sure the ball reaches the destination.

Punters have good hands

The biggest argument that you can make for a punter being valuable is having good hands.

Think about it for a moment, their job is limited (as I said before).

So their expectations are small, thus meaning that they spend a majority of their time focusing specifically on a handful of things.

Kicking the ball is the most popular, but think about what they have to do as well.

That’s catching the ball!

When they get the snap, they have to properly hold the ball so they can send it flying to the other side of the field.

If you wanted to make the job simple, they only have to catch and kick.

Punters work well under pressure

Punters are expected to perform well under pressure and kick the ball while having 300 pound plus lineman running after them.

They deal with that while having to aim their kick with optimal accuracy.

Hats off to them for that feat alone.

Even Detroit all pro kicker, Jack Fox argues the case that kickers have to have another element of focus to their game.

There’s a lot of focus they have to have because they only have so much room for error with a team.

They’re expected to kick it to a certain spot in a timely manner, and do it with consistency or else they’re cut.

Punters are good athletes

Punters are on average 6 ft tall and can kick a ball far, that should be enough for you on the athletic checklist.

But what makes a good athlete to me and the followers is the ability to perform in a sport in the most effective and efficient way.

A punter can make or break a team, and when they can help a team win the position battle with a team and maintain their health, it speaks.

It tells other athletes that they’re dealing with another great one in a good punter.

By Final Thoughts

You can grab a copy of The Art of Kicking to elevate your kicking game if you’re a kicker or a punter at any level.