Kill the Punter

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by parepat

Would your opinions change if this same situation did not include the punter, but a player in the wall of the punt formation?

How do you explain to a coach that this player was out of the play, when he is IN FRONT of the play and the last defender on a return?

A lot of things would factor. If the ball is still in the air, that is not a lot of time for most players to participate in the play if they are just standing. Most punts are not going to be more than 3 or 4 seconds. I would want to punter to participate and that is rather hard if the ball is in the air. Even if the ball hit the ground or was caught, I would not allow a player just to hit someone that was not actively running toward the play or trying to participate. As someone said you would really HTBT. And the kind of contact would also be a factor as well.

I know that this is likely going to answer your question, but you must understand that experience sometimes shapes how we view these things.

Peace