[HUbison]

Originally Posted by UtterBlitz

I read the response and it sounds logical to me.

I have many more defensive questions, but for the moment I would like to ask about kickers and punters.

Can you please explain why there are two players that seem to do the same thing? Please discuss the different skill sets that each one must have to be successful, for instance hang time, ball placement, accuracy, leg strength, etc. A kicker's success is evident by the number of extra points and field goals that are made or missed. How do you rate a punter's skills?

How many players are eligible to play kicker or punter? Has there ever been a player that has played both positions?

Thank you for your responses.

From the institute...

Originally Posted by CIAFT

A rough answer to the difference between a kicker and a punter is to think of them in terms of golf. The FG kicker is like a golfer with a great short game. He finesses the ball right where he wants it, straight to the cup. A punter is like one of those over-grown apes that you see at your local driving range, a Happy Gilmore type if you will. While the kicker has to have a strong leg, his accuracy is much more important as he has to keep the ball between the goal posts to do his job. A punter basically wants to kick the ball as far as he can with as much hang time as he can. Accuracy is still important, but he has 50 yards (the width of the field) to work with instead of just the goal posts.

Each position can vary their kicks depending on the situation. Maximum distance for a kick comes from leaving the foot at a 45 degree angle with the ground. However, if a kicker is in shorter territory, he will increase the angle so as to lessen the chance of being blocked. And if a punter is working in short field territory, he too will increase the angle to shorten the distance of his punt and increase his hangtime. This is also good if a punter is facing an extremely talented return man; the greater the hangtime, the less likely the chance of a return.

Also, the skill sets for these two true "foot"ballers is quite different. They may seem similar, but the motions used to perfect their respective positions are as different as night and day. However, there are teams that have used one person for both, though it is rare in the NFL. What you may see in the NFL is using a punter for kick-offs (again, distance is more important than accuracy).

Another interesting sidenote, most girls that have played football find themselves in one of these two positions. Since the female lower body is closer in strength to the male, females who have honed their accuracy have found their way into helmet and pads by being a place kicker.