Drop punt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A drop punt is a kicking technique used in Australian rules football in which the ball is held vertically, and dropped and kicked before it hits the ground, resulting in the ball spinning backwards end over end. This is often the preferred technique as it is considered more accurate and easier to mark.

In American Football it is referred to as a pooch punt, a kick used when it is too far out for a field goal but close enough not to kick a normal torpedo punt because there is a chance it could go into the end zone (called a touch-back). Placekicker John Kasay of the Carolina Panthers often uses the pooch punt to give the opposing team poor field position. The term "pooch" in this case is a colloquialism, probably a variant on "push", that refers to distending or "pushing out". [1]