Playbooks
Punt
At a Glance
In 110 playbooks
Overview
The Punt set inside the Special formation is the only grouping in the game built around a change of possession, and that single fact changes how you have to think about every play in the list. Instead of a receiver split and a protection call, you get a punter seven yards deep behind a shield of interior blockers, a personal protector (usually a fullback or linebacker type) checking the A gaps, and two coverage players on the wings who are eligible but aligned to release downfield rather than run pro-style route trees. Everything in this set is either Punt 2 (the straight kick with your standard shield protection) or a fake designed to catch an over-committed return unit, and the difference between those two outcomes is entirely about how the defense aligns before the snap.
Strengths
- Punt 2 gives you a clean, protected kick with the shield picking up interior pressure, so you can flip field position without exposing your punter to a free rusher on a max-block return look.
- Fake Punt W Release and Fake Punt X Curl isolate the wing and outside coverage player against a return unit that is often carrying zero real coverage responsibility, which means an uncovered flat or a wide open curl window if the defense sends a full return block.
- Fake Punt FB Pass and Fake Punt FB Flat use the personal protector as the primary target, and because he releases from a blocking alignment most users never assign a defender to him, creating a free first down conversion on 4th and short.
- The run fakes (Fake Punt Off Tackle, Fake Punt Dive, Fake Punt Sweep, Fake Punt Shovel) attack a defense that has vacated the box to set up a return, and Off Tackle and Sweep in particular hit edges that are completely unmanned when the opponent drops eight or nine into return blocking.
- Pre-snap you can read the return alignment directly: a spread return front with two deep returners is a green light for a fake, and Punt 2 is always available as the audible if the defense stays in a punt block look.
Weaknesses
- Punt block pressure is the single biggest risk in this set, and if the defense overloads one side with a punt block call your shield cannot account for every rusher, which means a blocked kick or a shanked punt inside your own 30.
- None of the fakes have real pass protection built in, so if the opponent calls punt block instead of a return the quarterback (usually your punter) gets hit almost immediately on Fake Punt FB Pass and Fake Punt X Curl.
- The blockers in this set are linemen and coverage players, not receivers, so run blocking on Fake Punt Dive and Fake Punt Off Tackle is poor against a defense that keeps its front intact.
- There is no motion or route flexibility here, and hot route options are extremely limited compared to any offensive personnel package, so a user who recognizes the formation can guess the concept quickly.
- Failing a fake hands the opponent the ball at your own line of scrimmage, which makes the risk asymmetric: the reward is a first down, the punishment is often points.
Usage Tips
Read the defensive front before committing. If you see an aggressive punt block look with rushers crowding the interior, stay in Punt 2 and get the kick off. If you see a spread return front with defenders backing out to block, that is when the fakes are live.
Use Fake Punt FB Flat or Fake Punt FB Pass on 4th and 1 through 4th and 3 in your opponent's territory or near midfield, and keep the read simple: if nobody accounts for the personal protector, throw it. If a defender widens with him, take the sack or throw it away rather than turning it over deep.
Fake Punt Off Tackle and Fake Punt Sweep are your best short-yardage runs because they attack the edge the return unit vacates, and they work best when your punter is not the ball carrier and your personal protector has decent speed.
Save your fakes for high-leverage moments. Running them early conditions your opponent to stay in punt block for the rest of the game, which costs you field position on every legitimate kick.
Check your punter's throw power and accuracy ratings before calling Fake Punt X Curl or Fake Punt W Release. Most punters cannot make a driven throw outside the numbers, so keep the target inside 12 yards.
