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From: jts@brunix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: new football play proposal
Message-ID: <11360@brunix.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 10:22:19 EST
Article-I.D.: brunix.11360
Posted: Tue Dec 18 10:22:19 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 01:07:39 EST
Lines: 22

After watching this past Sunday's Cards-'Skins game (a terrific one I might
add) I got the idea for a new play. I call it the "onsides punt." It would
be an offensive weapon used by a punting team.  Generally, the receiving
team turns and runs backward in order to get into position to block for
their return man.  Consequently, many players on the receiving team don't
actually see the punt.  A punter could take advantage of this by driving
a low hard punt just over the heads of his own linemen in the hope that it
would hit a player on the receiving team and become a live ball. I've seen
this happen a few times on normal punts; the punt isn't caught on the fly and
a wild bounce sends it careening off the leg of an unsuspecting blocker.
This play would primarily be used when a team is in good field position and
they're just a bit too far for a field goal.  Even if the kick wouldn't hit
an opposing player, it would probably take a good roll and end up around the
20 just like a booming punt for a touchback.  What do you think?

Bonus question: Suppose a team used this in the waning moments of a game and
it worked (glanced off the leg of a receiving team player). Is it a change
of possesion, i.e., would the clock be stopped?

John Stasko
..!decvax!brunix!jts
Brown U.