Drop punt

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Aussie Rules player executing a punt kick.
Aussie Rules player executing a punt kick.

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 the preferred technique as it is considered more accurate and easier to mark than the punt kick, which does not spin in the air.

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 punt because there is a chance it could go into the end zone (resulting in a touchback)

Jack Dyer is credited with inventing the drop punt during his playing days with the Richmond Football Club.