Punt

“ Punt, punt, n. a flat-bottomed boat with square ends.—v.t. to propel, as a boat, by pushing with a pole against the bottom of a river: to kick the ball (in football) before it touches the ground, when let fall from the hands: to knock.—v.i. to pursue water-fowl in a punt with a punt-gun.—ns. Punt′er; Punt′-fishing, angling from a punt in a pond, river, or lake; Punt′-gun, a heavy gun of large bore used for shooting water-fowl from a punt; Punts′man, a sportsman who uses a punt. ”

“ A Punt out is a punt made after a touch down, by a player from behind his opponents' goal line, and from touch in goal, if necessary, towards his own side, who must stand outside the goal-line and endeavour to make a fair catch, or to get the ball and run in or drop a goal. ”

“ If a player, having the ball when about to punt it out, goes outside the goal line, or when about to punt on, advances nearer to his own goal line than his mark, made on making the fair catch, or if after the ball has been touched down in the opponents' goal or a fair catch has been made, more than one player of the side which has so touched it down or made the fair catch, touch the ball before it is again kicked, the opposite side may charge at once. ”

“ As to the common punt, there are two styles, known as straight kicking and round kicking. The straight punt is made by facing the direction in which you wish the ball to go. The kicker stands from twelve to fifteen yards back of the line—that is, when the punt is made from a line-up. As the kicker receives the ball, he should step back with the right leg, and bring the body a little forward, and then he is ready for the swing. ”

“ And there is a good deal to be said on the other side, for the puntsmen stick themselves very often in the way of every one else; and if you analyse fishing for minnows from a punt you will not find it a noble sport. ”

“ Some people have straps on the outside of their punts for extra poles, but these are apt to be a nuisance in locks, and they spoil the trim and neat appearance of a punt. Beware of a wooden bottom to a lock, for the shoe of the pole may stick fast in the wood and the bow of the punt swing round across the lock-gates.
A punt has one great disadvantage. ”

“ The tight punt coverage is practically the same as we use on our spread punt, but the linemen are so close together it is difficult for them to cover wide. Our center cannot leave quite as quickly as on spread punt and we hold our blocks a little longer. ”

“ If the try-at-goal is to be preceded by a punt-out, the punter shall kick the ball from the point at which the line parallel to the side-line, and passing through the spot of the touchdown, intersects the goal line. The players of his side must stand in the field of play not less than 5 yards from the goal line. ”

“ New law xxv added: "In case of a player getting a fair catch immediately in front of his own goal, he may not retire behind the line to kick it". Old law xxxvi / new law xxviii: replace "the opposite side may take a punt or drop, without running" with the opposite side may take a punt or drop, without running, (after touching the ball on the ground) ". ”

“ The apron might have been taken to clean a bicycle, or to stay the flow of spilt ink, or to bandage the foal's leg, and the "Why not" probably had been a party to its fate.
It is on record that in past ages a punt, used by the master for his own pleasure, was waylaid after it had been suitably laid up in the coach-house for the winter. When Spring came, and the time of the singing of birds and the painting of boats set in, the punt was not. ”

“ The foe's formation suddenly changes. The backs form a wedge with the full back, ten yards back of the center, at the open end. It is the formation for a punt, the kick productive of the greatest possible distance and the inevitable result when a team fails to gain by carrying the ball. ”

“ A goal may be obtained by any kind of kick except a punt.
6. — A Try is gained when a player touches the ball down in his opponents' goal.
7. — A match shall be decided by a majority of goals; but if the number of goals be equal, or no goal be kicked, by a majority of tries. If no goal be kicked or try obtained, the match shall be drawn. When a goal is kicked from a try, the goal only is scored. ”

“ No goal may be kicked from touch.
24. It shall be a goal if the ball go over the bar, whether it touch or no, without having touched the dress or person of any player, but no player may stand on the goal-bar to interrupt it going over.
25. A goal may be obtained by any kick except a punt. ”

“ When talking about the punting game, one must realize the importance of the length of time the ball is in the air over the field of play. We want our kicker to be able to kick the ball in such a manner that it will remain up in the air and over the playing field for a period of four seconds or more. Consequently a kick of four seconds’ duration in flight will be about a 40-yard punt. We are not interested in an 80-yard punt, as we cannot adequately cover such a long kick. ”

“ The actual catching of the pass is not essentially different from catching a punt or any ordinary pass. One hand should be used to guide the ball into the body, one hand should be kept well under the ball, the elbows should be kept close and the ball always be brought in against the body and held securely against any possible attack. ”

“ All butlers count as hazards, and footmen may not be removed from the course. Mr. Reginald Vere de Vere, one of our best known after-dinner golfers, is here portrayed demonstrating that fine shot he nearly made on the eleventh hole.
SUMMER BOATING Are you one of those who have always believed that a punt is the lowest form of wit? If you are, you must change your views, for punting is bound to happen at all the smartest wet places. All our dowagers and dancing men are delighted with the sport. ”

“ If the touch down be too far from the goal posts to try a goal, one of the side who touched it down takes it up and makes a mark with his heel, and retires a little, and then punts it out slantwise towards his own side, who spread out to catch it. ”

“ The other players are called punters. The banker places before him the sum he wishes to stake and the punters do likewise, unless a punter desires to go bank, signifying his intention by saying, Banco! ”

“ The moment it is punted, the opposite side, who are standing at the mark and along the line of their goal, may charge as above, but if any of the other side have caught it and made his mark, they are obliged to stop charging and not go beyond the mark made by the catcher. ”

“ On the defense, half backs take the places ours have now--back of the tackles to assist the ends, for this is a frequent point of attack. The full back of the attacking side stands directly behind the quarter, with the halves on either side of him, while our full back is 30 yards or so behind his own line, waiting for a possible punt and acting as a final line of defense, should the opposing runner succeed in carrying the ball past the rest of his comrades. ”

“ Experience, however, being acquired in loading rapidly and in retaining his balance, the sportsman’s labors are easy; but the punter requires many different qualities, and upon his excellence mainly depends the final result. ”

“ Candidates for the teams are put through a severe course of practice in catching punts and hard-thrown passes, in quick starts, falling on the ball, tackling a mechanical dummy, in blocking, breaking through the line, and all kinds of kicking, although in matches the kicking is generally left to one or two men who have shown themselves particularly expert. ”

“ The Punter, or every player. 4. The Fasse, that is, the first card turned up by the talliere, by which he gained half the value of the money laid upon every card of THAT SORT by the punters or players. 5. The Couch, which was the first stake that every punter laid upon each card—every player having a book of 13 cards before him, upon which he must lay his money, more or less, according to his fancy. 6. The Paroli: in this, whoever won the couch, and intended to go on for another advantage, crooked the corner of his card, letting his money lie, without being paid the value by the talliere. ”

“ Well hit! Mr. Punch chalks it up once more—
Your ten-hundredth run between the "creases"!
Why, this (at twenty-two yards apiece) is
Twelve-miles-and-a half for this season's score!
But stay! we've no business to "notch" each mile!
With your cuts and draws, and your drives and trick hits,
You've only to stand still before the wickets,
And straight to the boundary "fours" compile! ”

“ Note.—Players may agree not to play advantage sets, but to decide the set by one game after arriving at the score of games all.
23. The players shall change sides at the end of every set; but the umpire, on appeal from either party before the toss for choice, may direct the players to change sides at the end of every game if in his opinion either side have a distinct advantage, owing to the sun, wind, or any other accidental cause ”

“ If the ball is fumbled, and recovered by a player of the side which fumbled, does it count as first down for that side, or second or third down with a certain number of yards to gain? 2. If, when the ball is fumbled and recovered, it has passed the place where it was put in play, does the gain thus made count the same as if it had been rushed there? ”

“ After a fair catch has been made, the opposite side may come up to the catcher's mark, and the catcher's side retiring, the ball shall be kicked from such mark, or from a spot any distance behind it, in a straight line, parallel with the touch-lines. ”

“ Perhaps twenty people would be staking at the same time. This man had to roll the ball, to watch the stakes as they were laid down, to gather them off the colour which lost, to pay those who won, to do it all with the utmost despatch, to roll the ball again, and to keep this game perpetually alive. ”

“ Note.—It is, of course, evident that the giver of these odds may make a chase, or win a chase or a stroke, with a ball which drops in his half-court, or on the half-court line, but falls in the other half-court.
33. When the odds of “touch no walls” or “touch no side walls” are given, a ball returned by the giver of the odds which on falling makes a nick is counted for the striker. ”

“ If in running, or at any other time, when the ball is in play, he be out of his ground, and his wicket be struck down by the ball after touching any fieldsman, or by the hand or arm, with ball in hand, of any fieldsman:—“Run out.” ”

“ The points are thus reckoned—three for each red hazard, two for each white hazard, and two for each canon. A coup—that is running in a pocket, or off the table without striking a ball—is a forfeiture of three points,—a miss gives one point to the adversary. ”

“ In reality, he has simply to follow the ball up the field, give his decision as to whether the sphere has gone over the lines, and to say which side should have the benefit, and whether a corner kick should be given or not. ”

“ There are some fast bowlers, however, who must, from the very nature of their action and delivery, bowl from round the wicket, viz, those who have either a natural bias from the on to the off, or who are able by their strength of wrist and fingers to impart such a bias to the ball. ”

“ The game should be fifty or one hundred points, and the winner counts all the spots in his adversary's hand at the close, adding them to his score, or, in case of a block, adds the difference between the lesser and the greater hand. ”

“ Why not make it a no-ball every time unless the bowler has both feet in the air at the moment when the ball leaves his hand? One might put up a little hurdle—nothing obtrusive—only a matter of a few inches high. ”

“ This is a wide field, and suggests at once that to become proficient a bowler must think—and think deeply too—not once or twice every few minutes, but before each ball, for none should ever be delivered without a particular object. ”

“ The contents are then examined, and the points are scored according to the number of pieces which stand on their pedestals. If the pawn has its colored side upward, the player scores one point; if it has the plain side uppermost, he deducts a point from his score. ”