Punt

drop kick downfield to the opposing team in American football

In some rules of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked.

A punter punting a football

In American and Canadian football, the ball is kicked downfield to the opposing team, usually on the final down, with the hope of giving the receiving team a field position that is more helpful to the kicking team when possession changes.