gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

, a muffed punt is defined as "touching of the ball prior to possessing the ball.” A muffed punt occurs when there is an "uncontrolled touch" of the football by a player on the returning team after it is punted. This can occur when:

* The kicking team interferes with the other team's right to catch the punt * A player on the kicking team is struck unaware by the football running down-field to cover the punt. * A player attempts to
return Return may refer to: In business, economics, and finance * Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense. * Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment * Tax return, a blank document or t ...
the ball, makes contact with it but cannot retain the ball in his hands and it comes loose.

To be a fumble, the receiving team must ''possess'' the football, then lose control. In the case of a fumble, the ball is live and can be returned by the team that recovers the

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

. In the case of a muffed punt, it is possible for the punting team to recover the ball and continue the drive, but at least in

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and NFL rules, they cannot advance the ball on that same play. Rules vary by

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about how to handle a muffed punt. Nonetheless, a muffed punt is a turnover. In the NFL, a muffed punt recovered by the kicking team cannot be challenged by a

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for review because all turnovers are automatically reviewed.

Notes

{{American football concepts, state=collapsed American football terminology