Everything is easier or unnecessary to worry about when you have a fast operation time.

But, how fast should you be aiming for?

I’ve played for coaches who wanted me to kick a ball in 1.0 second or less - way too fast. But, I also think kicking and punting is a position plagued by poor training (probably due to an overemphasis on kicking and punting as an isolated skill trained without a snapper or holder at too many kicking camps but I digress…)

Specialists in 2025 just are not working enough with their operation to get their timing right, so before you even think about slamming your specialist for taking too long, let’s find out who our snapper and holder are going to be.

OK, moving on…

Target Op Times

Punt:

• Snap to kick time: 2.0 seconds.

• Snap to hand time: .7 seconds.

• Punter’s hand to foot time 1.3~ seconds.

Field Goal:

• 1.3 seconds snap to kick is ideal

• 1.25 seconds snap to kick is what, not all, but a lot of ST coaches shoot for in practice knowing there is a .5 second of grey area that happens in a game (bobbled snap, more spin needed on laces etc)

Location & Accuracy Are 2/3 of Op Timing

Steve Vashel, Yale STC for many years had a good line last year, “Location and placement are a large part of op time.”

A fast snap in the wrong location can still take a long op time versus a slower, but more accurate snap that doesn’t need so much placement work.

Hands & Op Times

Punters inadvertently slow their ops down by not catching the ball far enough away from their body. They let the ball come all the way into their chest, which requires them to bring the ball back “out” to set the ball. By the time you’ve chest-caught the snap and set it to punt, you’ve added at least another yard of needless movement to the operation.

Punters should, as much as possible, catch the ball OUT away from their bodies, and do all the hand molding needed to set their drop there, not by their chest.

No T-Rex arms 🦖

Holders, to a lesser extent, can play around with how far back they are catching and spotting the ball. Most holders, in an attempt to satisfy their coaches’ demands for ever faster op times, try to reach out and snatch the ball early versus letting the ball snap all the back over the spot of the kick.

For holders, I would posit that you want to catch the ball as far back over the top of the spot of the kick as possible.

If a holder notices they’re getting laces consistently at 3 or 9 o’clock, they might consider moving their catch-point a little sooner or father back without moving their bodies to get that extra quarter rotation. If the laces are consistently 6 o’clock, or laces back, they might consider moving their body 1/3 or ¼ of a yard farther back.

I really like this video from former Ravens Special Teams Coordinator, Gary Zauner, on holding:

Train A Little Faster Than Necessary

When working on your operation during practice, I’d always try to err on the side of being faster than you might find reasonable in a game. For example, if you’d take a 1.3 FG op time in a game, shoot for a 1.25 op time in practice knowing there is always a little haziness that can occur - bobbled snap, laces back, funky snap.

Same thing applies for punt. While 2.0 snap to punt is a great target, try to challenge your guys to get it off sub 2.0 during full team punt or punt battery work to returners.

The idea is to acclimate your platoon so much to the pressure and timing of things that the game feels slow and calm for them by comparison to practice.

Heavy Rushes & Op Times

“We don’t have a punt return team, we have a punt block team,” is a great quote by current Colts STC, Brian Mason. Some teams go so hard at the punter with the design of course to block the kick, but even if they can shave off a full 1/10th of the operation time, that can be enough to cause a shanked punt - almost as good as a blocked kick.

This can be another benefit of training at faster operation times than what you might normally get in a game.

What about backed up punts in the end zone or -10 yard line?

If you are deep inside your own territory that’s a great time to bring out a modified 1.5 step punt vs. the more common 2 or even 3 step punt.

If you’re a righty punter, start with your right foot hiked up slightly ahead of your left foot, and take a jab step with the right and then hit a dart screaming out of boudn at mid field (if you can).

Take a look at Thomas Morestead’s -9 punt when he was with Miami, with his kicking foot slightly hiked up in front.

Out of the back of the end zone, you can shoot for as fast an op time as you can get.

Summing It All Up

To optimize operation times in kicking and punting, it's crucial to focus on both speed and accuracy. Aim for a snap to kick time of 2.0 seconds for punts and 1.3 seconds for field goals, but practice at slightly faster times to account for game-day variables. Ensure your snapper and holder are well-coordinated to minimize delays. Emphasize location and placement, as a precise snap can reduce overall operation time. Train under pressure to make game situations feel more manageable. Consider using a modified 1.5 step punt when backed up in your own territory to expedite the process.

- Identify and coordinate with your snapper and holder to improve timing.

- Aim for a 2.0-second snap to kick time for punts and 1.3 seconds for field goals.

- Practice at faster times than game targets to prepare for unexpected delays.

- Focus on snap accuracy to reduce the need for adjustments.

- Train under pressure to make game situations feel slower and more controlled.

- Use a modified 1.5 step punt when punting from deep in your own territory.

That’s all for now,

BC