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What a strange looking play.It looked like a punt from the kicker with out the snap back.I was watching Pittsburgh at Philadelphia.I never seen a play like that before but I don`t watch that much American Football.Does kicking it like that make the ball go farther or shorter?

ORIGINAL: VCFL Commish

What a strange looking play.It looked like a punt from the kicker with out the snap back.I was watching Pittsburgh at Philadelphia.I never seen a play like that before but I don`t watch that much American Football.Does kicking it like that make the ball go farther or shorter?

Whenever a team gives up a safety, they have to punt the ball off like that, rather than kick it off like they normally do.

It's called a free kick.
 
It may be a punt, placekick, or even a dropkick, but a tee cannot be used, so the ball is almost always punted.

I'm also fairly sure that the kicking team in that situation can recover if the ball goes ten yards. As far I know it's never (or very rarely) been attempted.

Marauders

Are you sure a tee cannot be used on a free kick? I thought I remember Mike Cofer attempting a 63 yarder with the 49ers many moons on a free kick at the end of a half, and I'm almost positive he used a tee.

Brockleigh,

A free kick cannot be done with a tee. Someone has to hold the ball (like on a PAT or FG). But there is no defensive rush.

I remember Mac Percival of the Bears beating the Packers on a free kick (after a punt fair catch inside the 50) on the last play of a game back in the '60s.

Dirk Gildun

A free kick after a safety cannot be used to try a field goal.

There is a free kick that can be used after a fair catch. That can be used to try for a field goal, but no tee can be used under NFL rules (a tee can be used in high school).

Mike Cofer tried a 60 yard free kick in a playoff against the Vikings in 1989, but he missed. There have been three other attempts in the NFL since, and all have failed as well.