The coffin corner refers to the corner of the playing
field in
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
just in front of the
end zone, from about the 5-yard line to the
goal line, where the
punter attempts to place their kick as to minimize the opposing team's field position. A perfect coffin corner kick is one that goes
out of bounds
In sports, out of bounds (or out-of-bounds) refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the field. The legality of going out of bounds (intentionally or not), and the ease of prevention, vary by sport. Sports that use this term include Am ...
just before either orange pylon located in the front of the
end zone. The
punter tries to place the ball so that it lands out of bounds or is downed on the field by another member of the kicking team anywhere inside the 5-yard line without touching the goal line, thus forcing poor field position for the receiving team on their next offensive series.
The term comes from the "coffin corner" found in Victorian houses (the slang and often refuted term for a decorative niche, or very small "corner", cut into the wall of a staircase landing), as the target area is very small. A high level of skill is required to execute such a punt, for if the kick is slightly too far into the end zone or if a member of the kicking team touches the goal line while maintaining possession of or touching the ball, a
touchback is awarded, costing the kicking team the advantage that comes with a successful execution of the kick. If the ball goes out of bounds too far upfield, the receiving team will usually have more options on offense, such as being able to drop back for a pass without fear of possibly giving up a
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
.
More often than not, a kicker's attempt to land the ball accurately within the coffin corner fails, as the amount of skill required to angle a kick inside such a small area is extraordinary.
In recent years, as punters have become more adept at kicking the ball so as to not have it bounce forward after landing, punting teams have increasingly eschewed coffin corner punts in favor of kicking inbounds and downing the ball before it reaches the end zone.
References
{{American football concepts
American football terminology