One thing is clear after last night’s double punt in the Rams-Seahawks game. Plenty of people in and around the league didn’t know that two punts were permitted on the same play.
From a commonsense standpoint, two punts should be as illegal as two forward passes. Even if both passes happen behind the line of scrimmage, they violate the rules. But two punts are permitted, as long as the second punt happens at or behind the line of scrimmage. (As currently written, the rule requires the ball to remain behind the line of scrimmage at all times.)
As one source with knowledge of the dynamics explains it to PFT, the league’s officiating department has fielded plenty of calls from special-teams coordinator who clearly weren’t aware of the rule, who now are, and who are brainstorming the other possible applications of it.
Under the rule, a punt, a drop kick, and/or a placekick can be followed by a second punt, drop kick, and/or placekick.
So, for example, a blocked field goal can be followed by a punt. Or by a drop kick. If the drop kick goes right through the goal posts, it counts for three points. Which last happened when Doug Flutie did it in 2006.