How did yelling Peter originate during football kickoffs?

Answer 1

The term "yelling Peter" during football kickoffs originated as a way for players to communicate and avoid collisions during the play. When the ball is kicked, players on the receiving team would shout "Peter" to alert their teammates that they are not going to catch the ball, allowing those players to move out of the way. This practice helps prevent confusion and potential accidents on the field during kickoffs.

Answer 2

First, you don't yell 'Peter' during a kickoff since it is a live ball. 'Peter' is yelled when a punt doesn't travel far and you want your blockers to get away from the ball to make sure they don't have it touch them and your team loses possession. We always used this word when I played football and the explanation was that you aren't supposed to play with your peter. Just a funny way to remember and understand what to do when you hear that word. So many words are used for other situations that you need to make sure it is an unusual word. 'Fire' is used on a bad snap for punts and FGs so that the Tight Ends and Up-backs know to run a route. 'Oskie' is used when the defense intercepts the ball to alert the rest of the defenders to find someone to block. So 'Peter' is used to get away from short punts.