A punt returner location problem

We formulate and solve a location problem that determines where to position punt returners to maximize the number of punts caught. The problem is unusual within the location literature because it includes the dimension of time as well as Euclidean distance. The parameters of the model are estimated from actual punt return data. Our major finding is that the standard horizontal configuration of two punt returners results in only a small increase in the percentage of punts fielded over the case where a single returner is used. Moreover if a punter is not ‘directionalizing’, the vertical configuration of two returners (the punter and two returners are colinear) outperforms a horizontal configuration. (Punt returners are players in American and Canadian football.)