Routes & Plays
Flat/Wheel (1) - A flat route is where the receiver will run down the line of scrimmage. Similar to the flat route, a wheel route is one where the receiver will run down the line of scrimmage before heading up field. In the ideal scenario, the quarterback will hit the receiver in stride so he can finish his break to the end zone with possession of the ball.
Slant (2) - A slant route is when the receiver runs a short distance before cutting at a 45 degree angle across the middle of the field. This route works great when the quarterback is being pressured by the defense and needs to get the ball to a receiver quickly.
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Hook/Hitch (3/4)- Similar to the two types of out routes, the hook and hitch routes are similar, but differ based on distance. Both routes are a “comeback” or "curl" style route, where a receiver runs a certain distance before quickly stopping and turning back towards the quarterback to catch the pass. A hitch is normally a shorter distance before the stop and turn while a hook is a bit farther.
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Out/Dig (5/6)- There are two basic types of out routes: a long out and a short out. The out route is when a receiver runs straight down the field then runs directly “out” towards the sideline. A short out route will be a shorter distance between the break for the sideline, where a long out route will cover a bit more distance between heading to the sideline.
Corner (7)- Similar to the post route, a corner route is the same in the beginning, a longer run down field. Instead of angling in towards the goal post, corner route has you angling to the outside, to the back corner of the end zone.
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Post (8)- Post routes are used for longer pass attempts. When running a post route, the receiver will 10-15 yards down field before cutting at an angle towards the field goal post.
Go/Fade (9)- A go route is executed to score! In this scenario, the receiver is at a full sprint to the end zone to beat out the defender that is covering them. The go route might start out disguised as a shorter route to fake out the defender before the receiver turns on the speed to beat them to the end zone to score.
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Read Option- A read option is when a receiver has the option to run a different route depending on how the defense is lined up. For example, if a receiver going to run an out route and he sees the defense is set up to defend an out route, he has the choice to run a slant route instead. Using the read option takes practice and studying by both the receiver and the quarterback, who both have to recognize what they are seeing the defense do and change up their next move in a split second. If the receiver and quarterback aren’t on the same page, you could end up with an interception being thrown, which is never a good thing.