Play-action bootleg

Setup

1. Contact level: thud for the line and air for the routes. Nobody goes to the ground, and the QB in the red jersey is never touched.
2. Full helmet and shoulder pads, and a coach watches every rep. Count the thud time towards the week's full-contact limit.
3. Offence: five linemen, a tight end (Y) on the run side, QB under centre, RB and FB in the backfield, and X wide on the boot side.
4. Defence: two ends, a tackle, two linebackers (M and W) and a corner. Add the rest when you go full team.
5. Mark the line of scrimmage with cones; the diagram shows only the players in the read.

How it runs

1. The QB opens to the run side and fakes outside zone to the RB. The line, Y and RB all flow the run way.
2. The QB keeps the ball on the hip and bootlegs back the other way, gaining depth for 2 steps and then width.
3. Routes: FB slips to the flat on the boot side, Y crosses on a drag at 5 to 7 yards, X runs a deep comeback or clears out.
4. Read high to low: if the corner bails with X, throw the flat; if the flat is covered, hit the drag; if both are covered, run or throw it away out of bounds past the line.
5. The backside end (DE1) is unblocked. If DE1 chases the fake, the QB is free. If DE1 stays home, the QB pulls up early and throws the drag.
6. Run 10 to 12 reps, then swap the boot side.

Coaching points

• Same fake every time: the QB's eyes and the ball go to the RB's belly, then hide the ball on the far hip.
• Linemen fire out like it is a real run; a weak fake leaves the boot side crowded.
• QB: shoulders square to the target before the throw on the run, and lead the flat receiver to the sideline.
• FB and Y: be on time. The QB throws to a spot as soon as the boot clears the end.
• Know the rules: under NFL and college rules a throwaway is only legal once the QB is outside the tackle box and the ball reaches the line. Check your competition's version.

Common mistakes

• Rushing the fake so no defender bites.
• QB drifting flat along the line instead of gaining depth first, and running into DE1.
• Y drifting too deep and running into the linebackers' drops.
• Forcing the flat ball when the corner has squatted on it.