About Play Action Football Terminology

The play-action fake in football is one of the primary actions an offensive football team can take to fool the defense. The primary way of attacking a defense in the modern game of football is through the air. A play-action fake maximizes the ability to throw the ball because it makes the defense believe a running play is at hand.

Function

Throwing the ball downfield is made even more effective when the defense believes the offense is going to run. When a quarterback uses a play-action fake, he drops back and spins as if he is going to hand the ball to the running back. He pulls the ball away from the running back at the last second and turns his back to the defense, hiding the ball as best as he can. As the defense goes after the running back because it believes he has the ball, the quarterback turns and looks downfield for an open receiver. He should have at least two open receivers, since the defense is going after the run. The quarterback must deliver a quick and accurate pass.

History

The play-action pass has its roots in the American Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs. During the mid-1960s, the Chiefs had an explosive offense with Hank Stram as head coach and Len Dawson as the quarterback. Running back Mike Garrett gave the Chiefs an effective running game, and Stram came up with the idea of the play-action fake while watching game film and seeing how opposing defenses swarmed after Garrett when Dawson handed him the ball. Stram instructed Dawson to fake the handoff to Garrett and then wait a half-second before looking for an open receiver. The play worked to perfection and became a regular staple of the Chiefs offense. That play has been copied by pro, college and high school teams for the last four decades and is a staple of offensive football.

Misconceptions

The timing of the play-action pass is very important to its success or failure. If the quarterback does not hide the ball and turns around too quickly to look over the secondary, the fake will not be effective and the receivers will not be able to shake the defensive backs and get free. If the quarterback waits too long before turning around to face the defense, he gives the onrushing linemen a chance to discover that the running back does not have the ball and they can turn their attention back to the quarterback and trap him with the pass rush.

Warning

The play-action fake will not be believable if the offensive team is trailing by a significant margin or it is late in the game and the team is behind. The key is getting the defense to believe that a running play is at hand. If the offensive team is behind by two scores or more, it will be in a catch-up mode and that usually means passing on a majority of the plays. Faking the ball to the running back in those situations is not believable and won't do the offense much good.

Expert Insight

Even though the play-action pass came to the forefront more than 40 years ago, it is still a viable part of offensive football and it should continue to be for the foreseeable future. Successful offensive strategy is not about being faster, stronger or more athletic than your opponent. While those factors all help, being able to outthink those on the other side of the line of scrimmage provides an even bigger advantage. Getting your opponent to think you will run when you are about to pass and vice versa will keep them off balance and help you succeed more than any other factor.