Things You'll Need:
- 2 offensive players
- 1 defender
- Quarterback
- Football
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Step 1
Look for a weakness at the line of scrimmage. When you are on offense, as you approach the line of scrimmage, look for a mismatch where you suddenly have more players lined up on one side of the football. While the defense can try to adjust, the moment you say hike you are going to throw them off balance.
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Step 2
Burst off the line and target one defender. The secret to a great decoy is to make one defender suddenly think he is responsible for two offensive players. While his team mates should help him shortly, the game of football moves so fast that you want to force him to make a decision on who he has to cover.
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Step 3
Act as if you are receiving the football. Turn and face your quarterback with your arms out as if the football is coming your way. Even if it is a running play, the defender might not have time to realize it's not a pass because he's been so focused on you. If each offensive player does this, the defender will commit to one person, leaving the other one open.
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Step 4
Be consistent each and every time you come off the line of scrimmage. In order for your decoy route in football to be effective you must act the exact same way every time you burst off the line. This means no lolly gagging if you know the play isn't coming your way. You must convince the defense that the football is coming to you every time. This means bursting off the line, turning to catch the football, and then performing your blocking duties as the play unfolds.
