Draw
The line shows pass and invites the rush upfield, the quarterback sets up to throw, then hands the ball to the back through the space the rushers just ran past.
- The offense1 / 3
The look
Every lineman sets as if to pass-protect, giving ground and inviting the rush outside. The receivers run real routes. The quarterback shows the ball, then hands it to the back a beat later than any run would.
- vs Rush2 / 3
The conflict
The rushers see pass and pin their ears back, and the linebacker drops into coverage. The line rides the rush past the quarterback, and the back runs through the middle of a defense that has emptied it for him.
- vs Rush3 / 3
The lane
The draw's yards come from defenders taking themselves out of the play. A rusher who has run five yards upfield is a rusher the back has already passed.
Why it works
It punishes the pass rush
The harder a defense rushes, the better the draw works. It is the answer to a front that is winning on passing downs.
It slows the rush for the rest of the game
After one draw, rushers hesitate a beat before committing, and that beat is protection for every pass after it.
It holds the linebackers
Linebackers who have to respect the draw cannot drop freely into coverage.
How it gets run badly
A pass set nobody believes
If the linemen fire out as they would on a run, the defense reads run. They sell pass for a full count.
The back leaves too early
Take the ball late. A draw that looks like a run from the first step is just a slow run.
Calling it on the wrong down
The draw works when the defense expects pass. On second and two it is a run the defense was waiting for.
Who can run it
Tackle only. The fake needs a pass set, with linemen giving ground as though protecting, and in flag there is nobody to give ground. Without a pocket to sell, there is no rush to invite upfield and the concept has no mechanism.
- 9v9Its offense
- 11v11The 11v11 page
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