What is the End Around concept in 11v11 tackle football?
In 11v11 football an end around sends the backside receiver on a flat track behind the line and hands it to him going the other way, with the offensive line deliberately blocking away from where the ball will end up. The line's flow is the lie: in flag football the same play has no line to lie with, so it has to be sold entirely by the back's fake and the receiver's speed.
Why End Around works in 11v11
The line is the misdirection
Every lineman steps away from where the ball is going, which is the whole deception. A linebacker reads the guard in front of him, sees him going left, and goes left. At five a side there is nobody to read, so the same play is sold only by a back running a fake, and one man lying is far less convincing than five.
No back touches it, which is what separates it from the reverse
A reverse hands the ball on twice: back first, then receiver. An end around goes straight from the quarterback to the receiver, so there is no first exchange to sell and no second one to fumble. It is faster and less risky than a reverse and correspondingly less convincing, which is why it works best after the inside run has already made the front honest.
It is a once-a-game call and eleven players make that more true
Against five defenders a trick play that fails costs a down. Against eleven, with a receiver running flat behind his own line and away from every blocker, a defensive end who does not bite is standing exactly where the ball is going, unblocked and untouched. The downside is a twelve-yard loss rather than a two-yard one.
One exchange is the whole advantage
Every handoff is a moment when the ball belongs to nobody. Taking one of them out halves the risk and shortens the play by roughly a second, and against a defense that recovers quickly that second is often the difference between a big gain and a runner caught from behind.
The receiver is already moving when he gets it
He has run behind the formation to arrive, so he takes the ball at speed and pointed where he intends to go. That is a better starting position than most runs offer, and it is why an end around frequently turns the corner before the defense has finished reading it.
The fake costs one player and buys the whole backside
The back sells a run in the other direction with nothing in his hands. He is not blocking anyone and could not, so his entire contribution is the picture he paints, and if he paints it well the defenders chasing him are out of the play without anybody touching them.
How to read it
- 1
The receiver leaves early enough to arrive at speed
He should be moving before the snap or immediately on it. An end around where the receiver is still accelerating at the exchange has given up the one thing that makes it better than a reverse.
- 2
The back fakes it like he has it
Eyes down, shoulders square, full speed for four or five steps. A visible fake is not a fake, and the defenders it was meant to hold will simply look past him at the receiver.
- 3
Take it flat, then get north
The receiver runs behind the line to gather it, but the yards are upfield. A runner who keeps arcing toward the sideline is running into the pursuit rather than away from it.
- 4
Beat the edge, do not beat everybody
The end around is a play to the perimeter. Once the edge is turned, taking what is in front is the right outcome; cutting back across the field to look for more usually finds the defenders the fake had already removed.
What changes in 11v11
The line is the misdirection
Every lineman steps away from where the ball is going, which is the whole deception. A linebacker reads the guard in front of him, sees him going left, and goes left. At five a side there is nobody to read, so the same play is sold only by a back running a fake, and one man lying is far less convincing than five.
No back touches it, which is what separates it from the reverse
A reverse hands the ball on twice: back first, then receiver. An end around goes straight from the quarterback to the receiver, so there is no first exchange to sell and no second one to fumble. It is faster and less risky than a reverse and correspondingly less convincing, which is why it works best after the inside run has already made the front honest.
It is a once-a-game call and eleven players make that more true
Against five defenders a trick play that fails costs a down. Against eleven, with a receiver running flat behind his own line and away from every blocker, a defensive end who does not bite is standing exactly where the ball is going, unblocked and untouched. The downside is a twelve-yard loss rather than a two-yard one.
When not to call End Around
It shows itself earlier than a reverse
The receiver has to start moving before the ball does, so an alert defense sees the shape of it coming. A reverse hides behind a genuine run for longer, which is the trade: the end around is safer and less deceptive.
It puts your fastest player in the backfield
The receiver running it is usually the one you would otherwise have threatening deep, and while he is gathering a handoff behind the line he is not stretching anybody. Called too often it quietly removes your best player from the passing game.
Take it to your team
Draw your plays in the free flag football play designer, collect them in the football playbook maker, and print printable play cards so every player knows them come Saturday.
Open End Around in the designer
Opens this exact 11v11 diagram. Move anybody, change the depths, then save it to your playbook.
Open this play in the designerRelated questions
What is the difference between an end around and a reverse?
Which way should the line block?
When should I call an end around?
Does the receiver need to be fast?
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Coach Ray Carroll
Coaches 5v5 flag football from kindergarten through 7th grade in San Mateo and San Carlos, California, and built RC Football to design, teach and print the plays his own teams run.