Fake Punts and Trick Plays
Fake punts, flea flickers and hook-and-ladders all try to win by misdirection. Learn how they work, why they rarely appear, and the risk coaches weigh before calling one.
Every so often a team lines up to punt, the crowd settles in for a change of possession, and then the ball goes somewhere unexpected. A blocker streaks down the sideline and catches a pass. A running back takes a direct snap and sprints for the first down marker. The stadium erupts, and an announcer says something about guts.
Trick plays are the part of football that delights fans and terrifies coaches. They are fun to watch, easy to remember and, when they fail, easy to blame. A fake that works can change a game. A fake that fails can hand the opponent a short field and a story that follows a coach for a long time. This article sorts the common tricks into families, explains how each is designed to fool the defense, and describes the thinking coaches use to decide when to call one.
What makes a trick play a trick play
A trick play is any play designed to win by deceiving the defense about who has the ball or what kind of play it is. The deception works because defenders are trained to react quickly to what they see. A defense that believes a punt is coming will drop its guard, and a defense that sees a handoff will chase the ball. A trick play uses those habits against it.
Three conditions usually need to hold.
- The defense has to believe in the picture. The formation, the motion and the first steps must look like an ordinary play.
- The people with the ball must be able to execute. Trick plays often involve unusual throwers, receivers or handoffs, and mistakes cost more than on regular plays.
- The reward has to justify the risk. A trick play that gains five yards is rarely worth the chance of a disaster.
Fake punts
A fake punt starts from the punt formation and turns into something else. The most common versions are these.
The direct snap to the protector
On a punt, the personal protector stands a few yards behind the line, ahead of the punter, and organizes the blocking. A fake can have the long snapper send the ball straight to the protector rather than back to the punter. The protector then runs or throws. This version is fast, since the ball moves a short distance, and it gets the ball to a player who can run before the defense reacts.
The punter runs or passes
The punter catches the snap normally, then runs for the first down or throws to a receiver. This works best when the defense has dropped everyone into return mode and nobody is near the punter. Many punters are not strong runners, so this version typically occurs on short distances.
The release to the gunners
The gunners, the fast players at the edges of the formation, usually sprint down the field on a punt. In a fake, one of them becomes a receiver. If the punter or protector throws to him in space, he may gain many yards. Gunners need to be eligible receivers under the rules, which means their numbers and positions have to be legal for the formation.
The shift or the fake with no punter
Some fakes shift the whole formation before the snap, for example by moving the personal protector or a back into an unusual spot. The idea is to confuse the return team's alignment and gain an advantage at the snap.
Fake field goals
Fake field goals use the kicker, holder and the rest of the field goal unit. The holder can run, flip the ball to the kicker, or pass to a receiver, such as a tight end or a wing, who was lined up in the formation. A well-known danger is that the defense may be waiting. Field goal block teams are aggressive and set to attack, which means a fake can find open space if the rushers commit, but it can also lose yards if they do not.
Trick plays from scrimmage
Trick plays do not need special teams. Offenses have a long list of plays that use misdirection.
- Flea flicker. The quarterback hands the ball to a running back, who runs toward the line. The defense, believing in a run, steps up. The back then pitches the ball back to the quarterback, who throws downfield over the confused secondary.
- Reverse. A receiver or back runs toward one side, takes a handoff from a runner heading the other way, and goes against the flow. The defense, chasing the first runner, finds itself on the wrong side.
- Double reverse. The ball is handed back a second time, so it changes direction twice. It takes a lot of time, which gives the defense the chance to recover.
- Halfback or receiver pass. A running back or receiver takes a handoff or a pitch, then throws. The defense expects a run and has to cover receivers late.
- Hook and ladder. A receiver catches a short pass, then lateral-passes it to a teammate trailing him, who runs while defenders chase the first receiver.
- Statue of Liberty. The quarterback drops back and raises the ball as if to throw. A running back circles behind him, takes the ball out of the quarterback's hand and runs the other way.
- Throwback to the quarterback. The offense runs a play that seems to go away from the quarterback, then passes the ball back to him in the open field.
- Direct-snap or trick formation. A player who normally does not receive the snap takes it, such as a running back or tight end, and runs or passes.
A few of these have become part of football lore. In one well-known college bowl game in the 2006 season, Boise State used a hook and ladder to tie the game late, and a Statue of Liberty play to win it in overtime. In a Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles ran a play now remembered as the Philly Special, in which a running back took a direct snap, pitched to a tight end, and the tight end threw a touchdown pass to the quarterback. These examples are famous because they worked at the highest-stakes moments, and because they were rare.
Why they are rare
If trick plays are so exciting, why do coaches call so few? There are several good reasons.
The cost of failure
A failed fake punt gives the opponent the ball near midfield or in the punting team's territory, with no points gained. Even a successful trick play is usually worth only a first down or a few more yards. In expected-value terms, many tricks do not pay off unless the probability of success is high, and the coach does not know how high it will be.
The need to practice
A trick play involves players doing unfamiliar tasks. A tight end who throws once a season will not throw as well as the quarterback. A reverse requires a handoff at the right moment, and a handoff that goes wrong is a turnover. Coaches who run trick plays practice them often, which takes time away from basics.
The need for the right look
Most fakes only work against particular defensive alignments. A fake punt is pointless if the defense has put all its players at the line of scrimmage to rush. It is better if the return team has dropped players back. Coaches therefore often make the fake conditional: the unit lines up in the fake formation, and the call is live only if the defense shows a specific look. Otherwise, the punter simply punts.
The element of surprise
Surprise is a limited resource. A team that runs a trick play will be watched for it on film, and the next opponent will prepare for it. Coaches sometimes show a fake in practice or on film to affect the opponent's preparation even when they do not use it in the game. How much that matters is debated, and there is no reliable way to prove its effect.
The rules
Formation and eligibility rules limit what is possible. The offense must have enough players on the line of scrimmage, a limited number of players are eligible to receive a pass, and players wearing certain numbers are ineligible unless they report to the officials and meet the rules. Pitching or lateraling the ball backward is generally legal, but a forward pass is limited to one per play from behind the line of scrimmage. Details differ by level, so players and coaches should consult their own rulebook. Our guide to eligible and ineligible receivers explains how numbers and positions are linked.
The fourth-down connection
Fake punts are really a fourth-down decision in disguise. The coach has to compare three options: punt, go for it with a regular play, or go for it with a trick. Our article on fourth-down decision making describes how coaches weigh the first two. The third option makes sense only when a fake gives a higher chance of success than a normal play would. That can happen if the punt formation is designed to look like a punt and the defense has loosened its guard, but it is rarely a sure thing.
Coaches also ask a second question: what happens if we fail? A failure at midfield gives the opponent the ball on a short field; a failure deep in your own territory can be fatal. So fakes tend to appear in situations where the distance to gain is short and the field position is neutral or favorable.
How defenses guard against tricks
Defenses do not simply wait to be fooled. They have ways of protecting themselves.
- Discipline. Defenders are trained to stay in their lanes and keep their eyes on their assigned players. A defender who chases the ball and leaves his man is the target of most tricks.
- Safeties and deep help. Players deep in coverage are trained to stay deep until the ball is clearly in the air.
- Alignment checks. A punt return team may put a player near the personal protector or keep a safety back, to guard against a fake. This is a reason you will sometimes see a return unit that looks oddly cautious.
- Film study. Coaches review an opponent's history of fakes and note the formations and situations in which they appeared.
- Call-outs. Players yell "fake" or "watch for the pass" when something looks unusual, so teammates adjust.
The result is a contest of information. Offenses try to hide the signs, and defenses try to read them.
A hypothetical fake punt
Imagine a team facing fourth-and-4 at midfield, trailing by three points in the third quarter. The coach would rather not punt, but the offense has struggled to gain yards. The punting unit trots out.
The return team lines up with two players near the line to rush, and the rest drop back in return formation. The punter sees this and signals the unit. At the snap, the long snapper sends the ball to the personal protector, who runs to the right behind a block from the guard. The first-down line is six yards away; the protector reaches it with a yard to spare. The drive continues.
Now change the look. The return team has ten players at the line of scrimmage, clearly set to rush. The punter calls off the fake and punts. Because the fake was conditional, nothing is lost, and the punt can be placed carefully. This is how many teams think about trick plays: the plan is only used if the opponent's alignment makes it worthwhile.
Finally, imagine the protector drops the snap. The ball bounces, the return team recovers it, and the team that tried the fake has given up a short field and the momentum. Every coach who calls a fake is aware of that possibility.
Trick plays at other levels
In high school and youth football, trick plays can be more common because coaches are trying to win games with teams that may have less depth. A well-executed reverse or a flea flicker can give a smaller team a chance against a bigger one. The risks are the same, though. Players are less experienced, and a mistake can be more costly. At the college and pro levels, defenses are better prepared and study film more carefully, so tricks must be sharper and more disguised. You can browse high school games in the high school directory and college schedules at college, and look for the plays that stand out.
Fans can enjoy tricks more by watching for the tells
If you want to enjoy trick plays, watch for these details:
- An unusual personnel group on the field, such as a receiver lined up near the punter.
- A formation that is slightly different from the team's usual look.
- A protector or back who is set up farther forward than usual.
- A defense that lines up in an unusual alignment in response.
The scores page will show you which games are on, and you can follow your favorite team to see how it handles special teams.
The short version
- A trick play wins by deception: the defense believes in one picture and the offense runs another.
- Fake punts and fake field goals start from kicking formations; flea flickers, reverses, hook-and-ladders and the Statue of Liberty are scrimmage tricks.
- Tricks are rare because failure is expensive, practice time is limited and many of them depend on a particular defensive look.
- Coaches often make a fake conditional on the defense's alignment so they can fall back to a normal punt.
- Formation, numbering and passing rules limit what is possible, and they differ by level.
- A fake punt is a fourth-down decision: compare it with a normal punt and a regular play, and consider what happens if it fails.
- For related ideas, see our guide on punting strategy.