A draw play, or simply draw for short, is a type of American football play. The draw is a running play disguised as a passing play.[1] It is the opposite of a play-action pass, which is a passing play disguised as a running play. The play is often used in long yardage situations.[2]
The idea behind a draw play is to attack aggressive, pass-rushing defenses by "drawing" the defensive linemen across the line of scrimmage towards the passer while the linebackers and defensive backs commit to positioning themselves downfield in anticipation of a pass.[3][4] This creates larger gaps between defenders and thereby allows the offense to effectively run the ball. Draw plays are often run out of the shotgun formation,[5] but can also be run when the quarterback is under center. These types of draw plays are sometimes referred to as "delayed handoffs".
The running back will most often run straight downfield through the hole in the "A-gap" (the space between the center and the offensive guard), although there are more complicated variations. The most common variation of this play is the "quarterback draw," where the quarterback himself runs the ball, instead of handing it off, meaning the running back is free to help block.
- ^ Bass, Tom (15 June 1991). Play Football The NFL Way: Position by Position Techniques and Drills for Offense and Special Teams. Macmillan. ISBN 9780312059477 – via Google Books.
- ^ Read, Don (1 January 2002). Complete Quarterbacking. Human Kinetics. ISBN 9780736039840 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Running Plays in Football".
- ^ Hawkes, Dwight (1 January 1995). Football's Best Offensive Playbook. Human Kinetics. ISBN 9780873225748 – via Google Books.
- ^ e. g. Dean, Thomas A. (1 January 2012). On Coaching Football: A Resource and Guide for Coaches. Universal-Publishers. ISBN 9781612330488 – via Google Books.