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Encyclopedia > Halfback option play

The Halfback option play is an unorthodox play (often called a trick play) in American football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to a wide receiver or tight end before crossing the line of scrimmage. United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... High school running back A running back, halfback or tailback is the position of a player on an American football team who lines up in the offensive backfield. ... In American and Canadian football the line of scrimmage is the imaginary transverse line crossing the football field across its narrower dimension, which passes through the last position of the football, after the end of the most recent play and following the assessment of any penalty yards. ...


The key to the play is fooling the defensive players, primarily the defensive backs. If the defensive backs think it is just a normal running play, they will first immediately run upfield to try to tackle the running back, leaving the wide receivers wide open to catch a pass. Of course, if the defensive backs are not fooled, the running back carrying the ball does have the option to run instead of risking an incomplete pass or an interception. Defensive back (DB) is a player in American football whose role is primarily pass coverage; that is, the defensive back will stay near a receiver and try to deflect or intercept any passes thrown to him. ...


The running play that halfback options usually resemble is a sweep play. Sometimes the quarterback will run out of the backfield and become a receiving option for the running back. This can be effective because the quarteback usually does very little after handing off or pitching the ball to the running back on most plays, and the defense might not be expecting him to be used as an active receiver. A Sweep is a running play in American Football where the running back starts running parallel to the line of scrimmage, allowing for the offensive linemen and fullback to get in front of him to block defenders before he turns upfield. ... The quarterback is a position in the offensive backfield of American and Canadian football, directly behind players of the line. He is generally the leader of the offensive team when it is on the field, responsible for initiating play by receiving the snap of the ball from the center. ...


The halfback option play usually has limited sucess and is not commonly used, especially in the National Football League. One reason is that defensive backs are usually instructed to stay in coverage until the running back with the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, to prevent a sucessful halfback option play. Another reason is that the passing ability of most running backs is usually poor in relation to the passing ability of a quarterback. Thus, passes from the halfback are often poorly thrown, resulting in incompletions or interceptions. However, certain teams and players do successfully run the option one to a few times a season; used sparingly it can be effective to make a gamebreaking play. The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... The quarterback is a position in the offensive backfield of American and Canadian football, directly behind players of the line. He is generally the leader of the offensive team when it is on the field, responsible for initiating play by receiving the snap of the ball from the center. ...


There have been many notable cases where the halfback option pass has been used with great success. For example, the Los Angeles Rams sucessfully used a halfback option in Super Bowl XIV, with quarterback Vince Ferragamo handing the ball off to running back Lawrence McCutcheon who then passed it to wide receiver Ron Smith for a 24-yard touchdown. In Super Bowl XXII, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway caught a 23-yard pass from halfback Steve Sewell on the halfback option play, becoming the first quarterback ever to catch a pass in the Super Bowl. In the 2005 season, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has successfully thrown three touchdowns on option passes in four attempts. The St. ... Date January 20, 1980 Stadium Rose Bowl Stadium City Pasadena, California MVP Terry Bradshaw, Quarterback Favorite Steelers by 10 1/2 National Anthem Cheryl Ladd Coin toss Art Rooney Halftime show Up with People presents A Salute to the Big Band Era Attendance 103,985 TV in the United States... Vince Ferragamo (born April 24, 1954) was an American football quarterback from the late 1970s thru the mid-1980s. ... Date January 31, 1988 Stadium Jack Murphy Stadium City San Diego, California MVP Doug Williams, Quarterback Favorite Broncos by 3 National Anthem Herb Alpert Coin toss Don Hutson Halftime show Chubby Checker and The Rockettes Attendance 73,302 TV in the United States Network ABC Announcers Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf... Conference AFC Division West Year Founded 1960 Home Field INVESCO Field at Mile High City Denver, Colorado Team Colors Broncos Navy Blue, Orange, and White Head Coach Mike Shanahan League Championships (2) Super Bowl: 1997 (XXXII), 1998 (XXXIII) Conference Championships (6) AFC: 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998 Division Championships... John Albert Elway (born June 28, 1960) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Denver Broncos from 1983 through 1998. ... Conference AFC Division West Year Founded 1960 Home Field Qualcomm Stadium City San Diego, California Team Colors Navy Blue, White, and Gold Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer League Championships (1) AFL Champions: 1963 Conference Championships (1) AFC: 1994 Division Championships (10) AFL West: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 AFC West: 1979, 1980... LaDainian Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979 in Rosebud, Texas) is an American football player who currently plays running back for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL; Tomlinson is currently finishing his degree at Texas Christian University. ...


  Results from FactBites:
 
Glossary of American football at AllExperts (6430 words)
;halfback option play :a trick play in which the halfback throws a pass.
passing play: a play in which a forward pass is made;place kick :kicking the ball from where it has been placed stationary on the ground or, where legal, on a tee.
The play is usually employed to defuse the pass rush in the case of a running back screen.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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