A reverse (sometimes referred to as an end reverse or criss cross) is a relatively common

trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or ...

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

History

The invention of the reverse is credited to

Amos Alonzo Stagg Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfie ...

. The invention of the ''naked'' reverse, i. e. a reverse run to the weak side, is credited to

Pop Warner Glenn Scobey Warner (April 5, 1871 – September 7, 1954), most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American college football coach at various institutions who is responsible for several key aspects of the modern game. Included among his inn ...

Variations

A classic reverse typically begins as a

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

sweep Sweep or swept may refer to: Cleaning * Sweep, the action of using a brush to clean * Chimney sweep, a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys * Street sweeper, a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets * Swept quartz, a cleani ...

end-around The end-around is a play in American football in which an end or wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two thing ...

, but before the ball-carrier crosses the

line of scrimmage In gridiron football, a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line (across the width of the field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun. Its location is based on the spot where the ball is placed after the end o ...

he hands the ball off to a teammate, usually a wide receiver, running in the reverse (opposite) direction. Because many of the defensive players will have gravitated in the direction of the original rusher, if the second ball-carrier can outrun the defenders to the other side of the field, he has a very good chance to make a big gain. A variation of this play is a ''double reverse'', in which the second ball-carrier takes the ball all or part way back across the field before he too hands off to a teammate running in the opposite direction. This causes the flow of the play to "reverse" a second time. A double reverse adds another level of surprise to the defense; however, the play takes more time and space to develop and increases the risk of a big loss or a fumbled handoff. Another variation is the ''reverse option''. On a reverse option, the second ball-carrier runs for a few steps, then (optionally) passes the ball downfield to a teammate, similar to a

halfback option play The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage. The key t ...

. Many teams will also use the threat of a reverse to gain an advantage on simple sweep plays. In such a case, the quarterback might pitch the ball to the running back, who will fake a handoff or lateral to a teammate running in the opposite direction. The distraction is sometimes enough for the running back to gain an edge in getting past the defense.

Terminology

Sometimes an

, in which the only handoff is from a stationary quarterback to a wide receiver, is imprecisely called a "reverse". An end-around is not a reverse because the lateral flow of the play does not change direction. However, it has become commonplace for fans, sportswriters, announcers, and even coaches and players to refer to any end-around as a 'reverse', and to an end-around reverse as a 'double reverse.'

References

Definition
{{American football strategy American football plays

History

Variations

Terminology

See also

References