Draw (7v7 flag football play)
Everything looks like a pass: four receivers run deep, the center releases to the left and the QB shows the ball like a throw. The rusher closes on the QB and the underneath defenders drop, then the QB hands the ball to R, who runs straight up the middle through the space they left.
When to call Draw
Against a fast rusher and defenses that drop deep to stop the pass, especially on long-yardage downs.
Who gets the ball
- R waits a moment beside Q, takes the handoff, and runs straight up the middle just right of where C lined up.
- X, Y, H and Z all run deep so their defenders turn and run with them.
- C releases to the left to take the middle defender out of the run lane.
Coaching points
- Q must sell the pass: eyes downfield and ball up, then hand off low.
- R counts one-thousand-one before moving. The delay is what makes it a draw.
- Receivers must run deep like it is a pass play. If they jog, nobody believes the pass.
- Call it right after a completed deep pass, when defenders are dropping fast.
Common mistakes
- R leaves too early and the rusher sees the handoff coming.
- Q drops too deep, so the handoff happens next to the rusher. Keep the drop small.
- R bounces outside instead of running straight into the empty middle.
What to call next
When the defense stops dropping deep, go back to the real pass with Four Verticals.