The Different Ways You Can Pass A Football

Throwing the ball and developing a sharp passing attack is essential for most football teams who play at the high school level and above. It's not that running the ball isn't important. However, when it comes to building a lead and taking charge of the game, the majority of football coaches use the passing game.

Bullet Pass

The bullet pass is a quick, hard pass that is usually in the range of 10 to 15 yards. The quarterback will try to get the ball to the hands of a wide receiver, tight end or running back on the move. They will attempt to secure the ball and then turn upfield and make tacklers miss. The key to the success of the bullet pass is the receiver getting open quickly and the quarterback throwing the ball without hesitation.

Deep Pass

The deep pass is commonly referred to as the bomb. It's a pass that will travel at least 30 yards downfield and has a high degree of difficulty. The quarterback will commonly take a seven-step drop when throwing the bomb and the pass will either be toward the sidelines on a "go" pattern or toward the center of the field on a "post" pattern. The offensive line must provide stellar pass protection to give the quarterback time to let the play develop before throwing the ball downfield. The receiver needs to get open quickly so the quarterback has a solid target when he releases the ball. In some cases, a taller wide receiver with excellent leaping ability will leap over the defender to catch the ball, but it's much easier to complete the pass when the receiver gets open.

Screen Pass

The screen pass is used when the offense is facing an attacking defense that has been putting significant pressure on the quarterback. On a screen pass, the offensive line will allow the defensive linemen to rush the quarterback. As the quarterback drops back, a running back or receiver will step into the spot the pass-rushing defensive linemen have just vacated. The quarterback will softly toss the ball over the onrushing defensive linemen and into the arms of the receiver. He should be able to easily turn upfield and make a sizable gain.

Lateral Pass

The lateral pass is a pass that is parallel to or behind the receiver. Any player can throw a lateral pass at any point in the play. For example, a quarterback can throw to a wide receiver 10 yards downfield. Just before the wide receiver gets hit, he spins and tosses to a teammate who can continue the play by running with the ball. The quarterback can throw a lateral pass to a running back or wide receiver and that player can then throw the ball downfield to another receiver. The pass cannot go forward at all or else the offense will be flagged for throwing two forward passes on one play. However, as long as one of the passes is parallel to the point where the ball is thrown from or backwards, a forward pass can then be thrown.