A "dive" (or "plunge" or "buck", also called a line plunge or line buck) is a type of play in

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 wi ...

in which the

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

carrier Carrier may refer to: Entertainment * ''Carrier'' (album), a 2013 album by The Dodos * ''Carrier'' (board game), a South Pacific World War II board game * ''Carrier'' (TV series), a ten-part documentary miniseries that aired on PBS in April 20 ...

(usually a fullback or a halfback) attempts to thrust quickly over the line of scrimmage, rushing through the linemen. A dive or buck is distinct from both an

end run In gridiron football, an end run is a running play in which the player carrying the ball tries to avoid being tackled by running outside the end (or flank) of the offensive line. It is distinct from a dive, which is a run "up the middle", or an ...

and an off-tackle run; the gap for the runner can be either between center and guard or between guard and tackle.

Types

The dive may be run with or without a lead blocker, though when run with a lead blocker it may be called a "lead dive". It is often, though not always, used in short-yardage situations, specifically at the goal line.

Historical types

A "cross buck" is a play with two backs crossing paths, one faking to receive the ball, and the other receiving it; thus a dive play with either a faked cross buck or a faked reverse was known as a "split buck".

Requirements

Fullbacks, or larger, stronger running backs less prone to fumbling, are favorable because this play values strength over speed.

References

American football plays {{Americanfootball-stub