Hook And Lateral
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The hook and lateral, also known colloquially as the hook and ladder, is a
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 a ...
in American,
Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...
and
indoor American football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football designed to be played indoors. The game is played on a smaller field than American football, American or Canadian football, Canadian football, designed to fit in the same surface area as a standa ...
. The hook and lateral starts with the hook, which is where a
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
runs a predetermined distance, usually 10 to 20 yards down the field, and along the sideline, and "hooks in" towards the center of the field to receive a forward pass from the
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
. Another offensive player (a wide receiver or running back) times a run so that he is at full speed, toward the player with the ball at the time of the catch. As the defenders close in on the stationary ball carrier, he
lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to: Biology and healthcare * Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side" * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx * Lateral release ( ...
s or hands the ball to the teammate running at full speed in the opposite direction of the original receiver. If unanticipated, this play puts defenders out of position, running in the wrong direction. If the second receiver catches the lateral in stride, he can be long gone before defenders can react. However, the offense runs a high risk of turning the ball over if it is not handled properly because, unlike a
forward pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The legal and widespread use of the forward pass distinguishes grid ...
, a dropped lateral pass results in a live ball. The hook and ladder is one of two common desperation strategies a trailing team can use at the end of a game, the other being the
Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with a very small chance of achieving a completion (American football), completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes r ...
. It has the advantage in that it can be attempted anywhere on the field, whereas the Hail Mary can generally only be attempted at a point on the field where the quarterback's throwing arm is strong enough to reach the end zone with a forward pass.


Examples

* The
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
executed a successful "87 Circle Curl Lateral" play at the end of the first half of their AFC playoff game against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
on January 2, 1982. Wide receiver
Duriel Harris Duriel LaDon Harris, Jr. (born November 27, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college ...
caught a 20-yard pass from quarterback Don Strock and then lateraled it to running back
Tony Nathan Tony Curtis Nathan (born December 14, 1956) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama C ...
, who ran 25 yards for the score. The play gave the Dolphins huge momentum going into the second half, but the Chargers eventually won in overtime. * In Week 16 of the
2001 NFL season The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL), and the first season of the 21st century. The league permanently moved the first week of the regular season to the weekend following Labor Day. In the wake o ...
, the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
trailed the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
24–21 with seven seconds left. From their own 20-yard line,
Kerry Collins Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panth ...
threw a pass over the middle to
Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber Sr. (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 10-year career as a running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college fo ...
; he ran the ball to the 34 before lateraling it back to Ron Dixon, who sprinted 62 yards up the left sideline before being tackled six yards short of the end zone by safety
Damon Moore Damon Moore (born September 15, 1976) is an American former professional football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft. He played college football at ...
as time ran out. The play, named "86 Lambuth Special" after Dixon's alma mater, subsequently clinched the NFC East for the Eagles and eliminated the Giants from postseason contention. * The
Utah Utes The Utah Utes are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City. The athletic department is named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans in the Unite ...
ran a successful version of the play in the
2005 Fiesta Bowl The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a B ...
against the
Pittsburgh Panthers The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, facul ...
. Steve Savoy caught the ball on a short pass and lateraled to
Paris Warren Paris Jazz Warren (born September 6, 1982) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at Utah. Warren was also a m ...
who took it into the end zone. * The
Boise State Broncos The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mount ...
executed the play (called "Circus" in their playbook) against the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...
on fourth down to force overtime in the
2007 Fiesta Bowl The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game played as part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game was played on January 1, 2007, at its new venue, the Univers ...
. Boise State later scored a touchdown in overtime on a wide receiver roll out option pass, and won by scoring the ensuing two-point conversion on the seldom-seen
Statue of Liberty play The Statue of Liberty is a trick play in American football named after, and resembling, the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''). Execution of the play Although many variations of the play exist, the most common involves the qua ...
. * The
Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the "Fighting Tigers of Columbia" who, in 1864, protected Columbia ...
executed a hook and lateral to set up a field goal in the fourth quarter of their October 23, 2010 regular season victory over the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...
, who were at the time ranked number one in the BCS standings. * The Florida International Golden Panthers successfully ran the play on fourth and 17, with less than a minute remaining, in the 2010 Little Caesars Bowl. This helped set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. In an interview after the game, FIU coach
Mario Cristobal Mario Manuel Cristobal (born September 24, 1970) is an American college football coach who is the head football coach for the University of Miami. He previously served as the head football coach at Florida International University (FIU) from 200 ...
said the play was called "Boise", referring to Boise State's play in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl (see more about the play above). * The
2014 Bahamas Bowl The 2014 Bahamas Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game that was played December 24, 2014 at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau in the Bahamas. The first edition of the Bahamas Bowl featured the Central Michigan Chippewas of ...
* The
Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...
successfully executed the play on fourth and 25 in overtime, down to their last down, in a 2015 meeting against
Ole Miss OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to: * Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain * Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole * Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains Co ...
. Known as the "Hog & Lateral", quarterback Brandon Allen completed a pass to Hunter Henry, who appeared that he was going to be tackled yards short of the first down marker, flung the ball backwards towards running back Alex Collins. Collins scooped the ball up on the bounce at the line of scrimmage and ran it for a 31-yard gain to gain a first down. Though Collins fumbled it at the end of the play, it was recovered by teammate Dominique Reed. Head coach
Bret Bielema Bret Arnold Bielema (; born January 13, 1970) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a position he has held since the 2021 season. Bielema served as the head football coach at ...
called the play "divine intervention." The Razorbacks scored a touchdown plays later and went on to upset the Rebels on a winning two-point conversion on a quarterback keeper by Allen. * The
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
used a hook and lateral with two laterals to score a touchdown and defeat the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
on the last play of the game during a game at
Hard Rock Stadium Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Southeastern United States, located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the Univers ...
in 2018. Down by five points, and with only seven seconds remaining in regulation time, Dolphins QB
Ryan Tannehill Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, playing wide receiver until his junior year, and was selected eighth overall by the Miami Dol ...
completed a pass to wide receiver
Kenny Stills Kenneth Lee Stills Jr. (born April 22, 1992) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Oklahoma and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft. Early life Sti ...
who lateraled to fellow wide receiver DeVante Parker, who in turn lateraled to running back Kenyan Drake who completed the scoring play with no time left in regulation. The play has been dubbed the
Miracle in Miami The Miracle in Miami, also known as the Miami Miracle, was an American football play that took place at the end of a National Football League regular season game on December 9, 2018 NFL season, 2018, between the 2018 Miami Dolphins season, Mia ...
. * On December 1,
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, during a Sunday night game against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
executed an improvised hook-and-lateral, when quarterback
Josh Allen Joshua Patrick Allen (born May 21, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys football, Wyoming Cow ...
threw the ball to wide receiver
Amari Cooper Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top rec ...
, who upon being surrounded by 49ers defenders, pitched the ball back to Allen, who had followed the play to position himself behind Cooper and ran the ball into the end zone. The sequence of events led to Allen being awarded a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown on the same play, which combined with a scrambling touchdown elsewhere in the game gave Allen the distinction of being the first quarterback, and only the twelfth person, to score rushing, passing and receiving touchdowns in the same game (the others had done so as running backs who successfully executed
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. Strategy ...
s). * It has appeared in the season one finale of '' Friday Night Lights'' during the final play of the state championship between Dillon and West Cambria.


Speculation on origins of names

Some proponents of the term "hook and lateral" claim that the "hook" refers to the pattern run by the receiver who catches the pass from the quarterback. The "lateral" refers to the pitching of the ball by the receiver to his teammate. This is not synonymous with a "ladder", which is a specific route (also called a "chair") in which a receiver cuts out before turning up the field along the sideline. If the "hook" receiver laterals the ball to a teammate running a ladder route, the play could accurately be described as a "hook and ladder". This would not be true of many hook and lateral plays; in the case of the play run by the Boise State Broncos in the
2007 Fiesta Bowl The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game played as part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game was played on January 1, 2007, at its new venue, the Univers ...
, the player who received the lateral from the "hook" receiver was running a slant route across the center of the field rather than a ladder route. The NFL's winningest all-time head coach who successfully ran the play, Don Shula, has stated that it's a "hook-and-lateral play because the receiver laterals the ball; there is no ladder." On the January 2, 2007, broadcast of ESPN's '' Around the Horn'', sportswriter
Woody Paige Woodrow Wilson Paige Jr. (born June 27, 1946) is a sports columnist for '' The Gazette'', author, and was a panelist on the ESPN talk show '' Around the Horn'' until the show ended in 2025. He was a columnist for ''The Denver Post'' for 35 year ...
claimed, perhaps facetiously, that the name "hook and ladder" originated with NYC Firemen Football Team in Hell's Kitchen, New York. This was in response to the other panelists ridiculing his use of "hook and ladder" rather than "hook and lateral". The next day,
Jay Mariotti Jay Mariotti ( ; born June 22, 1959) is an American sports journalist and commentator who currently hosts the sports-related podcast ''Unmuted''. He previously spent 17 years as a ''Chicago Sun-Times'' columnist and eight years as a regular pa ...
claimed the phrase "hook and ladder" referred to
coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
in the 1930s—his research claims that coal miners need a hook and ladder when trapped in a mine. Another possible explanation is that "hook and ladder" is just a corruption of the phrase "hook and lateral". A "hook and ladder" is a common name for a
firetruck A fire engine or fire truck (also spelled firetruck) is a vehicle, usually a specially designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to ...
, which used to carry various hooks and ladders. The analogies that could be drawn to this play based on a "hook" route (with or without an actual "lateral") and a "hook and ladder" apparatus are numerous. Long extension ladders include two or more pieces, perhaps the first piece being a "hook" route, and the second piece being a run up the "ladder" to the end-zone. The second part of the play is sometimes accomplished with a hand-off, and not a lateral at all. Notwithstanding, there does not seem to be any definitive proof of what the play was originally called or why.


References


External links


Ten Wild Plays in NFL History
at yesbutnobutyes.com {{American football strategy American football plays