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Watch any NFL game and you'll see something fascinating. Receivers getting wide open against the best athletes in the world. And nobody can explain how it happened. While everyone's watching the ball, there's an invisible war being fought between the receiver and the defender with footwork, leverage, and strategy that often determines the outcome before the pass is even thrown.
Flat route. The flat route is where the receiver runs parallel to the line of scrimmage toward the sideline, typically just one to three yards downfield or sometimes behind the line of scrimmage before turning toward the quarterback. This route is usually run by running backs as a safety valve when all other options are covered, giving the quarterback an immediate outlet against pressure. Flat routes work best against defensive plays without flat zone coverage or when one side of the field has more receivers than defenders. For example, this version of cover three expects the cornerback to cover deep while the safety jumps up and plays a curl zone, which is this area about 8 to 12 yds off the line of scrimmage, leaving space for a completion in this empty flat zone underneath. However, if there are no receivers running routes on this side of the field, the safety might read the play and decide to jump down to the flat zone instead of the curl zone to make a play. Smart defensive coordinators might even anticipate a flat route coming and adjust the play. So, the safety is expected to defend the flat zone instead of the curl zone right off the bat. An offense might solve this coverage problem by running something called a flood concept where one receiver runs deep, a second receiver runs an intermediate route in the curl zone, and the third receiver or running back runs a flat route. The safety cannot cover both the intermediate route and flat route. He must choose which one to cover, usually the deeper of the two routes, leaving an easy completion for the quarterback in the flat. If an offense starts completing a lot of passes to the flat, a defense might try countering it with different coverages, such as cloud coverage, where corners sit in the flats instead of protecting deep, or by having linebackers wall off the route by sitting close to the line of scrimmage, with the ability to quickly jump between the receiver and the quarterback.
Slant route. The slant is a quick breaking route at 45° across the field, typically run at 3 to 5 yards depth, designed to beat both man and zone coverage through angles and speed. Receivers win on slants by using footwork and speed to get on the inside in front of the defender, then accelerating through the break to maintain separation. This route becomes lethal when paired with a seam or corner route on the outside and a drag route underneath. The seam route clears the safety deep and prevents him from buzzing down into the middle of the field where a slant pass is likely to be completed. The drag pulls linebackers down and out of the way as well, creating a perfect window for the slant in between. Tyreek Hill thinks about slants differently than most receivers. He counts his steps, usually three to five depending on the coverage, and focuses on stepping on the defender's toes, meaning he stems his route directly at the defender before breaking inside. He also keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage longer than most, preventing defenders from reading his break early. Defenses try neutralizing slants by lining up the defender closer to the middle of the field instead of directly in front of the receiver. This is called inside leverage and makes it more difficult for the receiver to remain in front of the defender when slanting and makes it harder to create separation. Defenses might also use trap techniques where corners bait the throw then jump the route or linebackers help underneath.
Comeback route. The comeback is an 18 to 20 yardd vertical route before the receiver plants hard and breaks back toward the sideline at 45°. Fast receivers force corners to respect the deep ball, which often creates enough space for an easy completion when the receiver quickly plants and turns around, leaving no time for the defender to recover and close the gap. However, this requires exceptional footwork and route running skill from the receiver. Plus, nearly perfect timing from the quarterback who must release the ball before the receiver starts his break. Otherwise, the defender will have time to close the gap or the receiver will run out of room on the sideline. Comebacks work best when paired with a deep corner route because the deep defender will have to protect deep against the corner route, leaving the cornerback to deal with the comeback route one-on-one, which is a difficult task. Without the corner route, the cornerback could pass off the comeback route because it appears the receiver is running deep, which the safety is now responsible for covering because there are no other deep routes. But when the receiver turns around for the comeback, the corner is sitting there in the curl zone in good position to defend. Elite comeback runners practice framing the catch by positioning their body between the defender and the ball. For example, if the defender is on the inside, then the receiver will turn his shoulders to face the sideline, making it more difficult for the defender to make a play on the ball if he's able to react to the comeback. The quarterback is also expected to throw the ball high, so the receiver catches it at its highest point. This prevents the trailing defender from undercutting the route and potentially intercepting a low throw. Defenses counter comebacks with press bail techniques where they jam the receiver at the line of scrimmage to throw off the timing between the receiver and quarterback. They might also use late rotating safeties who undercut the route or have another defender protect the curl zone we talked about earlier.
Curl route. The curl, also called a hook or button hook, features a 12 to 15 yard vertical stem before the receiver plants and turns back toward the quarterback, essentially curling back to find soft spots in coverage. It's like the comeback route, but the curl happens towards the center of the field instead of towards the sideline. This route excels between zones. The space between underneath defenders, usually linebackers, and deep defenders, safeties, and cornerbacks, where no one has clear responsibility. Curls work well with a deep post route on the same side of the field. This creates a high low read where the safety must choose between helping deep or jumping the curl. If the receiver makes the defender believe he's running a go route, the defender will stop backpedaling and turn his hips up field so he's able to keep up with the receivers's speed. This is the perfect moment for the receiver to execute the curl and create massive separation. Defenses attack curls by using a robber safety whose responsibility is to start the play towards the back but then jump forward into a shallower zone often in between zones where they expect offenses to exploit a weakness creating an interception opportunity.
Hitch route. The hitch is a shorter version of the curl at just 5 to seven yards where the receiver drives vertically before planting hard and turning straight back to the quarterback. Unlike the curls 45° break, the hitch is a sharp 180° turn. The key difference, hitches are quick game routes designed to beat off coverage, which is when the defender stands seven or more yards from the line of scrimmage. Hitches destroy this off coverage by exploiting the cushion. The receiver catches the ball before the defender can close the distance. Elite receivers count the defender's steps during the stem. Use a slight head nod upfield before breaking and catch with their body between the defender and ball. Defenses counter with press coverage to disrupt timing. Or use a technique called pattern matching where corners initially play zone coverage but then transition to man coverage when a receiver enters their zone and becomes their responsibility. Essentially, the defender sticks close to the receiver and takes away the separation advantage that hitch routes try to exploit.
Out route. The out route, also called down and out or jet route, features a vertical stem of 10 to 15 yards before a sharp 90° break toward the sideline, requiring precise footwork from the receiver and arm strength from quarterbacks. This route is especially dangerous for defenders using inside leverage, anticipating slants or other routes across the middle of the field because the receiver can get separation more easily since the defender is positioned on the opposite side from where the receiver cuts to. This also gives the quarterback a safe throwing window along the sideline, which is particularly effective in two-minute situations when teams need to stop the clock. Out routes work well paired with corner routes. This puts the corner back in conflict. Stay low for the out or drop deep for the corner. Top out route runners use the speed cut technique where they minimize deceleration by using short choppy steps before the break, dropping their center of gravity, planting their inside foot, and making an explosive cut to the outside. NFL quarterbacks throw with anticipation, meaning they release the ball before the receiver makes his cut. Effective out routes require lots of practice, chemistry, and timing between the two players. Out route receivers also practice toeteet tap catches knowing they'll be near the sideline when they get the ball. Defenses limit outs by using outside leverage man coverage or cover two with corners sitting in the flats.
Dig route. The dig route is a 12 to 18yd route breaking at 90° towards the middle of the field attacking the intermediate middle areas. This route creates explosive plays by finding holes in zone coverage between linebackers and safeties and winning through separation against man coverage. Digs become unstoppable when paired with deep posts and shallow drags. This creates a three-level horizontal stretch, forcing defenders to cover routes at different depths. Defenses counter with Tampa 2 coverage, which as we learned in a previous video, is a variant of cover two, where a linebacker plays an intermediate to deep zone in the middle to protect against the big vulnerability that cover two typically causes. Defenses might also use a buzz or robber technique where safeties jump the route. Many interceptions happen because of these robber coverages, because the quarterback initially thinks the defender is playing a deep coverage before jumping forward.
Drag route. The drag is a shallow crossing route at just one to three yards depth that goes across the entire field. Unlike the diggs deep break, drags stay underneath the linebackers. The key difference is that drags are underneath routes designed to stress zone coverage horizontally and create yards after the catch opportunities, while digs are intermediate routes that attack over the middle at depth and often lead to possession catches where the receiver is immediately tackled without many yards after the catch. The reason drag routes have yards after catch potential is because the receiver doesn't need to slow down to make cuts and is running at full speed. The route works by navigating through traffic, finding soft spots in coverage, and accelerating after the catch for big gains. In zone coverage, defenders are responsible for protecting a certain area of the field and will pass off a receiver exiting their zone to another defender who's protecting the next zone. A well-timed pass can lead to an easy completion when the drag receiver is passing between zones. Smart receivers will adjust the way they run drag routes based on the defensive coverage. Against man coverage, it's beneficial to continue running horizontally with speed to create separation from the single defender responsible for covering you. Against zone coverage, you might see somebody like Travis Kelce stop running and sit in between zones where there are no defenders. This is why you'll hear commentators say something like finding a soft spot. When the quarterback has no passing options and begins scrambling towards the sideline, receivers and defenders will often start to improvise routes and simply find a way to get open to give the quarterback an option. Kelsey's excellent spatial awareness allows him to quickly observe the field and move into a soft spot where Mahomes can find him for a seemingly wide open completion. Defenses limit drags by creating traffic with physical linebackers, lining up in press coverage, and using inside leverage to make the route more difficult to run.
Corner route. The corner route combines a vertical stem for 10 to 12 yards with a 45° break towards the corner of the field to the sideline. Corner routes excel in smash concepts where another receiver runs a hitch route or when combined with dig routes and what's called a dagger concept. This is because both concepts force the deep defender to make a decision of which receiver to defend. The corner route is usually defended because it's the deeper of the two routes. Therefore, it acts as kind of a distraction route to allow the hitch or dig route underneath to be completed. Cloud coverage is one way the defense might neutralize these concepts. It works because instead of playing a deep third coverage, the cornerback sits in either a flat or curl zone to protect against the hitch. And the linebacker no longer has to cover along the flat and can sit in the seam where the dig route would normally be open. This creates a vulnerability on the other side of the field, though, because there is no longer anyone covering the flat or curl zones.
Post route. The post route features a vertical stem of 8 to 12 yards before breaking at 20 to 45 degrees toward the goalpost, hence the name attacking the deep middle. This route creates explosive plays by threatening the deepest part of the defense while giving quarterbacks clear throwing lanes over linebackers. Posts can be lethal against cover two or cover three when combined with other deep routes because it forces the safeties to cover the entire width of the field. For example, in cover two, a play like this with two deep go routes or corner routes would likely force the safeties to split and protect deep here, which would create an open spot deep down the middle for the post route. Posts also excel in dagger concepts when paired with a dig route underneath. This creates a vertical stretch where the safety must choose between covering the deep post or jumping the intermediate dig, leaving one wide open. Defenses counter with variations of cover three to protect the deep middle and with deeper intermediate zone coverage to protect against passes over the middle. Of course, allocating more resources here means that other parts of the field are less defended and easier to attack, such as the flat zones and short routes across the middle. Not to mention better opportunities to run the ball if the defense exchanges linemen or linebackers for extra cornerbacks.
Go route. The go route, also called vertical fly or streak, is pure speed, a straight path to the end zone designed to threaten defenses deep or clear space for underneath routes. Go routes become deadly when paired with underneath hitches or slants. This vertical stretch forces safeties to respect the deep threat, opening windows below. In fact, most go routes are added to plays for the sole purpose of forcing defenders to play deep and opening up space underneath. The obvious touchdown threat of a completed Gor route force's defenses to prioritize deep coverage and be willing to give up shorter completions instead. As a result, the go route might not even be the quarterback's first, second, or third option as he goes through his passing progression. It's a strategic piece of play designed to create opportunities elsewhere. This is also why you sometimes see replays where a quarterback fails to see a wide openen receiver downfield for a seemingly easy touchdown. He was not expecting the go route to be open and used his limited time post snap to read the play elsewhere on the field. Of course, miscommunications or blown coverages occasionally happen and lead to highlight reel touchdowns that make fantasy football teams happy. Defenses counter by adding extra safety help deep so there's a backup in case a coverage is blown. The other thing to remember is that deep throws take longer to reach the receiver, giving defenders extra time to react and run.
Wheel route. The wheel starts like a flat route before turning vertical up the sideline, creating a delayed vertical threat that catches defenses offguard. Running backs and slots run this to exploit linebackers who bite on the initial horizontal movement, thinking it's just a checkown. Great wheel runners like McAffrey sell the flat by looking back for the ball, then accelerate vertically once they've cleared the underneath defender.
Seam route. The seam is a route against zone coverage where the receiver runs along the edges of two defenders zone responsibilities. It's effective because it might cause defenders to hesitate or fall out of position because they're unsure who is responsible for covering the route. But even without this hesitation, there's often small windows of opportunity between zones where an accurate and well-timed pass can be completed. The most common seam you'll hear about is in the intermediate area between the deep zones in cover 3. It's an awkward area for deep defenders to defend because they risk giving up a much deeper completion. And it's often deeper than most linebackers tend to cover. It's a sweet spot that smart QBs can exploit if they correctly read the cover three coverage and are prepared with the right play call. Defenses can protect against this in a few ways. First, when the outside cornerback is moving backwards into his deep third position, he can cheat towards the center on his way back, which closes the passing window and makes the quarterback second guess whether or not the seam is actually open. The defense might also have a linebacker play his zone coverage a little deeper than he normally would. This requires the coordinator to anticipate this coming in order for it to be draw into the play. This makes them vulnerable to short routes like a slant or hitch. The free safety might also make a quick read post snap and jump down to the seam that the offense is trying to attack.
Option route. The option route gives receivers freedom to break in different directions based on the coverage. They might cut in, out, or sit still in an open void. This, of course, requires perfect quarterback receiver chemistry in order for the pass to be delivered quickly and accurately. Both must see the same thing or it's an interception waiting to happen. Quarterbacks and receivers that have played with each other for many years are more likely to make the same read and execute option play successfully.
Stop and go. The stop and go is a fake curl or hitch route followed by a vertical route using deception to beat aggressive defenders. The reason this works is because interception hungry defenders might anticipate a hitch route and attempt to jump in front of the pass for a game-breaking pick. This could be due to the offense having successfully run several hitch routes previously in the game or because the defender knows from film study that the receiver often runs hitch routes when in a specific formation. It's the ultimate chess match route that takes advantage of an eager defender. Receivers must sell the initial stop convincingly enough to get the defender to bite before exploding deep. The quarterback can sell the fake hitch, too, by giving a pump fake.
Now that you understand each individual route, watch this video to learn the genius strategy of combining multiple route combinations together into coordinated attacks that put defenders in impossible situations.