Coaches at just about every level will say how important it is to keep defenses guessing by having a complete, balanced offensive attack.
This can either mean being equally strong at both running and passing (higher levels of the game) -- or having multiple running attacks (more for youth levels).
There may come a time in a game, however, where the offense needs a big boost.
Maybe you need to give your team a jolt of energy, score some points quickly, or turn the field around to get out of a bad situation.
These are all times when a coach might call for a crazy trick play. Now, these trick plays are more than just simple misdirection plays like a draw play or the play-action pass...
Instead, they're full-blown deceptions designed to completely confuse every defender.
Trick plays aren't designed to gain a few yards or even convert a first down... these are meant to completely fool the defense to gain huge yardage and/or score a touchdown.
Here are 1 crazy trick plays for when your offense needs a jolt.
Play #1 - Hook and Ladder The Hook and Ladder is one of the oldest trick plays in the book.
It starts out looking like a typical short passing play, only to end as a complete misdirection toss to another player mid-stream.
While the rewards on this play can be great, the risks are relatively high, too, as it can be a little complicated to execute.
Overview + Setup: On this play, a wide receiver flanked out to the right or left side of the field will run a typical Hook route.
This involves him sprinting about 5-7 yards straight downfield before stopping and hooking back in toward the middle of the field.
The quarterback's job is to throw him an accurate pass.