Bootleg play

After escaping the area behind the offensive line, the quarterback may either throw a pass downfield or run with the ball himself to gain yardage.

The play is typically used by teams with mobile quarterbacks, such as Steve Young,[1] Randall Cunningham and Russell Wilson.

These techniques, along with Vick's unusual athleticism, slowed down and isolated defenders and provided extra space and time for the quarterback to survey the field and/or run the ball.

[2] The bootleg and its variants have become more common in recent years as the rules have been changed to permit a quarterback to avoid a sack by throwing the ball away once they are outside the "tackle box".

The name comes from the fact that on a play action the quarterback often hides the ball from the defense by his thigh to make the run look more convincing.

The "Waggle" play from the Delaware Winged T offense, here shown from "Red" formation, is one type of bootleg. The quarterback fakes hand offs to both the halfback and fullback before rolling out with the protection of both guards . The quarterback then has the choice of passing or running the ball.