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Brett from Knoxville sent the following question:
What would you call a fade in a play name, and what number could you give it on the passing tree?
Hi Brett,
The fade route is really a variation of the up route (9) that is featured mostly in the opponent's red area (25 yard line in). Because of the lack of depth to the field in this area, many teams teach their wide receivers to automatically change an up to a fade without any special designation in the play call.
With the ball on your opponent's15 yard line, the call in your huddle might be "989 Max". Both wide receivers would automatically know to run a fade, and the tight end would run a Post route (8) into the center of the goal post with both backs staying in to block (Max), giving the quarterback maximum protection and time to throw the ball.
If you felt that this was too much of a challenge for the wide receivers or the quarterback, you could also call the play by saying "989 Double Fade Max" and take away any doubt about what routes the wide receivers are going to run. This would be my first choice, as it removes any doubt as to the route to be run and eliminates one of those "well I thought" statements that you often hear as a coach.
Remember to caution your receivers that a fade is a destination pass, where the ball should arrive in the corner of the end zone. This causes the receiver to always keep enough space between his path and the sideline that will allow him to separate from the coverage to make the reception.
As opposed to a corner pattern where the receiver will be running full speed to the corner of the field and the ball will come over his shoulder, the receiver on a fade will be turned back to the quarterback a majority of the time and be thinking going up rather than straight ahead.
Having a receiver with height or a great vertical jump is a tremendous advantage when you are designating the player to receive a fade route in the end zone.
Try to keep the fade route for your opponent's end of the field and teach the up route - either inside or outside - for out in the rest of the playing field.
Coach Tom Bass
Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football, is a 30-year NFL coach who has also authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" - the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found at http://www.coachbass.com/.