What it is

The run and shoot is a passing offense in which receivers choose their routes based on how the defenders play them. It usually has four receivers and one running back.

In a game

Each receiver reads the coverage and adjusts: against a defender playing close, he runs one route, against one playing off, another. The quarterback reads the same clues and throws to the player who has adjusted.

More detail

The system needs smart, well-trained receivers and a quarterback who can read quickly. It was popular at several levels in the 1980s and 1990s, and its influence is visible in today’s spread passing games.