Hand-off

This article is about the American football concept. For other uses, see Handoff (disambiguation).

In American football, a handoff is the act of handing the ball directly from one player to another, i. e. without it leaving the first player's hands.^[1] Most rushing plays on offense begin with a handoff from the quarterback to another running back. The biggest risk with any hand-off is the chance of fumble on the exchange.^[2] A hand-off can occur in any direction. Sometimes called a "switch" in touch football. Alternately spelled without the hyphen; i.e., "handoff".

Running back Chris Johnson of the East Carolina Pirates (#5) receiving the handoff and rushing the ball during the 2007 Hawaii Bowl

References

1. "The Quarterback's Stance, Drop Back, and Hand Off". dummies.com.
2. Schaeffer, Jeffrey W. (2003). Football the Basics: Strategies and Techniques. ISBN 9781412005128.