Flea flicker (American football)

Last updated July 31, 2019

A play diagram depicting a version of a flea flicker type play from an I-formation, fullback offset weakside. FleaFlicker.png — A play diagram depicting a version of a flea flicker type play from an I-formation, fullback offset weakside.

A flea flicker is an unorthodox play, often called a "trick play", in American football which is designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass.^[1] It can be considered an extreme variant of the play action pass and an extension of the halfback option play.

A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or simply trickeration, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a significant loss of yards or a turnover if not. Trick plays are rarely used not only because of the riskiness, but to also maintain the element of surprise for when they are used.

American football, referred to as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, which is the team controlling the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with or passing the ball, while the defense, which is the team without control of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and aims to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, and otherwise they turn over the football to the defense; if the offense succeeds in advancing ten yards or more, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins.

The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage.

Description

After the snap the quarterback hands off or laterals the football to a running back or another player on his team, who then runs towards or parallel to the line of scrimmage. Before the running back crosses the line of scrimmage, he laterals the football back to the quarterback, who looks to pass to an eligible receiver.^[2]^[3]

Quarterback position in gridiron football

The quarterback, colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually considered the leader of the offensive team, and is often responsible for calling the play in the huddle. The quarterback also touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and is the offensive player that almost always throws forward passes.

In American football and Canadian football, a lateral pass or lateral occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to a teammate in a direction parallel to or away from the opponents' goal line. A lateral pass is distinguished from a forward pass, in which the ball is thrown forward, towards the opposition's end zone. In a lateral pass the ball is not advanced, but unlike a forward pass a lateral may be attempted from anywhere on the field by any player to any player at any time.

Running back position in American and Canadian football

A running back (RB) is an American and Canadian football position, a member of the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block. There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback, a wingback or a fullback. A running back will sometimes be called a "feature back" if he is the team's starting running back.

The play is designed to draw defensive players into defending against the run, and away from defending the pass, leaving the quarterback free from any immediate pass rush, and leaving receivers potentially open to catch a pass as their covering defenders may have moved off the pass looking to tackle a ball carrier.

The flea flicker is an extremely high-risk play and it often results in a big gain, a turnover, or a big loss. One problem is that it takes a significant amount of time for the play to develop. During that time, the defense might get past the offensive line to tackle the running back before he can make the pitch to the quarterback, or sack the quarterback before he can throw the ball. There is also the risk that the running back could fumble if he is hit as he pitches the ball. Given these risks, the play is rarely used.

Origins

Illinois coach Bob Zuppke is credited with the play's invention.^[4]^[5]^[6] The flea flicker made its debut in Illinois' 1925 game against Penn as a fake field goal with Earl Britton, Red Grange, and Chuck Kassel; with Britton lining up as a kicker and Grange at holder, the former and threw to Kassel, who lateraled the ball to Grange. Grange would score a 20-yard touchdown on the play.^[7]

The Illinois Fighting Illini football program represents the University of Illinois in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Illinois has five national championships and 15 Big Ten championships.

The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Penn has played in 1,364 football games, the most of any school in any division. Penn plays its home games at historic Franklin Field, the oldest football stadium in the US. All Penn games are broadcast on WNTP or WFIL radio.

Earl Tanner Britton was a professional American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League. Born in Elgin, Illinois, he attended Elgin High School and played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

Notable examples

Flea flicker plays have been used in some key National Football League games, including the Super Bowl, leading to dramatic results:

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL's 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in the first Sunday in February, and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) where the champion of the National Football Conference (NFC) competes against the champion of the American Football Conference (AFC). The game is the culmination of a regular season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. Normally, Roman numerals are used to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held. For example, Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 regular season. The sole exception to this naming convention tradition occurred with Super Bowl 50, which was played on February 7, 2016, following the 2015 regular season, and the following year, the nomenclature returned to Roman numerals for Super Bowl LI, following the 2016 regular season. The upcoming Super Bowl is Super Bowl LIV, scheduled for February 2, 2020, following the 2019 regular season.

January 12, 1969: In Super Bowl III, just before halftime, the Baltimore Colts, trailing 7–0 to the New York Jets, tried a flea flicker, but despite the fact that Jimmy Orr was wide open near the end zone, Earl Morrall threw the ball to fullback Jerry Hill. Jets safety Jim Hudson ended up intercepting the pass. During a regular-season game against the Atlanta Falcons, Morrall used the same play and was able to find Orr for a touchdown.
January 30, 1983: In Super Bowl XVII, the Washington Redskins used a flea flicker to try to fool the Miami Dolphins to no avail. Mindful of the ruse, Miami defensive back Lyle Blackwood intercepted the pass. However, Washington coach Joe Gibbs later pointed out the play was not a total loss, as Blackwood was downed on his own 1-yard line. Washington ended up forcing Miami to punt from deep in their own territory and got the ball back with great field position, setting up a touchdown drive.
November 18, 1985: Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins infamously had his career come to an end on a nationally televised Monday Night Football game at the hands of New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. The play in question was a flea flicker attempt which failed to fool the Giants’ defense. When Taylor tackled Theismann, his entire weight came crashing down on Theismann, severely breaking his leg.^[8]
January 25, 1987: In Super Bowl XXI, the New York Giants successfully ran a flea flicker play against the Denver Broncos: Quarterback Phil Simms passed the ball to receiver Phil McConkey, who ran all the way to the Broncos 1-yard line before being tackled for a 44-yard gain. The Giants scored a touchdown on the next play.
January 3, 2009: During the NFC Wild Card, Kurt Warner successfully completed a flea flicker against the Atlanta Falcons with running back Edgerrin James and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Warner and the Arizona Cardinals were finding early success running the ball in the first quarter of the game, so Warner handed the ball off to James, who ran about 2 yards towards the line of scrimmage and then turned and pitched the football back 5 yards to Warner. The pitch was almost unseen as the safeties and linebackers had their views blocked by the defensive line, which was collapsing on the running play. The play ended with a 50-yard throw (42 yards officially from the original line of scrimmage) to Fitzgerald, who jumped backwards in the air while in double-coverage to make the catch in the front left corner of the endzone for the touchdown, which helped the Cardinals to take an early 7–0 lead in the game, and ultimately win their first playoff game in 10 years, and their first home playoff game in over 60 years.
January 18, 2009: In the NFC Championship, Kurt Warner successfully completed a flea flicker play against the Philadelphia Eagles with running back J.J. Arrington and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Warner passed to Arrington, who passed back to him. Warner then completed a 62-yard throw to Fitzgerald to complete the touchdown, which helped the Cardinals to increase their lead 14–3 and finish 32–25.
December 4, 2011: In the first game after acquiring quarterback Kyle Orton off waivers, Kansas City Chiefs starter Tyler Palko was benched due to ineffectiveness in the beginning of the second quarter in favor of Orton. The first play run for Orton was a designed flea-flicker, but strong safety Major Wright of the Chicago Bears struck Orton as he threw, causing the pass to fall incomplete and injuring Orton's finger, causing him to miss the remainder of the game. The Chiefs ended up winning 10–3.
January 21, 2017: The New England Patriots ran a flea flicker with 7:53 left in the 2nd quarter of the AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tom Brady handed the ball to running back Dion Lewis on what appeared to be a basic run on first-and-10. But as Lewis approached the line of scrimmage, he stopped and pitched the ball back to Brady, who scanned the field and found a wide-open Chris Hogan for a 34-yard touchdown strike to give the Patriots a 17–6 lead. The Patriots won the game 36–17 en route to their fifth Super Bowl championship.^[9]
January 21, 2018: The two conference championship games included three successful flea-flicker plays. First, in the American Football Conference championship, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles handed off to T.J. Yeldon, who tossed the ball back to Bortles. Bortles then passed to Allen Hurns for a 20-yard gain against the New England Patriots. Later in the fourth quarter, the Patriots retaliated with a flea-flicker pass from Tom Brady to Phillip Dorsett for 31 yards. Finally, in the National Football Conference championship, with the Philadelphia Eagles leading the Minnesota Vikings by 24-7, Eagles RB Corey Clement flicked the ball back to QB Nick Foles, who completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to WR Torrey Smith.^[10]^[11]

Super Bowl III was the third AFL–NFL Championship Game in professional American football, and the first to officially bear the trademark name "Super Bowl". The game, played on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in both American football history and in the recorded history of sports. The 18-point underdog American Football League (AFL) champion New York Jets defeated the National Football League (NFL) champion Baltimore Colts by a score of 16–7.

The New York Jets are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey. In a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the New York Giants. The franchise is legally and corporately registered as New York Jets, LLC.

Jimmy Orr is a former American Football wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons from 1958 to 1970. Orr was a two-time Pro Bowler, as a Steeler in 1959 and as a Colt in 1965. Orr was a popular player during his time in Baltimore and the corner of the end zone in Memorial Stadium where he caught many of his passes was often affectionately referred to as "Orrsville".

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References

↑ Hickoff, Steve (1 August 2008). The 50 Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Steelers Football History. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-63319-081-8 – via Google Books.
↑ Musiker, Liz Hartman (29 July 2008). The Smart Girl's Guide to Sports: An Essential Handbook for Women Who Don't Know a Slam Dunk from a Grand Slam. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-452-28950-5 – via Google Books.
↑ Palmatier, Robert Allen (1 January 1995). Speaking of Animals: A Dictionary of Animal Metaphors. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-29490-7 – via Google Books.
↑ Grasso, John (2013-06-13). Historical Dictionary of Football. ISBN 978-0-8108-7857-0.
↑ Howard Liss (1975-09-01). They changed the game: football's great coaches, players, and games. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-397-31628-1.
↑ McHugh, Roy (1 January 2008). Ruanaidh – The Story of Art Rooney and His Clan. Ruanaidh-Story of Art Rooney. ISBN 978-0-9814760-2-5 – via Google Books.
↑ Grange, Red; Morton, Ira (1953). The Red Grange Story: An Autobiography. University of Illinois Press. p. 75. ISBN 0252063295.
↑ Stone, Kevin (November 18, 2015). "Ten things you might not know about Joe Theismann's injury 30 years ago". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
↑ "VIDEO: Patriots score flea-flicker TD against Steelers in NFC (AFC) Championship Game". Business Insider. Business Insider. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
↑ Horner, Scott (Jan 21, 2018). "NFL playoffs: Teams go flea-flicker crazy in conference championship games". indystar.com. The Indianapolis Star . Retrieved 2018-01-22.
↑ Lyles Jr., Harry (Jan 21, 2018). "Championship Sunday blessed us with not one, not two, but THREE successful flea flickers". SB Nation . Retrieved 2018-01-22.

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[1] Hickoff, Steve (1 August 2008). The 50 Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Steelers Football History. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-63319-081-8 – via Google Books.

[2] Musiker, Liz Hartman (29 July 2008). The Smart Girl's Guide to Sports: An Essential Handbook for Women Who Don't Know a Slam Dunk from a Grand Slam. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-452-28950-5 – via Google Books.

[3] Palmatier, Robert Allen (1 January 1995). Speaking of Animals: A Dictionary of Animal Metaphors. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-29490-7 – via Google Books.

[4] Grasso, John (2013-06-13). Historical Dictionary of Football. ISBN 978-0-8108-7857-0.

[5] Howard Liss (1975-09-01). They changed the game: football's great coaches, players, and games. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-397-31628-1.

[6] McHugh, Roy (1 January 2008). Ruanaidh – The Story of Art Rooney and His Clan. Ruanaidh-Story of Art Rooney. ISBN 978-0-9814760-2-5 – via Google Books.

[7] Grange, Red; Morton, Ira (1953). The Red Grange Story: An Autobiography. University of Illinois Press. p. 75. ISBN 0252063295.

[8] Stone, Kevin (November 18, 2015). "Ten things you might not know about Joe Theismann's injury 30 years ago". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved July 30, 2019.

[9] "VIDEO: Patriots score flea-flicker TD against Steelers in NFC (AFC) Championship Game". Business Insider. Business Insider. Retrieved 30 July 2019.

[10] Horner, Scott (Jan 21, 2018). "NFL playoffs: Teams go flea-flicker crazy in conference championship games". indystar.com. The Indianapolis Star . Retrieved 2018-01-22.

[11] Lyles Jr., Harry (Jan 21, 2018). "Championship Sunday blessed us with not one, not two, but THREE successful flea flickers". SB Nation . Retrieved 2018-01-22.