An audible is when a team changes their play at the last minute. When a team makes an audible they are changing their play mid way through the game. Audibles are used to change the play or even change the personnel on the field. Many times the quarterback or receivers are the ones who make the audible. Other times it can be the offensive or defensive coordinator and more!

What is an Audible in American Football?

Although the game is a fast paced and dangerous affair, it is not a “live football game” as it is not being played on the football field. It is being played on a television screen in a stadium or in front of a crowd of fans. When the final play is called, the coach removes his headset to give his attention to the next play.

In sports like football, the quarterback calls the plays, but the receivers and running backs can make changes, or adjustments, to the play before the snap of the ball. These changes are called audibles. They’re made after the huddle and before the play.

As long as the ball is placed by the center on the one yard line, the offense can make adjustments on the field as well as the defensive players can adjust outside the field of play.

How Do Offensive Audibles Work in Football?

The offense must set before the snap. If they don’t settle in their positions, they may get a false start penalty. The only time the offense can have a player moving before the snap is if it’s a wide receiver or tight end moving parallel to the line of scrimmage as part of a motion play, or if the player is being used by the defense as a decoy.

After reviewing the formation, the play caller will adjust the play to fit the situation. If the defense is lined up in a blitz formation, the play may be changed to the slot formation to prevent a pass interference call. If the defense is in a wide 9 formation, the play call may be changed to a quick toss to a tight end in motion. The line of scrimmage determines which player is assigned to the quarterback. If the formation has multiple tight ends, they will all take turns serving as the quarterback’s protection.

How Do Defensive Audibles Work in Football?

This, however, becomes more complicated in the 3-4 defense, where the defensive end, or 3-technique, can be used as a spy, or a defensive captain. They often have a radio in their helmet, directly connected to the defensive coordinator, and they can relay their actions to other members of the defense.

If the offense audibles to an audible it often gives the defense an opportunity to adjust their line up and play-calling.
You can also make changes during the play like the defense audibilizing to blitz or not blitz or the offense changing a play call.

What Do NFL Quarterbacks Say Before the Snap?

NFL quarterbacks often change plays to make it appear like they were called a specific play and not a running play. Sometimes, the quarterback will change the play to make their receivers believe a certain route will be called and then the quarterback runs to the same route.

In the NFL, a quarterback can change the play that is called before the snap, sometimes to make it appear like the team was going to run a specific play and, in reality, the quarterback had a different call in mind.

 The play originated in the 1990s and became commonplace in NFL broadcasts starting as early as 2006. In October of that year, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden made it famous during an interview with NFL Films. The play is named after the place the ball was snapped; the center is supposed to snap the ball between the guards, but a lineman typically drops between the guards to get under the ball. That allows the quarterback to throw without picking up the ball from behind the center.

Another name for this is the “Crazy-Ass Call,” with the term originating from former NFL wide receiver Chris Cooley. Players and coaches have made a lot of crazy calls on the field, including “Bam Bam” for the New York Giants’s Eli Manning during the fourth quarter of the game against the Atlanta Falcons on November 2, 2003.

How can you tell if a Quarterback is Calling an Audible?

The best way to see what’s happening at the line of scrimmage is to study the formation. The defense will give a different look to the offense each time and the offensive line will give the defense a new look as well. Sometimes the play-caller will mix in the formation to change the look of the defense.

After the NFL decided in 2001 that quarterbacks could not audible at the line of scrimmage to make players eligible, the league added a rule prohibiting the audible after the snap. That made quarterbacks more conservative in their choices, though teams still often have plays that work without a quarterback audible and use that as a way to get the playbook down quickly and be ready to play while knowing what the defense is doing.

Conclusion About Audibles in American Football

The audible can be any change in the formation at any time, for any reason. This allows the offense to change the formation, call a special play, or run the ball or pass it based on what the defense is showing. If you are the quarterback, you have to be careful when you call an audible for the offense, because some rules state that you can only take five plays off during a drive.