Why do quarterbacks lift their leg before taking a snap?

Modified Jan 17, 2023 14:10 GMT

Buffalo Bills v Los Angeles Rams — Quarterback Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills prepares to snap the football during the first quarter of the NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California.

NFL quarterbacks have this thing where they lift their legs ever so slightly before a snap. This is done in seconds, so you might miss it if you don't pay attention.

Here, we will highlight why your favorite quarterbacks do this before most of their snaps.

Expand Tweet

Why do quarterbacks lift their legs?

Here are three reasons why quarterbacks lift their legs right before taking a snap.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

1. Cadence to snap the ball

This is the most obvious reason for the lifting, as every quarterback makes this pre-snap motion. The quarterback can lift his front foot and put it back on the field.

Looking between his legs, the center will notice the foot go up and down and snap the ball. The leg lift is a solid indicator for spread teams, especially when playing in a loud stadium. Try to pay attention to this motion when you next watch an NFL game; you will be astonished at its effectiveness.

2. Fake cadence

Another strategy involves a shot caller lifting his leg. The fake cadence is employed to distort the plans of defensive coordinators plotting to stop a high-powered offense.

The leg lift is typically a dummy or a "fake" cadence. It means that the quarterback is trying to fake the snap of the ball and force the defense to show their coverage.

For the quarterback to expose the defensive coverage, they must fake a snap count, let the defense disguise what they're in, and then make the proper adjustments.

A lot of elite quarterbacks are masters of the fake cadence. This is prevalent in older quarterbacks, including Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, and Matthew Stafford.

3. Sending a player in motion

Lastly, a quarterback could use the leg lift strategy to send a player in motion.

This particular strategy is typically the idea of an offensive coordinator and requires much planning. In this scenario, if the quarterback is under center or shotgun, they lift their leg to send a player in motion. It is a good idea to teach a quarterback all of the above. If done right, it could give an edge to the throwing team.