Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 21, 2026

Drop-back pass

A drop-back pass or dropping back to pass is a passing style employed in gridiron football in which the quarterback initially takes a three-step drop, backpedaling into the pocket to make a pass. It is the most common way of passing the ball in gridiron football. Kinds include a three-step drop, a five-step drop, and a seven-step drop.

Last revised
Jun 21, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
118 w
Citations
4
Source
Wikipedia ↗
A quarterback at practice, dropping back to pass. source ↗

A drop-back pass or dropping back to pass is a passing style employed in gridiron football in which the quarterback initially takes a three-step drop, backpedaling into the pocket to make a pass.1 It is the most common way of passing the ball in gridiron football.2 Kinds include a three-step drop, a five-step drop, and a seven-step drop.34

References

References

  1. "The Quarterback's Stance, Drop Back, and Hand Off - dummies".
  2. Wilkinson, Bud (1 July 1993). Football: Winning Offense. Sports Illustrated. ISBN 9781461733256 – via Google Books.
  3. Colby, Greg (1 January 2013). Football: Steps to Success. Human Kinetics. ISBN 9781450411707 – via Google Books.
  4. "Controlling the Ball With the Pass".