Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 10, 2026

Hand-off

In gridiron 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. 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. A hand-off can occur in any direction. It is sometimes called a "switch" in touch football, and alternately spelled without the hyphen; i.e., "handoff".

Last revised
Jun 10, 2026
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Wikipedia ↗
Running back Chris Johnson of the East Carolina Pirates (#5) receiving the handoff and rushing the ball during the 2007 Hawaii Bowl source ↗

In gridiron 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. It is sometimes called a "switch" in touch football, and alternately spelled without the hyphen; i.e., "handoff".

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