Break point
What it is
The moment and spot at which a route changes direction — where separation is actually created.
Why it matters
Almost all separation in football is manufactured in the two steps before the break, not after it. The receiver sinks his hips, shortens his stride and gives the defender a reason to think the route is going somewhere else; the break itself is just the payoff. A receiver who rounds his break gives the defender time to close, which is why a sharp break at three-quarter speed usually beats a rounded one at full speed.
Also called
Programs call this break, sink and break, stick the foot in the ground or separation. The Coach answers to any of them.
Related
This entry is authored, not generated. It is one of 205 in the index that the AI-ssistant Coach retrieves from, and that Film Study tags clips against.