Option Route

An option route lets the receiver decide his break post-snap based on the defender's leverage. If the defender plays inside, the receiver breaks out. If the defender plays outside, the receiver breaks in. If the defender sits, the receiver settles. The receiver and QB are reading the same defender, and they have to arrive at the same answer in two counts.

It's the trust route. There's no pre-determined break, so the QB and receiver have to be on the same page or the throw is an interception. Air Raid offenses (Holgorsen, Leach, Kingsbury) built option routes into nearly every concept because they trade rep volume for completion percentage.

Where option routes shine is third down. The defender's leverage tells the receiver where the soft spot is, and the throw goes into the spot the defender just vacated. The risk is timing — late breaks turn into broken routes, and broken routes turn into picks. Option routes are easy to install and very hard to master.