The hook and lateral is a trick play in American, Canadian football and indoor American football, often colloquially called the hook and ladder play. Although the latter term is often used generically, a “hook and ladder” route specifically identifies a hook-and-lateral to a receiver on a “ladder” route. Thus a slant, cross, or other pattern collecting a lateral from a stop (or hook) route is not truly a “hook and ladder;” nonetheless, the phrase has long been used in the vernacular to describe any hook and lateral. The "hook and lateral" starts with the hook, which is where a wide receiver runs a predetermined distance, usually 10 yards down the field, and along the sideline, and "hooks in" towards the center of the field to receive a forward pass from the quarterback. Another offensive player (usually another wide receiver) times a run so that he is at full speed, just behind the player with the ball at the time of the catch. As the defenders close in on the stationary ball carrier, he laterals or hands the ball to the teammate running at full speed in the opposite direction of the original receiver. If unanticipated, this play puts defenders out of position, running in the wrong direction. If the second receiver catches the lateral in stride, he can be long gone before defenders can react. However, the offense runs a high risk of turning the ball over if it is not handled properly because, unlike a forward pass, a dropped lateral pass results in a live ball. The hook and lateral is one of two common desperation strategies a trailing team can use at the end of a game, the other being the Hail Mary pass. It has the advantage in that it can be attempted anywhere on the field, whereas the Hail Mary can generally only be attempted at a point on the field where the quarterback's throwing arm is strong enough to reach the end zone with a forward pass. Examples The Miami Dolphins executed a successful "87 Circle Curl Lateral" play at the end of the first half of their AFC playoff game against the San Diego Chargers on January 2, 1982. Wide receiver Duriel Harris caught a 20-yard pass from quarterback Don Strock and then lateraled it to running back Tony Nathan, who ran 25 yards for the score. The play gave the Dolphins huge momentum