Something I posted on the test server in regards to Catch fake:
Originally posted by Staz
Why would you catch fake?: The reason you fake the catch (which shouldn't happen terribly often) is because your defender is covering you tightly, and you need to "distract" him to gain separation. If you're running a route with a lot of "straight", like a slant, streak, deep post, etc. then using a catch fake isn't going to do a whole lot of good. The only time you WOULD use a catch fake on something like that, is if the QB threw a deep, lofty pass. Then, in that situation, you'd slow down, do a "catch fake", get the defender to look back and try to locate the ball, and then you'd take off and try to get underneath the pass.
The best time for a catch fake, though, is when you're on a route with a move, and you catch fake right before you make the move. For example: You're running a post, and a yard or two before the break in your route, you slow up, look back at the QB and act as if you're expecting the pass. If the defender bites, he'll react to it (if he's covering you in man, he'll look back and try to locate the ball, if he's playing off in zone, he'll step up, anticipating the pass). That's when you make your move, and gain a bit of separation. If the defender is playing man, a one move route like that won't gain you a whole lot of separation. The defender isn't going to stop, he isn't going to cut his speed in half, but he'll most likely slow up a step or two (think 85% of whatever speed he was just at). That gives the receiver an extra yard or so of separation, enough space for the QB to hit him.
While one move routes are nice, double move routes are even better. Things like Chair routes, stop n go, post-corner, corner-post, wheel routes, etc. The great thing about these is you run your route, you make the first break, and the defender is slightly behind you (catching up from the break) or on your inside hip (if he's playing man). You go for the catch fake, defender looks into the back field to locate the pass, and then you make your second move. Most likely, it's in a completely different direction than your first, which leaves the defender behind, trying to figure out where you went and having to catch up.
No intelligent receiver is going to pull a catch fake on a route like a curl, where it just wouldn't fool anybody. That, and a defender is only going to fall for a catch fake a few times. I saw catch fakes firing every other play, it seems, and any smart defender is going to say "alright, nope, i'm not falling for it" after the first few times.
tl;dr version
Things that should change:
- Defenders slow down a little, not a lot when falling for a catch fake.
- Receivers slow down a little when ATTEMPTING a catch fake, but are quicker to accelerate than the defender since they don't have to "locate the pass", that's where the separation comes from
- Receiver catch fake when wanting to make the defender slow down and become "distracted". This is best on a deep, lofty pass that the WR feels he can get under (even if faking a catch), right before the break in a route, and best when done before the 2nd break in a route.
-Receivers don't catch fake on short, quick routes (Hook, curls, slants,), generally not on crossing routes (ins, outs)
-Defenders less likely to fall for catch fake if done multiple times
