In 1974, and the National Football League moved the posts from the goal-line to the back of the so-called end-zone, the equivalent of the in-goal area in rugby. It added 10 yards to any goal-kicking attempt and conveniently stopped players from running into the posts, but it did not add more scoring to the game.
That was probably the last rule-change which favoured the defence. American Sport has a history of altering its rules in favour of the attack, and the NFL is no exception. It has changed its tackle rules to prevent hits with the helmet and demand a wrap with the arms, it has introduced rules to tighten the rules around the defensive holding of receivers, and yet more to protect the single most influential player on the field, the quarterback.
As a result, scoring per game is around eight points higher in 2025 than it was back in the good ol’ days of the 1970s. There is more scoring, more entertainment, more content for the sporting consumer.
Offensive coaches have used the extra space and time to embrace greater risk in their planning, and show more ‘looks’ to overload the reading capacity of defenders. It is often called ‘Misdirection’, and it is one of the most effective methods of attack. Risk has been embraced rather than rejected in the clutch moments.
As Washington Commanders’ head coach Ron Rivera observed before a crucial game against perennial rivals the Dallas Cowboys back in 2020,
“You can look at situations and say, ‘Man, if I get that situation, now is the time’. In certain situations, your gut says: ’Okay, we’ve got to get some momentum. We’ve got to do something that gets the momentum.”
“When your coordinators are in tune to what could potentially happen and you practice those plays, those are big. Kudos to the coaches for working on them all week, but also to the players for getting it and understanding those situations and circumstances could arise.”
What does a ‘Misdirection’ play look like?
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) February 10, 2026
The movement of one attacker over to the right drags three defenders to that side of the field, leaving the intended receiver in glorious scoring isolation on the left. There is a certain complexity of movement involved, but the reward outweighs the risk.
Rugby is following faithfully in Gridiron’s footsteps, and it has generated its own versions of misdirection. Most of them start with the actions of the number 9 at the base of a ruck or set-piece. The halfback, like the QB has become the great untouchable of rugby union:
— spinPass_ (@spinPass_) October 28, 2025
This is England scrum-half Alex Mitchell, in action for his club Northampton. Mitchell wants to establish a decoy to the left side of the field, so he sets his feet in that direction when he arrives at the second ruck in the sequence. Now look at the defender in the backfield: he has taken the bait and stayed on that side of the field. The twist in the tale is Mitchell passing back across his body to the right, leaving the backfield a couple of steps slow to defend the short kick-through to the line.
The Saints-man was at it again late on in England’s comprehensive win over Wales at Twickenham in the first round of the Six Nations:
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) February 10, 2026
On this occasion, the England pivot not only sets his feet to the left, he even raises an arm to signal a move back to the left-hand side! Then, a final bit of misdirection u-bends the ball back to the right and creates room for Tommy Freeman to make progress down the side-line.
The punch-line occurred in the second match of the round between Italy and Scotland, which featured a carbon copy of the Northampton try:
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) February 10, 2026
Two midfield drives from the lineout establish flow to the right, then Italy #9 looks back to the left, gesturing in the same direction for good measure. The artful moment of misdirection creates this snapshot of the Scotland backfield:
The Scottish backfield defender has agreed with the deception of #9 Alessandro Fusco at the base and moves left when the kick-through is designed to go right, into an empty space. The aces are all with the attack when defenders have to turn on a wet surface with no cover behind them.
Most of the recent changes in Rugby, like Gridiron, are designed to open up the game for the attack and generate more scoring potential. With the new rules governing the kick-chase, which mean the receiver can no longer be protected by a ‘cradle’ of defenders in front of him, the amount of turnover ball available from contestable kicks has increased. There was an average of 75 – yes, 75 – kicks in open play in the first round of the 2026 Six Nations.
Summary
The use of misdirection, dragging defenders in one direction and away from the true point-of-attack, is becoming more common as more offensive coaches are more willing to embrace risk. The scrum-half in rugby, just like the quarterback in American Football is now a protected species and plays can be created around his movement. Heavens know, soon they may even be moving the posts to the back of the in-goal area! Now wouldn’t that be something?
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