---
slug: post
title: Post
depth_tier: entry
side: OFFENSE
category: Pass Game
source_id: "OFF-0036"
created: 2026-04-06
updated: 2026-04-19
canonical: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/post
---
# Post

## Short Definition

A deep vertical route where the receiver runs straight upfield, then breaks at a 45-degree angle toward the center of the field.

## Definition

The post attacks the void behind a safety who is cheating toward the boundary or playing Cover 2 responsibilities. The receiver runs straight upfield to gain depth against the corner, then breaks inside toward the goalpost at 45 degrees, angling into the space between the cornerback and the safety.

Against Cover 2, both safeties have deep half responsibilities. The post attacks the inside shoulder of either safety—if the safety stays centered, the receiver angles to the inside hash; if the safety expands toward the boundary, the post runs straight to the middle of the field where neither safety can cover it.

Against single-high coverage, the post attacks directly behind the safety—the one deep defender who has to cover the entire middle of the field. If the receiver can get inside the safety's leverage, the window opens underneath him.

The post pairs naturally with a corner route on the opposite side. As the post pulls the safety inside, the corner route attacks the deep outside zone the safety vacated. Post-corner is one of the foundational two-receiver combinations in football.

## Example

"Single-high safety is playing top of the numbers. The receiver runs the post, gets inside his leverage, and the safety can't close before the ball arrives. That's the post beating single-high coverage."

## Common Confusion

Post and skinny post are different routes. A standard post breaks at 45 degrees toward the middle hash. A skinny post is a more vertical route that barely bends inside—it goes more straight upfield and attacks the safety's inside shoulder rather than the open middle. The skinny post is typically used against Cover 2 with two high safeties.

## Related

- Flat Route
- Go / Fly / Vertical
- Hitch
- In / Dig
- Route Tree
- route-concept

---
Source: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/post