BOL Round Table

Ladder

Hook and lateral is technically correct, ladder has a following because of fire trucks.

There is no agreed upon answer.

Ladderal

The "hook and lateral" is sometimes referred to as a "hook and ladder", which is a topic of considerable debate among football fans and analysts. Although the terms are used interchangeably by some, others believe this is not technically accurate. "Hook and lateral" may actually be a newer, more descriptive term for the play. However, since it is so commonly referred to as the "hook and ladder", perhaps this is actually an equally correct term for the play. Indeed, many argue that it is the correct term for the play, in as much as the play when diagrammed resembles a hook-and-ladder firetruck turning a corner.

Anyone that thinks it's hook & lateral didn't play HS ball in the South over the last 40 years. Seriously, please let me hear one guy respond that has actually run the play themselves that referred to it as a hook & lateral? I'll be waiting, ha ;-)

Ladder may have become the colloquial but hook and lateral makes more sense as that is how the play is typically run. Wr runs a hook route , catches then laterals.
Maybe "ladder" is said more but that makes zero sense

Figured this is how it would go

Only Communists say hook & lateral, ha. Football purists say hook & ladder. J/k Cosmo, to each his own but my point was I think if we polled BOL users who played ball the majority would say their coaches & teammates referred to the play as a "hook & ladder". Now, someone call Finebaum & ask him to poll callers b/c this must be settled once & for all. I agree to refer to it as lateral if the majority says so. What about you Cosmo? You willing to come over to the ladder side if majority rules?

I just always figured that it evolved to "later" (said "ladder") as a short/easier word for "lateral"

You are turning yourself into a laughing stalk by asking the question. The correct term is hook and bladder. Ask any Tom, Dick or Hairy.