Speed Cut vs Sink Cut: Two Ways Receivers Break Off a Route
Updated · Fact checked
Receivers break off routes in two basic ways. A speed cut keeps you running: you round through the break without chopping your feet, so you never really slow down. A sink cut stops you: you drop your hips, plant and come out in a new direction, the way you need to on a comeback or a hitch.
Neither one is better. The route decides. This drill runs both off the same stem so you learn to pick the right cut without thinking about it.
How to do it
Set the break point
Put a cone 5 to 10 yards upfield as the break point and a second cone to show the direction of the cut.
Speed cut reps
Sprint the stem, keep your stride the same, start the turn just before the cone and flatten back toward the passer without slowing down.
Sink cut reps
Sprint the same stem, then sink your hips over a few short steps, plant and snap out toward the second cone or back to the ball.
Alternate sides
Run both cuts breaking to each side, with the same stem every time so the defender couldn't tell them apart.
- Sets and reps
- 3 sets of 5 reps each side, 30 seconds rest.
- Equipment
- Cones to mark the stem and break point, Footballs and a passer (optional)
- Muscles and skills
- Quads, Glutes
- Used in these 440 plans
- Wide Receiver
Coaching cues and common mistakes
Coaching cues
- Speed cut: keep full strides and round through the break without chopping your feet
- Sink cut: 3-step stop, plant, snap out
- Pick the cut that fits the route
Common mistakes
- Throttling down early
- Rising on a sink cut
Why the speed cut exists
Defensive backs are coached to watch your feet at the top of the route. If you chop your steps and stick a foot in the ground, a good corner reads the break. On routes that don't need a full stop, like a post, the speed cut takes that tell away.
Keys to a good one: keep your stride length the same into the break, keep your speed, and keep looking like a vertical route until you turn. Because you can't cut at a sharp 90 degrees at full speed, start the turn a touch early, then flatten back toward the quarterback as soon as you can instead of letting your momentum carry you away from the throw. Keep full strides through the rounded break, then flatten toward the quarterback.
When to sink instead
Comebacks, curls and hitches ask you to stop and come back to the ball. That takes a sink: lower your hips and center of gravity so you can brake hard, then snap out. USA Football calls this a tight break: drop your weight, sink the hips and get in and out in three short, choppy steps. The mistake to watch for is rising up as you stop. Stay low through the plant and the first step out.
Practice both inside the route tree and you will feel which routes want which cut. The full plan, with the speed and strength work behind your breaks, is on the wide receiver training page.
FAQ
What is the difference between a speed cut and a sink cut?
A speed cut rounds through the break at full speed without chopping your feet. A sink cut drops the hips to stop and change direction sharply. Use speed cuts on full speed routes like posts and sink cuts on stopping routes like comebacks and hitches.
More wide receiver drills
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Build my position planSources
- Use 7on7 To Teach Receiver Speed Cuts (Charlie Coiner, Mar 20, 2022), FirstDown PlayBook
- Coaching the Wide Receiver - The Tight Break (Drew Lieberman, 3/1/2019; live page returned HTTP 504 on 2026-10-07, so this links the Wayback Machine capture of 2025-08-30), USA Football (via Internet Archive)
- ITP Glossary: Sinking the Hips (Jul 3, 2018), The Scouting Academy / Inside The Pylon
- NFL 101: Breaking Down the Basics of the Route Tree (Matt Bowen, Apr 4, 2014), Bleacher Report
Program numbers (benchmarks, sets, reps, loads, protein targets) are 440 Football's own prescriptions. For athletes 13 and older; check with a physician or a registered dietitian before major training or diet changes.