How to Train the Back Shoulder Throw

Learn how to train the back shoulder throw with a 4-stage QB progression. CJ Bennett breaks down placement, touch, timing, and common mistakes young QBs make.

I had a quarterback last summer who could spin it. Good arm, good feet, solid release. But every time a corner sat on the route at the sideline, he panicked. Threw it behind the receiver. Threw it out of bounds. Or just checked it down.

He did not have a back shoulder throw.

That one missing tool cost him completions every single game. And he is not alone. Most young quarterbacks never train this throw because they do not understand what makes it different from everything else they do.

The back shoulder throw is the most undercoached weapon in the passing game. When a QB learns it, he turns every covered route into a completable ball. When he does not, the defense takes away the outside and he is stuck.

What Is a Back Shoulder Throw?

A back shoulder throw is a ball placed intentionally behind and low to the receiver, landing at his back shoulder instead of in front of him. The receiver stops his route, turns back toward the quarterback, and catches the ball in a spot the defender cannot reach.

It is not an underthrow. It is not a mistake. It is a deliberate ball placement designed to beat tight coverage on the outside.

This throw works because the defensive back is trained to run with the receiver. When the ball goes to the back shoulder, the DB keeps carrying upfield while the receiver comes back to the ball. By the time the defender reacts, the catch is already made.

Key details that separate a back shoulder throw from a bad throw:

The ball is placed low and behind the receiver on purpose

The receiver knows it is coming before the snap

The QB throws to a spot, not to the receiver's current position

Timing is built on trust between the QB and the receiver

Why Is the Back Shoulder Throw So Hard to Learn?

Because everything else a quarterback is taught says "throw it in front of the receiver." Lead him. Let him run to the ball. Anticipate where he is going.

The back shoulder throw reverses that instinct. The quarterback has to throw behind the receiver on purpose. That feels wrong. And for young QBs who have spent years being corrected for underthrowing, it is a mental fight.

Three things make this throw difficult:

Ball placement has to be exact. Too far behind and the receiver cannot reach it. Too high and the DB has a play on the ball. The window is small.

The throw requires touch, not power. This is not a fastball. The QB needs to take velocity off and drop the ball into a tight space. That means changing arm speed, which most young QBs have not practiced.

It requires pre-snap communication. The QB and receiver must be on the same page. If the receiver does not know the back shoulder is coming, he keeps running and the ball hits the ground. Trust and timing are built in practice, not during the game.

How to Train the Back Shoulder Throw: A Step by Step Progression

I teach this throw in four stages. Each one builds on the last. Do not skip steps. The goal is clean reps, not fast reps.

Stage 1: Stationary Placement

Start with the receiver standing still at the sideline, 15 yards downfield. The QB works from under center or out of the gun.

The receiver stands with his back to the QB, looking downfield

On the command, the receiver turns back toward the QB

The QB places the ball at the receiver's back shoulder, low and away from the field side

Focus on a soft release. The ball should be catchable at the receiver's hip, not his face

Run 10 to 15 reps. The QB is learning the arm angle and the touch. Nothing else matters at this stage.

Stage 2: Walking Routes

The receiver runs the route at half speed. The quarterback reads the coverage indicator (a coach or cone standing in as the DB) and decides whether to throw the back shoulder or lead the receiver.

This is where the decision making begins. The QB is not just throwing a ball to a spot anymore. He is reading whether the coverage calls for a back shoulder or a standard throw.

Stage 3: Full Speed With a Passive Defender

Add a defensive back who runs with the receiver but does not make a play on the ball. The QB sees the coverage, identifies the back shoulder window, and delivers.

This stage builds confidence. The QB sees the throw work against a real body for the first time.

Stage 4: Live Reps

Full speed, DB playing to win. The QB reads coverage, communicates the back shoulder pre-snap, and executes. This is the final test. If the ball placement is right and the receiver knows it is coming, the throw is almost impossible to defend.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes QBs Make on the Back Shoulder Throw?

I see the same mistakes over and over. Every one of them is fixable.

Throwing too hard. This is the biggest one. The back shoulder throw is a touch throw. If the QB fires it, the receiver cannot adjust and the ball sails past. Take something off.

Placing the ball too high. A high back shoulder throw gives the DB a chance to make a play. Keep it low. Hip level or below. Make the receiver bend for it.

No pre-snap communication. If the receiver does not know it is coming, the throw is dead on arrival. A simple hand signal, a word, a look. Something that tells the receiver to expect the back shoulder.

Forcing it against off coverage. The back shoulder throw beats press and tight man coverage. If the DB is playing off and the receiver has room in front of him, throw the standard ball. The back shoulder is a tool, not a default.

Skipping the progression. QBs who try to throw this live without building the touch first will get frustrated. Follow the stages. Build the feel before you add pressure.

When Should a QB Use the Back Shoulder Throw in a Game?

The back shoulder is a situational weapon. It is not for every play. Know when to use it.

Best situations for a back shoulder throw:

The DB is in press coverage or tight man on the outside

The receiver has a size or body control advantage over the corner

Red zone, where the field shrinks and standard throws are contested

Fade routes along the sideline when the corner is running stride for stride

Late in a drive when the defense expects the QB to check down under pressure

Situations to avoid it:

Off coverage with space in front of the receiver

Zone coverage where a linebacker could undercut the throw

When the QB and receiver have not practiced the timing together

Why the Back Shoulder Throw Separates Good QBs From Great Ones

A quarterback who cannot throw to the back shoulder is limited. Defenses figure that out fast. They sit on routes, jump the outside, and dare the QB to beat them with placement instead of power.

A quarterback who owns the back shoulder throw has an answer. He can complete balls into tight windows. He can attack the sideline against the best corners. He can turn a covered receiver into an open one with ball placement alone.

That is the difference between a QB who makes throws and a QB who makes decisions. And decisions win games.

I have watched this throw change quarterbacks at every level. The kid I mentioned at the top of this post? He spent six weeks building the touch and the timing. By the fall, he was completing back shoulder throws in games without thinking about it. It became part of his game because he put in the reps.

That is how every advanced throw works. You train the feel. You build the trust with your receivers. And then you let the work show up on game day.

If your quarterback is ready to add this throw and train at a level that builds real game skills, apply for a QB Stable Academy evaluation. I will meet him where he is and build from there.