Abstract: Based on geological conditions in Zhenchengdi Mine, through the analysis of stress laws for end top-coal under the conditions of traditional roadway layout and the roadway layout of stagger arrangement, it is thought that end top-coal in the working face is in the abutment pressure peak value area under the condition of the roadway layout of stagger arrangement. At the same time, a free surface is created because the end top-coal and the prior sector goaf are linked together, which is conducive to the damage of the end head coal; combined with Mohr - coulomb strength criterion, the minimum principal stress in the end top-coal drops to 0 owing to the free surface and the maximum principal stress increases in the area of the peak stress, which changs the stress state of three-way in the end top-coal and accelerate the damage of coal; through the analysis by FLAC^3D numerical simulation on 8^# coal seam in Zhenchengdi Mine, it is thought that the simulation results are consistent with the theory. As a consequence, the conclusion that it is favorable for the end top-coal of working face to cave in technical conditions of the roadway layout of stagger arrangement is obtained.