The rule also states that there must be five players on both sides of the ball. Also known as the "ace" or "singleback" formation, the single set back formation consists of one running back lined up about five yards behind the quarterback. Brigham Young University also uses the spread offense, although they tend to employ their tight ends more frequently than Hawaii and Texas Tech. Kick return formations vary; in most situations, an association football-like formation is used, with eleven players staggered throughout the field including two (rarely, one) kick returners back to field deep kicks, two more twenty yards ahead of them to field squib kicks, two more at about midfield mainly to assist in blocking, and five players located the minimum ten yards from the kicking line. However, as with any hugely successful formation or philosophy, as teams learned how to defend against it, it became much less successful. The most common seven-man line defenses were the 7-2-2 defense and the 7-1-2-1 defense. With run-pass options, you have an almost limitless combination of triple option read styles. This formation sacrifices some size (of linemen) for speed (of linebackers), but coaches choosing to utilize this formation as their base defense typically choose larger players in the front 7 to make up for the shortage of size. Three common six man fronts seen in this more modern era are the tight six (linebackers over offensive ends, four linemen between linebackers), the wide tackle 6 (linebackers over offensive tackles, two linemen between linebackers) and the split 6 (linebackers over guard-center gap, all linemen outside linebackers).[39][40]. Shotgun Formation In the shotgun formation the quarterback stands several . While most offensive playbooks I have looked at were bloated with plays, very few have ever had too many formations. The Pistol can also feature the option play. In its earliest incarnation, it also used a loophole in the high school rulebook that allowed players wearing any uniform number to play at either an ineligible or eligible position, further increasing defensive confusion and allowing for more flexibility among players changing positions between plays. The first is the dive-backs assignment. In colleges, this defensive front has remained viable for a much longer period of time, because colleges, historically, have run a lot more than the NFL. Player Personnel: Now, what if you were told that many of the college offenses you see on TV today are also running the triple option? The 44 defense consists of four defensive linemen, four linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). . Run out of the shotgun, with WRs swinging in, this formation accentuates the talents of a new era of dual-threat QBs. It utilizes four wide receivers and no tight ends. If you were in shot gun, you were a mad scientist. Though first used as a base defense by the New York Giants in 1956, plenty of teams experimented with it during the 1950s, and thus there are multiple claimed inventors of this defense. The outside veer is pretty similar to the Split-T option play. Full Frame: Michael Phelps Goes Fishing. interior line and LBs for dive, DE for qb and OLB for pitch man or switch if its double dive. Others attribute the origins to Hugh Wyatt, a Double Wing coach (See Double Wing discussion below). Most field goals feature nine offensive linemen (seven on the line, both ends in the tight end position, with two extra slightly off the line of scrimmage), a place holder who kneels 7 or 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and a kicker. A kick returner will usually remain back in the event of an unexpected deep kick in this situation. On offense, the formation must include at least seven players on the line of scrimmage, including a center to start the play by snapping the ball. To increase the passing threats to the defense, he flexed the bone and put the halfbacks outside of the tackles, toward the line of scrimmage. However, this facet of the offense was never legal at the college or professional level, and the high school loophole was closed in 2009. The Seattle Seahawks under Mike Holmgren also favored this type of formation with the tight end usually being replaced with a third wide receiver. Inverted Wishbone offense 38 Sweep. http://yout. Now that defensive schemes have been designed to stop the "West Coast" offense, I . WhatIf's Dynasty College Football Sim - The Ultimate Fantasy Football Games - Coach your favorite college team - Recruit players, set game plans and dominate This is almost exclusively a passing formation used to spread the field, often to open up short inside routes or screen routes. It's similar to the triple option philosophy of the wishbone offense that dominated college football in 1970s and '80s with eight national championships combined by Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. . The 353 refers to a defense that has three down linemen (the "3" level), three linebackers and two corners (the "5" level), one free safety and 2 strong safeties (the "3" level). Developed by the Missouri Tigers at the start of the 40s, the offense spread throughout football, and became the offense of infamous Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson. Here are three diagrams of I-Formation, strong side right (that is, with the tight end lining up to the right, typical for a right-handed quarterback). A tackle-spread formation was included in the video game Madden NFL 18 under the name "Gun Monster;" it proved to be a problem for the game's artificial intelligence, which could not discern eligible receivers from ineligible ones. October 08, 2018. #coachinglife #coaching #youthfootball #playbooks #footballplays. Also a split-end can be used instead of just two tight-ends. An option play in most football terminology is a play designed to be a run, where whoever takes the snap is making a post-read decision on giving the ball to one of two players. They are still sometimes used in goal-line situations. 6. The wishbone requires the QB and RB to get to the corner in many of their bread and butter plays in order to force a DE to choose the QB or RB, and then have the QB or RB beat the corner back for large plays. The difference is that the two backs are split behind the quarterback instead of being lined up behind him. The dive back is going to charge hard forward while the QB opens, facing the right, reading the play-side DE. As such, its use has declined since 2009, particularly in the NFL. The fourth back is most commonly employed as an extra wide receiver. Even Front 14 23 ZONE from Multiple . DOUBLE WING OFFENSE PLAY CALLING The first part of the play call is the formation, we will primarily use TIGHT, OVER TIGHT, and LOOSE. You now have what is essentially a run-pass option. However, the Wing Back may also line up diagonally from the Tight End. This is also the offense that Paul Johnson used to build Georgia Southern into a I-AA powerhouse in the late 90s, and ever since then, Georgia Southern has gone back and forth between this system with changes in coaching staffs. Then you read the next defender outside for QB keep or pitch. It was created by Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, and evolved from Buddy Ryan's 46 defense. Even in his last year at Rice (2005) he was in it a good amount of time. With the shotgun formation, you get more horizontal misdirection but you lose a lot of the downhill angles for your run game and the ball being in front of the QB for a handoff means you can't hide it . Or Bob Davie at New Mexico? By the late 2010s, the pistol had become a favored formation of teams running the run-pass option (RPO) offense, such as the 2019 Baltimore Ravens with quarterback Lamar Jackson. With Markham's success came many converts to his offense and many variations of the offense over the years. At the same time, youre seeing what looks like these running plays actually turning into passing plays. There are no restrictions on the arrangement of defensive players, and, as such, the number of defensive players on the line of scrimmage varies by formation. Many modern football offenses can be traced back to Yale's T Formation, especially after Halas' Chicago Bears along with . What we do not talk about is any such thing called the "inverted Wishbone, triangles, Maryland Is, Power Is, and other bastardizations" of the most balanced . I do not consider my offense successful if I score a touchdown in one or two The called plays out of this action were halfback dive, QB keep, and halfback pitch. It is because of this that the secondary safety in a football defense is called a free safety rather than a weak safety. Atlanta Falcons Also called the "umbrella" defense or "3-deep". Instead of having four linemen and six linebackers (as the name may suggest), it is actually a 44 set using 43 personnel. To summarize a triple option, it is any play that features a designed run, with the intention of making a post-snap decision as to who gets the ball between three players. The linemen on the play side are going to block down (to their left). The formation is popular in high school football as well as smaller collegiate teams. This style was popularized by a coach named Tony Demeo when he coached at various sub-FBS/I-A programs. The second difference is the blocking technique. Like the wishbone, the flexbone formation is commonly used to run the triple option. Defense is based on two standard formations, the 6-2-3, and the 5-3-3. Shotgun. 3. In this formation, the normal tight-end is almost exclusively a blocker, while the H-back is primarily a pass receiver. Two unblocked defenders that are read by the QB, or a designated player, who will then determine if the ball will be handed off on the called run (option 1) or redistributed to one of two other players (options 2 and 3). Sometimes this is an outside linebacker. The most recent use of this formation was in 2019, when the Miami Dolphins played the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter on 4th and goal when Matt Haack (normally used as a punter or a placekick holder) took the snap and flicked the ball to Jason Sanders (normally used as a placekicker) for a touchdown. Some teams (like the Indianapolis Colts under Tony Dungy) use this formation with both tight ends on the line and use two flankers. This is the key to the offensive formation, as it means that there are technically three players in the backfield who can carry the ball on any given play. This is when you can take advantage and get to the outside as fast as you can with this 28 Sweep play. Using this new defense, the Giants defeated the Browns twice in 1950 during the regular season. The T formation, wishbone, and flexbone are the most popular football formations that use three . If the opposite team is a good passing team, outside linebackers are usually called on to defend slotbacks. The Flexbone offense will utilize three running backs in the backfield at all times. It consists of three defensive linemen, four linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). At Hawaii however, when Johnson was an assistant, they were looking to make their running game more effective. Formations with many defensive backs positioned far from the line of scrimmage are susceptible to running plays and short passes. The "eagle" in the formation's name comes from the late 1940s-early 1950s Philadelphia Eagles coached by Greasy Neale. Many variations are possible on both sides of the ball, depending on the strategy being employed. In obvious onside kick formations, more players are moved to the front of the formation, usually top wide receivers and other players who are good at recovering and catching loose balls; this formation is known as the "hands team". The QB and RB mesh, and the QB reads the backside defensive end for give or keep. In the NFL, this formation was the basis of the run and shoot offense that was popular in the 1980s with teams such as the Detroit Lions and the Houston Oilers but has since fallen out of favor as a primary offensive philosophy. It is often used as a pass formation, because of the extra wide receivers. Two tight ends line up on the same side as the flanker. The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in gridiron football mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. . There is also a variation of this defense called the 3-4 under defense. The Nickel defense originated as an innovation of Philadelphia Eagles defensive coach Jerry Williams in 1960 as a measure to defend star tight end Mike Ditka of the Chicago Bears. The T Formation is said to be the oldest football formation. The other 3 backs lined up on the same side of the QB in various arrangements. Currently 5/5 Stars. His playbook will provide the following for coaches wishing to see how the offense works: Formations and tags. The wishbone was developed in the 1960s by Emory Bellard, offensive coordinator at the University of Texas under head coach Darrell Royal. The number of upbacks and gunners can vary, and either position can be replaced by a tight end in a "max protect" situation. Schaughnessy moved Hirsch to the flanker position behind the right end. Developed at Muskegon High School (MI), pronounced Muh-ski-gun, head coach Tony Annesse made his own adaptations to Paul Johnsons offense, leading Muskegon to multiple state titles. These may employ either tight ends or split ends (wide receivers) or one of each. As the extra defensive back in the nickel formation is called the nickel, two nickels gives you a dime, hence the name of the formation. At New Mexico with Bob Davie, and at Georgia Southern (After Paul Johnson went to Navy), they maintained the full house/four-back offensive style the flexbone and wishbone. The T formation is the precursor to most modern formations in that it places the quarterback directly under center (in contrast to its main competitor of its day, the single wing, which had the quarterback receiving the ball on the fly). The WR1 lines up to the left and the WR2 lines up to the right. The QB backs up, out of the backs path to make the mesh/read. Top 5 flex/wingbone plays on the game IMO: Flexbone: Trips Left - TR Option Center. Sometimes this is a defensive end. It also means that there are more options for blockers as well as receivers . The 52 defense consists of five defensive linemen, two linebackers, and four defensive backs (two corners, two safeties). Jerry Valloton also marketed the offense well when he wrote the first book on the offense. Breaking numerous state records everywhere Markham coached (and even setting the national high school scoring record) the "Markham Rule" was put into place to keep his team from winning by too many points. The other players that are not on the line of scrimmage can either act as tight ends or wide receivers. Eight players on the receiving team must be lined up in the 15-yard "set up zone" measured from the receiving team's restraining line 10 yards from the ball. It appeared in the early thirties as a response to the improving passing offenses of the time, particularly the T formation. The wishbone offense was created by University of Texas assistant Emory Bellard in an attempt to revive the troubled Longhorns' offense. Paul Brown was such a meticulous coach that if you gave him something he'd never seen before, he became flustered. The Wishbone, Wing-T and Veer offenses of yesteryear were the golden age of the fullback. Art Craig, Timberland (SC) High School Head Coach and over a 4-year span (2008-11), Craig's teams have averaged 40 points a game running the Pistol Flexbone.. The common rule of blocking on the inside veer is that the first defensive player on (over) or outside of the play-side tackle is the dive read. The Run n Shoot is a very pass heavy, downfield, four wide receiver offense that developed in the 1960s, and for decades, was a major offensive threat in college and the NFL. (If the punting team is deep in its own territory, the 15-yard distance would have to be shortened by up to 5 yards to keep the punter in front of the end line.) As spread formations became the hip trend, and as the Air Raid began to make its rounds in college football, teams began looking for ways to apply triple option football, especially the zone-read triple option to the passing game. A modern example of the "pro-set" can be seen in the Florida State University offense, which favors a Split Backs formation. [13][14] In times when punting on second and third down was fairly common, teams would line up in the short punt formation and offer the dual threat of punt or pass. The "split T" spreads the offensive line out over almost twice as much ground compared to the conventional T formation. Defense consisting of seven (quarter) or eight (half dollar) defensive backs. The "Ski-Gun" The Ski-gun is a lesser known version of the flexbone option offense, but still has the inside veer at its core. However, the flexbone is considered more "flex"-ible than the wishbone because, since the wingbacks line up on the line of scrimmage, more run / pass options and variations are possible. Diagram and description of the Maryland I at. Following are some YouTube links with more insight on the Split-T offense: Developed in the 1960s, the Veer and Wishbone offenses feature what most think of when you hear the word triple option. The Veer and the Wishbones core play wasthe veer. ago. Immediately next to him, lined up behind the Guards, are the two blocking backs. [36][32][37][38] As the T formation grew popular in the 1940s, this formation was replaced in the NFL with the 5-3 and the 5-2 defenses. Army and Navy both currently run Paul Johnsons system, and Johnson also ran it at Georgia Tech. The "kneel" or "victory" formation was developed in the 1978 NFL season after The Miracle at the Meadowlands, a botched final play in a game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles that resulted in a fumble and a pivotal last-second score. As the offense evolved, the QB keep component began to add the addition of a read, where the QB would either keep the ball, or pitch it to the trailing halfback. To have a triple option play, regardless of the style of offense, you need these components: A called run play/scheme for the offensive line and a running-back. The Wing T has its roots in what Otto D. Unruh called the "T-Wing" formation and is known to have called the play as early as 1938 with the Bethel Threshers.[23]. This list is not exhaustive; there are hundreds of different ways to organize a team's players while still remaining within the "7 on the line 4 in the backfield" convention. [26], The Cincinnati Bengals under Marvin Lewis occasionally used a variant of the Emory and Henry formation, which they called the "Star Wars" formation; in their version, both offensive tackles line up on the same side of the quarterback, thus creating a hybrid between the Emory & Henry and the swinging gate.[27][28]. "It's part triple option, part Wishbone, part Veer an offense popularized by former Houston coach Bill Yeoman in the 1970s and part Pistol, the latter a newer entry into college football's offensive lexicon. On zone, the back is reading the blocks, and is making a read as to which direction to take the ball. He may come in motion for running plays. Wishbone: Wide - Triple Option. Kickoff formations are usually in a straight line, with ten players (nine if a placeholder is used on the kickoff) lined up across the field several yards behind the ball. The Pistol Offense is a more sophisticated offense for youth football teams than the Single Wing, Wishbone, Wing-T and or the I Formation. Again, even though this is a quick-hitting play, QBs and receivers must do their post-snap jobs. Theyre zone read systems that rely heavily on triple options. [43] The differences between the Oklahoma 5-2 and the 3-4 are largely semantics. Against two-receiver offensive sets, this formation is effective against the run and the pass. If the DE attacks the dive, the QB pulls. The Chicago Bears of the mid-1980s famously used defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry as a fullback in this formation. Attack. The two backs line up either in a line (hence the name of the formation since it looks like a letter I) or with the fullback "offset" to either side. He brought the philosophy with him to the Buffalo Bills in 2010. In Neale's defense, as in Shurmur's variation, the nose tackle could also drop into pass coverage, thus Shurmur's use of the Eagle defense name. This formation is much more popular than it was in the early days of football, as the NFL has grown away from being run-dominated into a pass-heavy league. The QB then reads the next defender out, and can either give or keep, or give or throw. This is also a balanced formation (even threats on each side of the field). ", The 5-3 defense consists of five defensive linemen, three linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). The shotgun offense became a staple of many college football offenses beginning in the 1990s. hhpatriot04. Two standup players (Monster and Rover) are in "5" techniques. As time passed, Hawaiis Run n Shoot became less shoot, and more run (with the help of an excellent option quarterback named Ken Niumatalolo), eventually turning into the offense Paul Johnson brought with him to Georgia Southern, then Navy, then Georgia Tech. Remember Oregon with Chip Kelly? The linemen on zone plays always step play-side to the left (the linemen on the backside of zone read step to their left). The Maryland I was developed by Maryland head coach Tom Nugent. More information. If you can make that quick read all five of these get to the 2nd level QUICK and rarely result in negative plays. On veer, the hole or dive path is fixed, meaning the back dives forward to the B-gap, then stays on that veer track, angling off the wall of down blocks. Developed at Hawaii in the early 1990s, Paul Johnsons flexbone option offense is what most fans today think of in terms of triple option teams. On a shovel triple option, the back that receivers the forward shovel pass is the first read. It can also be used similarly to a flexbone formation, with the receivers closest to the center acting as wing backs in an option play. We can do it all. While Army, Navy, Air . The ball carrier makes this decision by reading a specific defender and the actions they make. This Shotgun formation is found exclusively in the Dolphins' playbook. 22 Dive (Wishbone) 24 Blast (Wishbone) 26 Off-Tackle (Wishbone) 28 Sweep (Wishbone) 23 Counter (Wishbone) 25 Cutback (Wishbone) 29 Weak Sweep (Wishbone) As a result, it was considered a much better passing formation than running, as the premiere running formation was the single wing. Carroll, Bob, Gershman, Michael, Neft, David, and Thorn, John, "List of formations in American football", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "7 on the line 4 in the backfield" convention, How the Wildcat Reignited the 'fins, USA Today, December 12, 2008, Taking another pass with the Wildcat, ESPN, U-M's Shotgun Offense is Older than the Winged Helmets Themselves, Pro Football Formations 1: In the Beginning, "Red Hickey, 89; NFL Player, Coach Invented Shotgun Formation", "HISTORY WITH HAYES: Before college football coaching fame, Conley Snidow led Tazewell's hoops team to 1940 state title", "Bengals use 3-lineman formation against Seahawks", "Watch: Cincinnati Bengals line up in 'Star Wars' formation", "American Football Monthly - The Magazine For Football Coaches", "Stack 3-3 Zone Blitzes | Scholastic.com", "3-3-5 Defense: Entertainment and Football Definition", "Speed, position switches define TCU way", Article on the history of the Split T formation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_formations_in_American_football&oldid=1132996395, This page was last edited on 11 January 2023, at 19:15. There is also a difference in personnel . The confusing element is either the "5" techniques or the "8" techniques can rush or drop into the flats. [24] Instead of the conventional grouping of all five ineligible offensive linemen in the middle of the formation, the Emory and Henry spreads the tackles out to the edge of the field along with two receivers or slotbacks, creating two groupings of three players near each sideline. There are two major differences. One would run inside zone one way, while the other was the pitch back crossing over. They started by innovating their own toss sweep series called the rocket toss, then later borrowed ideas from Fisher DeBerry at Air Force, including the inside veer and midline veer. Heres whats really amazing about running triple option from the zone readit works just like inside veer. A formation similar to the Flexbone, though much older, is known as the "Delaware Wing-T" was created by longtime University of Delaware coach and NCAA Rules Committee chairman David M. Nelson, and perfected by his successor Tubby Raymond. Double Wing Offense: uses two wingbacks to set up power runs and misdirection plays. The latter rule was instituted to prevent players from generating the speed expected from a 15-yard runup before the kick, thus potentially reducing the speed and impact of collisions down the field. The shotgun offense became a staple of many college football offenses beginning in the 1990s. Or Georgia Southern in recent years? Hurricane Gun Option Offense on February 27, 2017. On each side, two players must line up outside the numbers and two players must be lined up between the numbers and the hashmarks. With the backfield lining up in the conventional T formation behind the center (quarterback, two halfbacks and fullback), the resulting configuration is "unbalanced" due to the asymmetry of the placement of the linemen. During the strike season of 1987, the San Francisco 49ers used the wishbone successfully against the New York Giants to win 4121. The Nickel formation comes in several varieties: There are a couple paths to the 4-2-5. The cornerbacks and safeties in a prevent defense usually make a point of defending the goal line at the expense of receivers in the middle of the field. This series is a great offense to considered! The modern descendant of the Single Wing. Instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage, in the shotgun he stands farther back, often five to seven yards off the line.Sometimes the quarterback will have a back on one or both sides before . It was . The wishbone is a running formation. Pistol formations have gained some popularity in NCAA football, and in fact, variants of this offense were used by the 2007 and 2009 BCS National Champions, LSU and Alabama, respectively. It has been used out of the I-formation (and its variants, including the Power-I and Maryland I) and the wishbone formation. You see teams running a steady dose and combination of inside zone, outside zone, power, and counter. The shotgun can distribute its 3 other backs and 2 ends any number of ways, but most commonly employs one running back, lined up next to the QB, one tight end and three wide receivers. Wishbone concepts are grafted onto the traditional two-back I to power Colorado to the 1990 national title. Think of your typical triple option: You read the first defender on or outside the tackle for hand off or QB keep. If youre thinking of the military academies or that classic under-center triple option, you could easily argue that these programs are not doing that, and you would be correct. Since the team had so many talented running backs, they decided to place three gifted rushers in the backfield.