The wishbone is a common formation for the triple option offense in which the quarterback decides after the . The original 6-1 was invented by Steve Owen in 1950 as a counter to the powerful passing attack of Paul Brown's Cleveland Browns. The basic singleback set does not employ a fullback. The QBs first read was the DE. The Double Wing is combination of the I, which Markham initially ran the offense from in his earlier days, and the Wing-T 30 Series (Power Series). 7) The key to this offense is to know what the defense is doing and then attack it with the understanding of what will work against it. Since the team had so many talented running backs, they decided to place three gifted rushers in the backfield. If we look at option plays with this kind of description, notice how there are no rules or limits as to how the ball is distributed. That way if they went in motion, defenses couldnt tell if they were going behind the QB to be a pitch back, or in front of the QB to run a jet sweep. Coach Bill Walsh used the wishbone because of his replacement quarterback's familiarity with a similar formation in college. Two other I formation variations include the Maryland I and the Power I. The Green Wave, on the other hand, run the option attack from the shotgun and pistol formations, using a no huddle style to keep opponents from subbing. While the original Nickel defense utilized 5 defensive backs in conjunction with a 4-man rush, and 2 linebackers, modern definition calls any formation that utilizes 5 defensive backs (from nickel = 5 cent piece) a Nickel defense. There can be two tight ends as well, with no wide receivers. This style was popularized by a coach named Tony Demeo when he coached at various sub-FBS/I-A programs. Seven-man line defenses use seven down linemen on the line of scrimmage. The shotgun offense became a staple of many college football offenses beginning in the 1990s. It allows defenses more flexibility in man to man coverages and zone blitzes. It is occasionally referred to as the prevent defense because of its use in preventing desperation plays. Currently 5/5 Stars. [17], The formation was used extensively by Fielding Yost's Michigan Wolverines in their early history, and was the base formation for the Benny Friedman led New York Giants in 1931. This will allow your players to adapt to and learn the system He is currently the offensive coordinator at Hillcrest High School in the state of Idaho. The formation is popular in high school football as well as smaller collegiate teams. The Eagles named their version the "Herman Edwards" play after their cornerback who scored the winning touchdown on the above fateful play. All that really changes on the O-line is that instead of leaving alone the first defender on or outside the play-side tackle, they now leave the first defender on or outside the tight-end unblocked. The most common play out of the formation is a quick pass to a receiver on the outside which functions much like a wide receiver screen or, if defenders crowd the line of scrimmage, a quickly thrown streak route with the receiver attempting to run past them. 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. 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. There is also a variation of this defense called the 3-4 under defense. 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. http://yout. If the defense shifts too many defenders out near the sidelines, the offense might attempt to run up the middle behind the three-man offensive line. The short punt is an older formation popular when scoring was harder and a good punt was an offensive weapon. More extreme defensive formations have been used when a coach feels that his team is at a particular disadvantage due to the opponent's offensive tactics or poor personnel match-ups. The dive back is going to charge hard forward while the QB opens, facing the right, reading the play-side DE. It is because of this that the secondary safety in a football defense is called a free safety rather than a weak safety. This formation is intended for one purpose: to allow the quarterback to safely down the ball without losing control, preventing the defense from recovering and advancing the ball to the end zone. If you were in shot gun, you were a mad scientist. If you can make that quick read all five of these get to the 2nd level QUICK and rarely result in negative plays. Offensive Goal for Success: My main goal is to control the ball and control the clock while scoring more points then the opposition. That said, it was regarded as a good formation for trap plays. Sometimes this is a defensive end. The modern descendant of the Single Wing. The wishbone offense was created by University of Texas assistant Emory Bellard in an attempt to revive the troubled Longhorns' offense. Schenkel, Chris, NBC Broadcast, 1956 NFL Championship. It is important that your weakside end can squeeze down the veer releasing . However, the Wing Back may also line up diagonally from the Tight End. This creates a line that is weighted toward the right of the center. [45][46][47][48] Strong safeties are often the more physical of the safeties, often resembling linebackers, so a Nickel with the extra safety can be more effective against the run than one with an extra corner. Today, you can run triple options with a dive, keep, and pitch phase, or a dive, keep and pass, or a dive, pass and pass, or any other combination of the three. 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. Just like the old days, the college football world was focusing all of its attention on an offensive system born way back when Army was the national power that Oklahoma is now. This player would serve as an extra lead blocker on either the zone play, or could release outside to lead block for the QB or pitch back on the edge. This triple-option attack went on to win Texas back-to-back National Championships before . This formation is normally used for a pass play, but can also be good for running, as defenders must move at least one player out of the middle of the field (the "box", between the tackles on the offensive line) to cover the additional wide receiver or tight end. It was . The formation features several stop-gaps in the event the quarterback does lose the ball: a seven-man line, the quarterback, two upbacks (running backs) immediately behind him, one at each side in the event he fumbles, and a fast player (usually a wide receiver or cornerback) several yards back as a last resort in case the defense recovers and is able to advance the ball. Perhaps the most well-known of Markham's converts is Hugh Wyatt, who brought more Wing-T to the offense and a greater ability to market the offense. 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. The most common running play from this formation is a quarterback draw play up the middle since defensive players are spread out from sideline to sideline. The quarterback lines up about five yards behind the center, in order to allow a better view of the defense and more time to get a pass off. The read defender is now the first defender on or outside the play-side guard. Paul Johnsons flexbone evolved differently than DeBerrys at Air Force. Diagram and description of the Maryland I at. Counter or trap play : This teaches linemen how to down block and pull. The formation has also been used as a basis for trick plays such as a backwards pass to a player near the sideline followed by forward pass down the field. The running game is nonexistent, and it is usually only used in desperation. The Wishbone, Wing-T and Veer offenses of yesteryear were the golden age of the fullback. It is essentially a shotgun variation, with the quarterback lined up closer than in standard shotgun (normally 3 to 4 yards behind center), and a running back lined up behind, rather than next to, the QB (normally at 3 to 4 yards behind quarterback). They proudly claimed the name of this variation, the ski-gun.. Minnesota and TCU are also starting to employ the spread offense. "[16], The formation differs in two significant ways from the single wing. As a result, it was considered a much better passing formation than running, as the premiere running formation was the single wing. The wildcat is primarily a running formation in which an athletic player (usually a running back or a receiver who runs well) takes the place of the team's usual quarterback in a shotgun formation while the quarterback lines up wide as a flanker or is replaced by another player. Flexbone Offense Personnel. 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. "The I" consists of two backs lined up behind the quarterback, with the back closest to the quarterback being called the fullback and the back behind the fullback called the running back, tailback, or I-back. The slot backs would also be even in depth with the QB. It might look like a new-age offense, but its roots go back 40, 80, and even 100 years. Also, the formation often featured an unbalanced line where the center (that is, the player who snapped the ball) was not strictly in the center of the line, but close to the weakside. This is almost exclusively a passing formation used to spread the field, often to open up short inside routes or screen routes. This was once one of the most common formations used at all levels of football, though it has been superseded over the past decade or so by formations that put the quarterback in the shotgun formation. Each player on the line has a two gap responsibility. The shotgun formation is the most common offensive formation used in American football. The first is the dive-backs assignment. Now picture a zone read to the left. Wishbone concepts are grafted onto the traditional two-back I to power Colorado to the 1990 national title. Please, Source Link: Secrets of the Split-T, Part 2, Georgia Tech Option Cut-ups. Now almost everyone has shotgun or pistol alignments. It was also the favored formation of the pass-happy BYU Cougars under the tenure of legendary coach LaVell Edwards. The Wishbone sought to find a more balanced approach. . A variation of the ace is known as the spread formation. interior line and LBs for dive, DE for qb and OLB for pitch man or switch if its double dive. I highly recommend following his YouTube channel if you are a fan of any kind of spread offense! The quarterback in this formation (called at the time a "single-wing tailback"), like today's shotgun QB, received the snap on the fly. Today, Air Force still runs DeBerrys system, but they have evolved greatly into a multiple offense, running triple option plays from just about every formation imaginable. Therefore, the deployment and tactics of defensive players are bound only by the imagination of the play designer and the line of scrimmage. One is by removing a linebacker from the standard 43 to add the extra defensive back. This formation typically has no wide receivers, and often employs 3 tight ends and 2 running backs, or alternately 2 tight ends and 3 running backs. In the empty backfield formation, all of the backs play near the line of scrimmage to act as extra wide receivers or tight ends, with the quarterback lining up either under center or, most commonly, in the shotgun. 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. With Markham's success came many converts to his offense and many variations of the offense over the years. In 2008, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Chan Gailey began using the Pistol prominently in their offense, and are the first NFL team to do so. If the DE attacks the dive, the QB pulls. Then you read the next defender outside for QB keep or pitch. during the beginning of the shotgun boom and we installed the shotgun in order to give our team an opportunity to outnumber teams at the point of attack. Veer schemes typically have linemen with their weight far forward, and lunging out, almost on all fours to block the defense, using mostly shoulders to block or pin defenders. The slot-backs are moved out wider, into more twin/slot receiver looks, with the QB in a VERY short shotgun snap, usually about 2.5 yards, three at most. 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 United States Air Force Academy (aka Air Force), the United States Naval Academy (Navy) and Georgia Tech are among the few NCAA FBS teams that commonly use the wishbone and its variations. 38 refers to the positions of the defensive players on the line of scrimmage. The DC Wing T and Pistol Offense 1 Merging the DC Wing T and Pistol 2 Play Calling 3 The Split End 4 Blocking Rules 5 Blocking Cues 6 Blocking Cues cont. The formation's main usage in recent years has been as an unexpected wrinkle that attempts to confuse the defense into lining up incorrectly or blowing assignments in pass coverage. 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. The second is by converting the ends of a wide tackle six to safeties (the defensive ends of a wide tackle six already have pass defense responsibilities). The QB and RB mesh, and the QB reads the backside defensive end for give or keep. Full Frame: Michael Phelps Goes Fishing. The linemen on the play side are going to block down (to their left). It puts "eight men in the box" to stop the run, but it sacrifices deep coverage against the pass, especially if the opponent's receivers are better athletes than the cornerbacks. All players other than the kicker may now line up no more than 1 yard behind the restraining line. The player receiving the snap is usually not a good passer, so defenses can bring linebackers and defensive backs closer to the line of scrimmage to clog potential running lanes. Two "3" techniques (DT, lined up outside of the guards) and two "8" techniques (DE, lined up outside of end man on line of scrimmage). The seventh defensive back is often an extra safety, and this defense is used in extreme passing situations (such as to defend against a Hail Mary pass). The "spread" allows teams to use speed and athleticism to exploit gaps . Often, these ball transfers are in the form of a hand-off (also called a mesh), or a pitch/lateral. [49][50][51] A variation is the 245, which is primarily run by teams that run the 34 defense. One style is like the one just described: Read the DE, then the next defender out for hand off, QB run, or pass. The base play of this offense features a dive component, where the QB runs straight down the line of scrimmage to mesh with a diving halfback. The New Orleans Saints. Shurmur created the defense in part to take advantage of the pass rush abilities of Kevin Greene, a defensive end sized linebacker. They are still sometimes used in goal-line situations. The QB executes the same reads and the pitch back runs the same track. They were most common before the forward pass became prevalent, but were still common prior to the inception of the platoon system. However, since the defense is typically used only in the last few seconds of a game when the defensive team need only keep the offense from scoring a touchdown, giving up a few yards in the middle of the field is inconsequential. Spread Offense: spreads the defense horizontally, making it easier to isolate man coverage, as well as find and throw to the holes in the zone. 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 . Two Linebackers are 3 yards off the ball behind the DT's. Another variation of the "balanced T" formation is the so-called "unbalanced T" formation. When the snap is taken, they make the first read, then after doing so, they move on to the second read. Think of your typical triple option: You read the first defender on or outside the tackle for hand off or QB keep. Remember Oregon with Chip Kelly? "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. If the DE sits or runs up-field or at the QB, the QB hands off. Zone principles teach a more balanced stance, and using hands and leverage to steer defenders in a particular direction. The T formation, wishbone, and flexbone are the most popular football formations that use three . The wildcat gives the runner a good look at the defense before the snap, allowing him to choose the best running lane. The quarterback can receive the snap and choose to throw a forward pass to the center or turn and throw a pass or lateral to a back opposite the field from him and the center. Whether you're seeing the Wishbone, Spread, I-Formation or Flex Bone Option, this is the perfect front to stop those offenses. Like the wishbone, the flexbone formation is commonly used to run the triple option. The running back(s) and other receivers line up in the backfield close to the lineman. Many college teams use variations of the shotgun as their primary formation, as do a few professional teams, such as the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. The rule also states that there must be five players on both sides of the ball. shoot 18 keep vs. 5-2 13 shoot 34 lead vs. 4-4 14 shoot max deep pass 15 playbook for coaches ^^^ yz[kv^uhww jvt ^pszvu. Singleback Offense: a versatile passing offense, which also works well for draws and outside runs. This is also a balanced formation (even threats on each side of the field). It'll take a little more time, but you will create a positive vibe for blockers and instill the pride that they can do it. Army and Navy both currently run Paul Johnsons system, and Johnson also ran it at Georgia Tech. During the strike season of 1987, the San Francisco 49ers used the wishbone successfully against the New York Giants to win 4121. Designate a larger, more bruising back to execute all the dives to the left and right, while mirroring the two halfbacks, that way the defense could not determine which side of the formation the offense was more likely to run to. In this formation, the single tackle usually lines up directly over the "nose" of the ball, and is often called the "nose guard" or "nose tackle". At Hawaii however, when Johnson was an assistant, they were looking to make their running game more effective. I love the wishbone and I like killer bee defense. Os Doenges of Oklahoma City University is credited with inventing the offensive V formation, nicknamed "Three dots and a dash" (Morse code for the letter "v"). Rockne's innovations with this formation involved using complicated backfield shifts and motion to confuse defenses, and adapting it as a passing formation. Also called the "umbrella" defense or "3-deep". The midline was primarily used as a double option just between the QB and dive back, but as the play gained popularity with the later flexbone teams, a triple option version became feasible as well.