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So what do we write about in the off-season? It seems that Fearless Phil has received a few reader requests for someone to “break down” football a little bit here on the website. Well, Phil came after me like a red dog on third and very long and asked me to come up with a football primer of sorts. No, not with all the X’s and O’s and the various terminologies of Coachspeak. Just some basic stuff that might help the average fan’s appreciation and knowledge of the game. He wanted me to start all of this by breaking down the various offensive and defensive positions and to use the language that fans who were raised on TV (and radio) broadcasts hear all the time but may not know a whole lot about. Therefore, you coaches and some of you players and former gridders probably won’t get any new meat from all of this, but there should be some potatoes for the average fans’ plates along the way. First we'll have to get into a little history lesson. Old Rick remembers his high school days in the late 50’s when just about every schoolboy team was still playing what we called the “Single Wing.” Tailback, fullback, blocking back (or quarterback) and wingback in the backfield; two ends, two tackles, two guards and a center up front going unbalanced. Direct snap to the tailback (like today’s “shotgun”) with the other three backs lined up to either his right or left and behind the strong side of the line. The fullback would be next to the tailback while the blocking back would be just behind the tackle (or just behind and between the two tackles in the unbalanced look). The wingback would be on the same plane as the blocking back and just outside the end, like in today’s wing formations. Real power football, baby, with a fair share of reverses and even an occasional pass to keep the defense honest. No facemasks, of course, with a lot of dirty stuff going on at the scrimmage line. Actually, the term "Single Wing" is an all-encompassing name given to any one of a wide variety of formations, whose only common feature often is nothing more than a direct snap to a man who is not "under center." The undefeated Princeton Tigers of 1950 showed the football world how it was done. But I’m getting ahead of the story. I had to do some quick research to get myself up to snuff on the pre-50’s stuff. When I did I had a flashback of lessons my late dad had given me about offensive and defensive positioning. Dad had been a high school classmate of “Big Ed” Danowski, one of the old New York Giant stars way back when, and got to go to the old Polo Grounds a few times to see Danowski and the Gi'nts play. He once proudly showed me a pre-game picture of him and Danowski at the Harlem stadium to try and make his exposition of positional nomenclature come to life. I loved the “knowledge” because it helped me as a young kid to appreciate what my favorite radio play-by-play guys, pioneers like Marty Glickman, and Chick Hearn, were describing. Anyway, here’s a mini-history lesson. Both American and Canadian football were variants of 19th Century rugby football. Most rugby players were considered “forwards,” and their objective was to score. The few who played back defensively were called “tends” (as in “goaltender”). Sounds more like what we Americans call soccer today. Eventually, some of the defensive players moved closer to the “scrimmage” (later “scrummage” in rugby) and positioned themselves between the forwards and the tends and were called “half-tends.” Since these players were no longer limiting themselves to defensive roles, they became known as “backs” and “half backs.” After a while, they even had “three quarter backs” which made the deepest backs “full backs.” Soon "half back" became "halfback" and "full back" became "fullback," etc. (one word). Now we’re getting into familiar terminology. The position of “quarterback” was added to designate the player closest the forwards at the scrimmage. That’s why the blocking back in the Single Wing was originally called the quarterback. Now let’s jump ahead a few years to somewhere just after 1880 when American football was in its infancy. That’s when the number of players per team was reduced to 11 and it became customary for seven of those players to play as a “forward line.” The remaining four players were “backs,” although it wasn’t until early in the 20th Century that the rules required at least seven on the offensive line. The player in the center of the line was, of course, named “center” (C) while the ones on the ends of the line were named “ends” (E). Briefly the other line positions were called “next to center” and “next to end,” but those titles quickly evolved into other names based on their functions. It seems that when playing defense, the “next-to-ends” were said to have made a disproportionate share of tackles, so they were named “tacklers,” soon shortened to “tackles” (T). Meanwhile teams usually preferred to have the center be the one to "snap" the ball to balance the line. This identification became so strong that to this day, practically everyone refers to the snapper as the center, even though by preference, or by necessity under early rules, the ball might have had to be snapped very close to the side line. (There were no hash marks then.) In those situations the line would be forced to be unbalanced. Thus began the tradition of naming positions by role rather than exclusively by placement. From 1880 one side in each scrimmage was given the exclusive right to put the ball into play (as opposed to rugby's "scrum" where the teams would battle for possession). That was the offense. But the rules for conducting the scrimmage were not like today's. Before the ball was snapped, the opposing line players could not step in front of the ball, but they could meet at the shoulders and begin shoving. Just like in rugby. The defensive linemen were not allowed to shove the offensive center completely off the ball and thereby prevent him from snapping the ball into play, but they were not barred from putting enough pressure on him to spoil his delivery of the ball. The early rules didn’t penalize offsides until one side had infringed three consecutive times before the ball could be put in play. You can imagine how much the opposing centers and nearby linemen would jockey: the offense not wanting a bad snap and the defense not wanting to allow a good one. If every instance of offside were penalized, however, it would have been too tempting for one side to release pressure and cause players of the opposing line to step offside, simply to avoid falling on their faces. Anyhow, this is how the next-to-center position came to be named “guard.” The guards of the offensive team would guard the ball and the player putting it in play, usually the center. Meanwhile the defensive team would do much of the same to make it possible for their center either to try to sneak under the offensive team's guards, after the ball was put in play, or to rove behind his own team's guards (as in be a linebacker). Rule changes in the late 1880’s allowed blocking and tackling below the waist. Those rules discouraged offensive teams from extending their backs away from the linemen and encouraged the lines to play "tight" with teammates positioned close together rather than taking wide "splits." A balanced-line with a diamond-shaped backfield became the most common setup for BOTH offense and defense and would be the basis for systems far into the future: E- T- G- C- G- T- E - - - - - QB -- HB - - - - - HB - - - - - FB The space behind each respective team’s “line” players and, collectively, the backs operating out of that space, became known as that team's "backfield." No two-platooning here. In various forms of football in the 19th Century, players crashing into their opponents headlong were said to "rush". On defense, the players would play slightly wider (to prevent being outflanked) and the backs, especially the fullback, frequently deeper, especially if the defense was expecting a kick. Meanwhile, some circumstances favored the team on defense's backing one or more players out of the “rush line” to a position slightly behind it. The resulting position was called "line-half" analogously to the scrum-half in rugby, and was precursor to the linebacker positions. On offense, the fullback would do most of the kicking, except for onside kicks, and would drop back to do so. Ordinarily, he might line up level with the halfbacks, so that the backs then formed a straight T; otherwise, the formation was approximately that of the later diamond T. This is a relationship which has come back into popularity recently with the "H back" formation (using a hybrid between a tight end and a fullback). So we've dipped our toes in the waters of football's birth. There's a whole lot more, even if we don't get into the complexities of Coachspeak. We'll continue next time. Rick's Primer Part Two: the Name Game By RICK STONE Identifying players by position was relatively easy in the early days. As we said in our first article, the boys playing football went both ways. Because the offense and defense originally set up in formations that mirrored each other, a player who was a guard on offense would also be called a guard on defense, a halfback on offense was a halfback on defense, etc. As the game became more “sophisticated,” the positional names didn’t always match up with the positions the players were finding themselves. Confusion became a companion of innovation. For example, another position name was introduced when players were placed in the offensive backfield but just outside of their ends. The position, as we saw in the last article, came to be called “wingback.” Formations with one or two wingbacks came to be called single or double wingback or wing formations. Now what happened on offense when the “fullback” (or deep back) moved up as far forward as the halfbacks? Well, nothing. As we all know, the position name stayed the same, and the formation was called the “straight T.” What did happen was that the typically faster back who had played fullback was replaced by a heavier one who presented a greater threat to run more or less straight ahead with the ball. On defense he would make an ideal person to play in a quarterback spot (just behind the line) whose job it was to tackle the other team’s similar back. That position eventually became known as the linebacker. Today we still see two-way players who play FB on offense and LB on defense (like Cornwall's Matt Moretto). We also see centers who double as linebackers (we pointed out previously how that happened). Port's Joe Pesce comes to mind here. Many of our older readers will remember when the 6-2 defense was king. The 6-2 seemed to best suit the two-way players that manned it. End-tackle-guard-guard-tackle-end up front; center and fullback as linebackers. Since the fullback was no longer a speedster, this necessitated another position name for the fast back who played farthest back on defense. Remember, that‘s what “full back“ had originally meant. So now we have the new term of “safety man” or, simply, "safety." His position represented the last defense against a “breakaway play“ and became the position from which to field opposing kicks. Generally, going from offense to defense, the quarterback and fullback exchanged positions from what they'd been playing on offense, and the quarterback became the safety. The two halfbacks typically played between the linebackers and the safety. The 6-2-2-1 (or 6-3) became the standard defense against the “T”. Note: the position renamed “linebacker” did not come into vogue until platoon football, with players specializing in offense or defense, became popular. This inside-out trend continued as the number of players on the defensive line was reduced. Guards went next, followed by a tackle. So in a five-man line, the middle player is the only guard, and in a 3-man line, the middle player is the only tackle. It would seem superfluous to apply an extra designator when there are no left and right versions of a line position in a formation; but possibly influenced by the designation of “middle linebacker” as one of three, a lone defensive lineman became known as "middle guard" or "middle tackle." When linebackers are playing close to or level with the line, a somewhat reliable way to distinguish them from line players became their stances. The defensive line players will be in a three- or four-point stance, meaning that they will be supported by one or both hands, in addition to feet on the ground, while the linebackers will have only feet on the ground. Line players with one or both hands on the ground are now called “down linemen.” Typically, all defensive linemen were once so positioned. Today, of course, there seems to be a lot more going on up front. Defensive ends may stand up and even move back into a position that makes them look like linebackers (like Monroe-Woodbury). Or linebackers sometimes slide up to act as down linemen (like '04 Wallkill). Now back to offense for a moment. The offensive backfield got a newly named position when the single wing came along: he was the “tailback” — the “tail” of the formation, farther back than the fullback. Unfortunately, even when two players positioned to take a thrown snap in a single wing formation are level with each other (i.e., at equal depth), the faster one (usually playing weak side) is often called the tailback and the bigger guy the fullback. The single wing was a “thrown snap formation” (as are the “short punt” and the more contemporary “shotgun” and “spread” formations) with the snap going to either the tailback or the fullback. In the single wing the quarterback (or “blocking back,” a more realistic name) is not in a position to receive a handed snap. Offenses like the single wing and the short punt formation were popular from the 1920’s through much of the 50’s. With the success of Monroe-Woodbury’s sophisticated spread offense (the Utah Finesse), we expect to see a lot more thrown snap formations pop up in the state. (By the way, Phil. How about a survey asking, “Should Greg Sullivan be called a ‘quarterback’ or a ‘tailback'?”. As offensive football evolved so did the positional names. The ends began to “flex,” that is to create a gap from the tackle that was larger than the gap between the other offensive linemen. When the gap became considerably greater, the end was then called a “split end.” The end who wasn’t flexed was the “tight end.” The split end specialized in going downfield to catch forward passes while the tight end’s main job was blocking. For a few recent seasons Port Jervis used the “flex” terminology for one of its ends who played any end position from tight to split. Also instead of wingbacks or conventionally-placed halfbacks, an offense could have backs positioned wide of the rest of the formation, similarly to a split end, to be pass receivers. Such a back would be called a “flanker back“ or “flanker." Nowadays flankers and split ends are lumped together as “wide receivers” (or “wide outs”). Meanwhile today’s “slot back” is similar to the flanker except that he lines up in the “slot” between the tackle and the split end. So a player can be a slot back on one play and a flanker on the next. Then if he scoots up on the line of scrimmage and flexes out far enough, he’s a split end. Over the years as fewer players came to play both ways, position names no longer needed to reflect any given player's combined roles on offense and defense. As a result, position naming on defense has become less confusing and more informative. For example, on the defensive line we may see a “nose guard” or “nose tackle.” The “nose” part means that the player lines up “on the nose” of the center. The term “nose guard” had never been popular because it had once suggested a piece of protective equipment, but you’ll see “NG” on several high school rosters today. But most of the interior (inside the ends) defensive linemen are called “defensive tackles.” The linebacker positions are straightforwardly distinguished as “inside” and “outside.” When there are only three linebackers, the one inside is labeled the “middle linebacker." The outside positions can also be designated as left and right (unless each outside linebacker is specifically assigned to position himself against the weak or strong side of the offense - the side with the tight end being the strong side. Then we have a “weak side linebacker” and a “strong side linebacker.” These linebackers will "flip-flop," according to the tight end's location. Now for the “defensive secondary.” The defense's halfbacks have been renamed cornerbacks, a fitting term given that they play at the edges or "corners". The term has no indicator of the depth at which they are positioned in the defensive backfield. Then there are usually two safeties. In this case they are distinguished as “free safety” (or “weak safety”) and “strong safety”. The strong safety is, as you can guess, on the side following the strong (tight end) side of the balanced offensive line and has responsibility for covering (guarding as a pass receiver) the TE, while the free safety has no such coverage assignment. However, the coverage played by the defense does not always easily allow assignment of such distinct names for safeties. In a future article we'll get a little more into this stuff. In watching the pros, we often see a formation with more than two safeties and could describe them by their relative geometric placement -- outside, shallow, deep, etc. -- but such is not the general practice. The fifth defensive back has come to be called the “nickel“ (as in five) back and a sixth back (as you probably already know) is the “dime“ (as in ten) back. All right, we’ll stop here for now. Next time we’ll continue looking at some of the responsibilities the specific positions have. NOTE: Part One of the Series follows this Part Two. Rick's Primer Part Three: Offensive Positions and Their Basic Responsibilities By RICK STONE In this short but loaded article we’ll look at some of the basic responsibilities of the players holding down the various offensive positions. We’ll start with the players in the trenches. The offensive line is both generally unheralded and underappreciated (spoken like an old lineman, huh?). The Washington Redskins used to call their offensive front wall “the Hogs” - and that was meant as a compliment! Others like NFA veteran line coach Bill Vogt refer to it as “The Mushroom Society” (kept in the dark and fed [crap]). For these guys there’s never much glory and to them there’s nothing sweeter than to “pancake” an opponent (knock him on his backside) and open a hole for a big gainer. Let’s look at the positions: The center performs the normal blocking functions of all linemen and, in addition, is the player who puts the ball in play by means of the snap. The center is also usually responsible for calling the blocking schemes on the line, directing the other linemen on who blocks whom. If you’ve got a high school kid who can do that, you’ve really got a gem. The two guards are the offensive linemen directly on either side of the center and inside the tackles. Like all interior linemen, their function is to block on both running and passing plays. On some plays, rather than blocking straight ahead, a guard will "pull" in order to block a player on either side of the center, on both inside running plays("traps") or outside running plays ("sweeps"). The guards are generally bigger than the center and are typically better run blockers than pass blockers. The two offensive tackles play on either side of the guards. Their role is primarily to block on both running and passing plays. The tackles are the "bookends" of the offensive line. They are usually the biggest offensive linemen but must also be agile enough to thwart any outside pass rush. If a team has a right-handed QB, the left tackle is usually the best pass blocker on the line to prevent a "blindside" pass rush the QB might not see. Notes: (1) The area from one tackle to the other is an area of "close line play" in which some blocks from behind, which are prohibited elsewhere on the field, are allowed. (2) The description above of the guard and tackle positions apply only to a line that is balanced, i.e. that has equal numbers of players on both sides of the player who is to snap the ball. A line becomes unbalanced when one of the guards or tackles moves over to the other side of the center. The tight end(s) play on either side of, and immediately next to, the tackles. They are a mix between a blocker and a pass receiver. If an end moves (“flexes”) far enough away from the tackle, he becomes a split end. Modern formations typically have one end tight and one split end. Many modern formations, however, dispense with tight ends completely, replacing them with wide receivers. But make no mistake. The best TE's are a potent weapon in their offense's arsenal. The wide receivers are speedy pass-catching specialists. Their main job is to run “pass routes” and get open to receive a pass. They are also occasionally called on to block. A wide receiver may line up on the line of scrimmage, becoming a split end, and be counted as one of the necessary seven players on the line in a legal formation, or he may line up off the line of scrimmage and be counted as being in the backfield (a flanker). There are generally two types of wide receivers, "speed" and "possession". A speed receiver's primary function is to stretch the field, be a deep threat, and to not allow the defense to cheat and bring an eighth man into the box. A possession receiver is generally the more sure-handed of the two types and is used to keep possession of the ball by making catches that gain first down yardage, but he lacks the raw speed to attack a defensive backfield. Now let’s move to the backfield for the “glory” position (also the position most open to criticism): the quarterback. Historically, he’s been a player positioned close to and behind an interior lineman. In the old single wing with its log-distance snap, the quarterback was a blocking back. Since the birth of the “T“ formation, as we know, he has been typically positioned to take a handed snap from the center. However, thanks to retro spread formations like “the shotgun,” “quarterback” refers imprecisely to a player who is positioned behind the center at any distance, calls signals, is not the usual punter or place kick holder, and usually takes the snap. The quarterback takes the snap and then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball downfield, or keeps the ball and runs it himself. The Quarterback is the "Field General" of the offense. Football intelligence is a necessity since he must learn to “read” a defense and make right decisions. A QB who can “audible” (adapt to what he sees and change a play at the line of scrimmage) can make a coach look good. Of course, a poor decision can cause a coach to lose his hair. A team needs a QB who can throw the ball accurately to the correct receiver (the "open" man) or “scramble“ (start running) if it looks like a defender will “sack” him (tackle him for a loss). Now for the fullback. Positioned behind the middle of the line, a fullback may do some running, some blocking, and some short receiving. A classic fullback is more of a straight-ahead, "four yards and a cloud of dust" power runner than a running back. Many modern formations do not use a fullback. Most plays utilizing the fullback call for him to block, generally by running up the middle of the line, clearing a path for a running back to use. The FB is usually the bigger, more physical of the two running backs, and so often a QB will hand the ball to his FB in short yardage situations where every inch must be earned the hard way. Running back is the modern term for the position formerly called "halfback." The running back carries the ball on most running plays, and is also frequently used as a short-yardage receiver. Running backs, along with the wide receivers, are generally the fastest players on the offensive team. Most of them tend not to run straight ahead, preferring to make quick cutbacks to try to find holes in the defense. This, however, is a generalization, as some running backs are more power-oriented. Today’s tailback (“deep back“), meanwhile, is a running back that is positioned behind the middle of the line and deepest of all backs. If there is a player directly in front of him, usually a blocking fullback, that back might be called an “upback.” Section Nine football is known for its love of the Wing T. The wing back is a player positioned just outside of and behind the outermost lineman who is not split from the rest of the line. If no linemen are split, then the wingback position is just outside of and behind the (tight) end. Some teams love to field two wing backs (“double wing”) and a fullback - and run, run, run at defenses by using deception and attacking quickly from all angles. The H-back is really in vogue. This is a position that was popularized by Joe Gibbs during his first tenure with the Redskins. The H-back is a hybrid position that combines the skill sets of fullback, tight end, and even wide receiver. An H-back lines up similarly to a wingback, but deeper and not as wide, and frequently serves as a blocker for a more deeply positioned back. If you’ve been watching the college bowl games, you’ve seen a fair share of H-back action. Okay, that’s a quick look at basic offensive positions and some of their duties. Our next article will focus on basic defensive positional play. Rick's Primer Part Four: Defensive Positions and Basic Responsibilities
Unlike the offensive team, there are no formally defined positions on the defense. A defensive player may line up anywhere on his side of the line of scrimmage and perform any legal action. However, most “sets” used on “D” include a line composed of defensive ends and defensive tackles and, behind them, linebackers, cornerbacks, a strong safety and a free safety. The two defensive ends play on the outside of the defensive line. Their function is to rush the passer or stop runs. The faster of the two is usually placed on the right because this is a right-handed quarterback’s blind side. Defensive tackles are the interior linemen who line up inside the defensive ends. In a three or five man defensive line, the lineman in the middle becomes the “middle guard” or “nose guard” (see Part Two). The interior defensive lineman’s function is also to rush the passer and defend against running plays. In some situations, his job might be to “occupy two blockers” (so that someone else can more easily reach the passer or tackle the ball-carrier) or to keep a blocker from getting to a linebacker. The linebackers usually make the most tackles as they play behind the defensive line and perform various duties depending on the situation. Those duties include rushing the passer, covering receivers, and defending against the run. Most defensive sets show two to four linebackers. Linebackers are usually divided into three types, strongside, middle, and weakside. The strongside linebacker (often nicknamed "Sam" because “strong” begins with an “s“) usually lines up across from the (you guessed it) tight end and is quite often the physically strongest of the crew because he must be able to shed lead blockers to tackle the running back. The middle linebacker ("Mike" or "Mack") is usually the “quarterback” of the defense. He might call out offensive formations and shout out the adjustments the defense must make. The weakside linebacker ("Will") is generally the most athletic linebacker because he usually must play an open field. Many of our local teams like the 4-4 defense which means there will be two “inside linebackers” and two “outside linebackers.” In a 5-2 defense (two linebackers behind a five man defensive front) a safety will often become a “monster” (“rover,” “bubble”) and assume some linebacker responsibilities, one being to “shadow” the opponent’s top running back. Behind the linebackers is the “defensive backfield” or “secondary” whose role is primarily pass coverage. The defensive back will stay near a receiver and try to deflect or intercept any passes thrown to him. However, like all defensive players, a DB can also rush the quarterback and tackle running backs (and anyone else with the football). Typical skills that are exhibited by defensive backs include the abilities to backpedal, change direction quickly, tackle securely and catch the football. Oh, yes. Let’s not forget a necessary quality: speed. A typical defensive set will have four defensive backs — two cornerbacks, a free safety, and a strong safety. The cornerbacks position themselves close to the line of scrimmage, directly opposite the wide receivers they’re assigned to cover. They attempt to disrupt the receivers' routes and defend against short passes. The CB’s are often the fastest players on the entire team. The free safety is responsible for “reading” the offensive plays and covering deep passes. Depending on the defensive call, he may also provide run support. He is positioned 10 to 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, toward the center of the field and provides the last line of defense against running backs and receivers who get past the linebackers and cornerbacks. The strong safety is usually larger than the free safety and is positioned relatively close to the line of scrimmage. He is often an integral part of the run defense, but is also responsible for defending against a pass. More recently, however, teams are looking for more hybrid safeties who can provide both run and pass support. Okay, that’s a brief elementary look at the defensive positions and their alignments. Next time we’ll start wading into some very basic offensive and defensive strategies. Rick's Primer Part Five: Offensive Strategy
This chapter will start out on a very elementary level and then progress to some meatier material later as we begin to look at football strategy. Football is much like a war. A successful war strategy includes assessing your offensive and defensive capabilities and how those match up with those of your opponent. It also includes choosing between relying on your strengths and doing what your team does best (which is what your opponent expects you to do) or relying on the element of surprise, utilizing unconventional tactics, to catch your opponent off guard and thus gain the advantage. Unlike the chaos of modern war, however, each side in football alternates being on offense and defense in an orderly fashion. Each successive turn is called a “possession” or “drive.” During a possession, a team has no more than four tries (or downs) to advance the ball at least 10 yards toward the opponent’s goal line. Each down is akin to a battle fought in the “trenches” (or the line of scrimmage). Strategy is the key to effective play. Whether on offense, defense or “special teams,” a ball club must make good decisions before play even begins in order to overcome what the other team may bring to bear. OFFENSIVE STRATEGY When on offense, the team’s goal is, of course, to invade the opponent’s territory and stand triumphant in the foes' end zone, ball in hand, for a touchdown (six points). Even the best offenses, however, often score on less than half their possessions. So if an offense cannot score a touchdown, its next best outcome is getting close enough to kick a field goal (three points). If the offense cannot get at least 10 yards on a possession (to earn a new first down) in three tries and is not in field goal range, its best bet might be to punt (kick) the ball away to put the other team as close to its goal line as possible and hope the defense does the job. This is the battle of “field position.” It is also imperative that when an offense has the ball, it is aware of where its team stands in the larger "war." Where is it on the playing field? What’s the score? How much time is left in the period? This leads us to “clock management.” If a team is trailing on the scoreboard and it is late in the game, that team wants not only to score but to score quickly. Passing the ball is a quicker way of moving “downfield” and scoring than running the ball. Conversely, if a team is ahead and the end is near, it will want to “chew up” (use) as much time as possible, so keeping the clock moving by utilizing running plays is probably what they will want to do. The head coach and his staff (like a general and his top officers) are in charge of their team’s offensive and defensive strategies. On offense they focus on the talents of their players and predetermine what “formation(s)” they’ll utilize and what “plays” they’ll run from that formation. The players’ abilities as well as the coach's philosophy determine the formations and plays. Often a coach will choose players with abilities to compliment the offensive formation and plays he likes. Before the ball is snapped, before the linemen collide into each other, the offense aligns in its formation. The formation may say a lot about a team's offensive strategy. Most teams have a formation they prefer to line up in, while other teams like to leave the defense guessing. Teams will often have "special formations" which they only use in obvious passing situations, short yardage or goal line situations, or formations they have developed for that particular game just to confuse the defense or capitalize on a perceived defensive weakness. Because there are nearly an unlimited number of possible formations, we’ll just scratch the surface here today. The one rule that applies to the offensive formation is that there must be at least seven players set on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. SOME BASIC FORMATIONS The “Pro Set” has been the most recent traditional formation commonly used by teams in the NFL. The formation has two wide receivers, one tight end and two running backs with the backs “split” behind the quarterback who is lined up behind center. This evolved out of the old “Straight T” that we had mentioned earlier in the series. In the Pro, one of the backs became a wide receiver as did one of the ends. . . . . . .QB . . .RB . . . .RB The “I-Formation” looks like the letter “I” because the two (and occasionally three) running backs line up directly behind the quarterback. The “I” can have different looks, including the “power I” in which the “upback” (fullback) and, essentially, an “H-back” (the latter being offset to one side) serve as blockers for the “deep back” (tailback) of the “I.” . . . . . . QB . . . . . . FB . . . . (HB) . . . . . . TB Note: the “Pro Set” can also have its running backs in an “I” to make it a “Pro-I”. And the beat goes on. The “Wishbone,” once very popular in college ball, is an option formation in which a quick-thinking quarterback “reads” certain defenders before deciding to hand off the ball to the fullback or fake a handoff and run an option in which he’d either keep the ball and run himself or “pitch” the ball back to a trailing running back. Of course he could also pull up and throw a pass, but this formation wasn’t meant for the pass. . . . . . . QB . . . . . . FB . . .RB. . . . .RB Then we have the Wing-T, made famous at the University of Delaware by Coach “Tubby” Raymond and run to perfection in Section Nine by Marsh Canosa’s powerful Pine Bush teams of the mid-to-late 80’s and 90’s. The formation generally has a wingback in the slot just behind the tight end and a split end on the weak side. All three running backs are therefore in prime locations for “misdirection” rushing plays. When one of the backs becomes a second wingback, we have the “Double-Wing” formation. The Wing-T can also be a great medium for quick passing plays. This formation, however, necessitates a good understanding of “angle blocking” and a quarterback who is skilled at carrying out "fake handoffs." As Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the Sun.” About 1949 Curley Lambeau brought the “T” formation to the pro game in Green Bay to replace the legendary Pop Warner‘s “Single Wing” which we’ve already talked about . So what’s the latest? Well, the “Shotgun” went back to the old Single Wing's thrown snap, only instead of being a running formation, it has turned more into a passing formation which generally features four wide receivers and one back standing near the QB to block or possibly take a handoff. Today’s offensive football, especially in the exciting college game, is evolving into a more sophisticated version of the shotgun: “the Spread Formation” which is designed for passing, running and deception. In New York this past season, no high school team ran it any better than state champ Monroe-Woodbury. Expect lots of copy-cats. SOME BASIC RUNNING PLAYS Now from these and other formations, the offense calls its plays. Here we’ll have to get just a little bit technical so you novices hang in there. For you players, this stuff should already be a part of your working football knowledge. Running plays can be designed to go “inside” such as in a “Blast” or a “Power.” These plays feature straight ahead running with a lead block and a powering line. They require the offensive line to push to dominate their blockers in order for these plays to gain big yardage. Although these plays are made for the middle of the field and are short yardage plays, there are certainly opportunities for the ball carrier to break free and make a big play. The key for the ball carrier is to follow the “lead blocker” up until the initial block. Then the ball carrier must pick the correct path, depending on which direction the blocking back takes his man. One “outside” running play is the “Sweep” in which two or more offensive linemen “pull” out of their stances and run toward the outside of the line of scrimmage, leading the running back who receives a handoff or pitch from the quarterback. Let’s now take a brief look at the oft-used “Trap” running play. The key element of this play is the use of a “pulling” lineman or linemen. The play creates a deception that a defensive player will be unblocked as he penetrates the line of scrimmage. The play unfolds when the pulling lineman blocks, or "traps" the player to open the hole for the running back to run through. The pulling lineman can include a guard (on either side of the play direction), the guard and tackle, or even both guards. For “inside traps,” the guard blocks the first man past the center. For “outside traps,” the guard will block the first man past the tackle. A "Gotcha!” play. The “Counter” can be a type of the trap. It’s a running play designed to get the defense going in one direction while the running back goes back against the intended pursuit of the defense. In your introduction to the Wishbone Offense above, we saw the “Option.” Let’s say a little more here. The option play creates uncertainty as to who and where the ball will go. Seen more often on the high school and college levels, this play works well with a quarterback that can run the ball like a running back (like M-W’s Matt Stack, Greg Sullivan‘s predecessor). The option allows for flexibility and the ability for the quarterback to control the running attack. As we said earlier, the quarterback reads the defense and decides the direction of the ball while the offensive line battles with straight ahead blocking. The "Veer" attack is similar. One more running play we’ll mention here is the “Draw Play.” The Draw is a disguised run that initially looks like a pass play. The offensive linemen fake like they are going to pass-block; the quarterback drops back like he is going to throw a pass, but instead turns and hands the ball to a running back who, in theory, zips past the defenders heading for the quarterback. SOME BASIC PASSING PLAYS Simply put: there are short and long passing plays. Short yardage pass plays are very quick and involve a lot of timing between the quarterback and receiver. Many short yardage plays happen so fast that the defense cannot react quickly enough. These plays are “high percentage” pass plays. The quarterback should be able to complete the majority of these passes. Although most yardage gained will be less than 10 yards, a receiver can easily turn a short yardage play into big yardage if he can evade the tacklers. Meanwhile the linemen must make sure that they "chop" their defenders down, to clear a viewing area for the quarterback. Consistency in completing short yardage passes will help your team move the ball quickly and efficiently. Long yardage pass plays use medium and deep receiver routes with the expectation of the receiver’s gaining significant yardage in one play. Long yardage pass plays have a lower pass completion percentage compared to short yardage pass plays, and also have an increased chance of an interception or turnover. On the other hand, a successful long pass can lead to a first down conversion, or even a touchdown. Long yardage pass plays can make or break a game. The success of the a long pass starts with the line giving the quarterback enough time to throw. The quarterback must be resourceful enough to use that time to find the open receiver and release the ball. Once the ball is thrown, it is up to the receiver to make the catch. Because long yardage pass plays are not as successful as short yardage plays, the stakes are much larger. There are larger risks involved, especially the risk of an interception. The rewards, if a long pass is successful, include large yardage gains and, possibly, a touchdown strike. These types of plays can dictate the momentum of a team through a game, and can easily change the outcome of a final score. As with the running plays, the passing plays are numerous because a passing play could include as many as five receivers running any number of “routes" or “patterns.” One common pass route is the “Hitch and Go.” This is where a receiver goes downfield to catch a pass, fakes a quick turn inside or outside, then continues downfield for a deeper pass. A “Square In” is a pass pattern where the receiver goes downfield then turns in at a right angle to the center of the field. A “Square Out” has the receiver going downfield then turning sharply out to the sideline. The “Screen Pass” is where the defensive linemen are allowed to get through the offensive line while two offensive linemen run wide to a specific side of the field and then turn and block upfield for a running back (or even a flanker) who takes a short pass from the quarterback. In running the “Post,” the receiver takes off toward the goalpost as the QB throws down the middle of the field. In running the “Flag,” the pass and receiver are headed for the pylon (which used to be a little flag) in the corner of the end zone. Can you guess what the “Fly” and “Slant” patterns are? Etc. Etc. Anyway, there are usually multiple receivers running different routes, and the quarterback must find the “open” receiver. The play will dictate a “progression” for the QB to go through - that’s a mental check-off list of the receivers by priority. Many quarterbacks tend to “lock in” on their “primary” receiver (the top prioritized receiver) and thus possibly fail to find the open man. Obviously, the quarterback needs a high football IQ in addition to a strong arm and an ability to take some hard hits by the defense. Okay, that’s enough for now. Next time we’ll look at some basic defensive formations and strategies. NOTE: Scroll down this page for the first four parts of the Football Primer series. Rick's Primer Part Six: Defensive Strategy
Given a choice, most high school players seem to prefer playing defense. Here’s where they get the chance to tee off and do a little “hitting.” In the not-too-distant past, some coaches actually devoted little time to practicing defense, saying that it’s natural for a player to run after the guy with the ball. You know: seek and destroy. Underemphasizing defense, however, is a big mistake in my less-than-humble opinion. Today with expanded coaching staffs, most high schools follow the college and pro examples and designate one of their coaches as a “defensive coordinator.” I’m sure that everyone reading this knows that the general goal of defense is to prevent the opposing team's offense from scoring. Unlike baseball where that’s the defense’s only objective, however, the defensive unit in football may also attempt to gain control of the football and score points themselves. That adds a little spice to the mix. Turnovers (recovered fumbles and interceptions) are right up there with points allowed as key defensive statistics. In Part Four we introduced you to the basic defensive positions. Now let’s expand a bit on the topic of defensive formations (as we know the offense has them - well, so does the defense). To quickly review, the first digit in the defensive formation name refers to the number of down linemen. The second number represents the number of linebackers. So in a “4-4” defense there are four down linemen and four linebackers (with the other three defenders patrolling the defensive secondary as backs). A “5-2” would have five down linemen and two linebackers, etc. There are also special passing defense formations: a “nickel defense” includes five defensive backs while a “dime defense” has six defensive backs. The “4-4” has become a commonly used defense around these parts for several years, especially with the popularity of the Wing-T offense. Obviously, the “4-4” is very strong against the opponents’ running game since it puts eight men in “the box.” The defensive linemen and linebackers collectively - or, more properly, the area of the field where they typically line up - is often referred to as "the box" and thus normally number seven players as in the “5-2, “4-3“ or “3-4“ formations. On occasion, a team running a base “5-2,“ “4-3” or “3-4” defense chooses to place an eighth man "in the box.” This changes the defense to a “5-3,” a “4-4,” or even a “6-2,” etc. In the pro’s and college, a personnel change would most likely be made here. For example, another linebacker might enter if the team uses the 4-3 as its base alignment, or a defensive lineman in cases where the 3-4 is ordinarily utilized, whereupon one player in the secondary (most commonly the free safety) is removed from the lineup. Sometimes a player in the secondary (usually the strong safety) acts as an additional linebacker and no actual lineup change ensues. In high school some teams use a defensive system in which one of the players is cross between a linebacker and a strong safety and is called a "rover" or “monster.” Can you figure out the difference between a straight “5-2” and a “5-2-Monster”? Anyway, as we said, teams most often put "eight in the box" or "stack the box" when the opposing team has a strong running game. By having more players closer to the line of scrimmage, the defense can more effectively contain the opposing team's running game. The defensive front (the players in the box) can be conservative or aggressive in their play. For example, there is the conservative run defense with the linemen and linebackers looking to “plug the gaps” and not allow the offense more than a two or three yard gain. There is also a standard defense called the “Mixed Defense” with the front seven “reading and reacting to” the offense. Here the defense is unlikely to make a big play, but while it’s conceding the initiative, it’s also unlikely to give up a big play. If the offense is running something deceptive, then the mixed defense will help the front seven to wait, read and react correctly. On the other hand there are much more aggressive defenses like Tom Landry’s “Flex Defense.” Here we see the defensive linemen attacking across the line of scrimmage to break up the play, while the linebackers read and react as in the basic run defense. The linemen's charge increases the chance of “stuffing” a play at its source. The Flex is also strong against inside runs, which are likely to be disrupted by the rush or plugged by the linebackers. With the defensive line committed to the backfield there is a risk if the ball is run to the outside, but the play is flexible if the play turns out to be a pass. The hunt for the ball in the backfield will soon turn to search for the quarterback if he drops back to pass. To add wrinkles to the defense’s aggressive charge, linemen can also “stunt.” In a stunt one lineman leaves his position and “loops” around another lineman into what might be a vacant hole in the offensive line. This increases the chance of a lineman’s being sprung unblocked into the backfield, but it also increases the chance of a breakaway play should the position vacated be the “hole” to which the offense is running. The play is most effective against the slower developing runs, particularly lead plays. The “blitz” is another aggressive defensive strategy in which a linebacker or defensive back vacates his normal responsibilities in order to pressure the quarterback. The object of a blitz is to tackle the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage or force the quarterback to hurry his pass. A blitz by a middle linebacker is usually easily “picked up” by an offensive lineman on a passing play; however, on a running play, a blitz by the MLB can often stuff the runner in the backfield. In the standard pass defense, the down linemen rush the quarterback while there is “man to man coverage” on the various receivers. The outside linebackers hold responsibility for the running backs; the cornerbacks cover the wide receivers; the strong safety is responsible for the tight end; and the corners usually line up fairly deep, giving them time to react to the receivers' moves. All of this should reduce the overall passing threat. Meanwhile the defense is not particularly weak against the run, as the defenders are individually “keyed” on the various offensive personnel (for example, if the tight end blocks rather than “releases” to run a pass route, the strong safety should read this and move up for the run). Now we’ll get even a little more detailed as we talk about pass defense. First let’s distinguish between “man-to-man coverage” and “zone coverage.” In man-to-man pass coverage, every defensive back (and sometimes a linebacker) is assigned to a particular receiver. That puts a lot of pressure on the individual defender. In zone coverage, each player on the defense is responsible for a certain area of the field. More specifically, the secondary and linebackers drop away from the line of scrimmage into designated areas (zones) when defending a pass play. The pure “Zone Defense” is a committed pass defense. The down linemen rush the passer in an attempt to “pressure“ him or, better yet, to “sack“ him (tackle him for a loss). The pass coverage is divided into seven zones, with four short zones up to 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, and three deep zones further downfield. With the defensive backs concentrating on the quarterback, they cannot react quickly to running plays or screen passes. Zones can also be vulnerable to quick patterns, when a receiver may be isolated against a linebacker, and to secondary receivers slipping into the "seams" while the defenders are picking up primary receivers “tracking” through their zones. Here are five basic pass coverage strategies: (1) “Cover Zero” - Strict man-to-man coverage with no help from the free safety, it’s usually a blitz play with at least five men crossing the line of scrimmage. (2) “Cover One” - Man-to-man coverage with at least one safety not assigned a player to cover who can help out on deep pass routes. (3) “Cover Two” - Zone coverage with the safeties playing deep and covering half the field each. (4) “Cover Three” - Zone coverage as above, only with extra help from a cornerback, so that each player covers one-third of a deep zone. (5) “Cover Four” - As above, with the corners and safeties dropping into deep coverage, with each taking one-fourth of the width of the field. Generally speaking, the effectiveness of a defense against short passes and the run drops as it goes from Cover Zero to Cover Four, but their effectiveness against deep passes increases. Other strategies include the “Bracket” (using a “double team” - two defenders on one receiver - to “take away” that receiver) and the “Zone Blitz“ (a defensive stunt where a LB or DB blitzes and a defensive linemen replaces that LB or DB in coverage). Effective defense depends on cooperation from defensive players and an understanding of what coverage they are in. For example, in Cover Two the cornerbacks must be careful to “jam” the wide receivers at the line of scrimmage so that they cannot run deep too quickly. Moreover, if the receivers do break deep, the cornerback must drop back to ensure that the safeties are not spread too wide, leaving a hole between them. In Cover One, the free safety must be aware that one of the cornerbacks could have difficulty covering a wide receiver and must be available to move over to help the cornerback before the quarterback can throw. Moreover, mixing up defensive alignments and not being predictable are important. If an offense recognizes an alignment or coverage scheme, or a tendency to use such a scheme, the offense can often take advantage. For example, if the defense shows that it is planning to blitz and the quarterback reads it before the snap (perhaps the QB sees one of the blitzing players edging toward the line of scrimmage), he knows that it is man-to-man coverage and will look for his fastest receiver to get open or throw to the spot that is vacated by the blitzing player. As you can see, there’s a large portion of football that transcends the physical. We've just begun to scratch the surface, but if youve digested most of the "advanced basics" we've fed you so far, your understanding and appreciation of football should increase. |
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Section Nine Football |
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