The dive back plunges forward, while the QB opens, facing to the right, reading the backside DE. It consists of three running backs: a fullback lined up directly behind the quarterback, and the two halfbacks split behind the fullback. Is it the glory days of the Wishbone in the 1970s and 80s, or do you think of the military academies? The WR1 lines up to the left and the WR2 lines up to the right. Here we talk about the Wishbone, its implementation, defenses (the invention of the 5-2 that led to the 3-4), power vs. option vs. counters, single motion, shifts, unbalanced. The Emory & Henry formation was revived in the 1990s by Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who coined its commonly used name when he explained that he'd seen Emory and Henry College run it in the 1950s. Defense consisting of seven (quarter) or eight (half dollar) defensive backs. The New Orleans Saints. In addition, they had a very potent power running attack with toss sweeps, ISOs and power plays. The wishbone offense, . [29] On passing downs, the Mike (middle linebacker) is often responsible to cover any running backs, the Sam (strong-side linebacker) covers the Tight End, and the Will (weak-side linebacker) either covers a back or blitzes in an attempt to sack the quarterback. It utilizes four wide receivers and no tight ends. Dec 9, 2019. 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. In most defenses, this is a defensive end, but now always. Many variations are possible on both sides of the ball, depending on the strategy being employed. The position was usually filled by a powerful runner who carried the "dive" element of a triple-option rushing attack and played a featured role in the way an offense attempted to move the chains. Both ends are often split wide as wide receivers, though some variations include one or two tight ends. Now, leave the next defender outside the DE unblocked. The Shotgun has become a popular option formation since Eric Crouch and the University of . A noticeable difference from the other teams lined up in the double-wing formation was the lack of line splits across the front. 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. 5/5 Stars by Anonymous. In this formation, the normal tight-end is almost exclusively a blocker, while the H-back is primarily a pass receiver. . I highly recommend following his YouTube channel if you are a fan of any kind of spread offense! A perfectly symmetric formation, we bring our halfback up to play as the second wing back, with our full back lined up directly behind the quarterback. 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. 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. All else is "variations. 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. Also a split-end can be used instead of just two tight-ends. As such, its use has declined since 2009, particularly in the NFL. The "spread" allows teams to use speed and athleticism to exploit gaps . Lets say you call an inside veer to the right. In most cases, one of those two players is the person taking the snap. 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. Atlanta Falcons Wishbone concepts are grafted onto the traditional two-back I to power Colorado to the 1990 national title. Two tight ends line up on the same side as the flanker. This has disrupted the timing of some defenses with the way the quarterback hands the ball off to the halfback. Think of it as a marriage between the split-back veer and the zone read. Some systemic differences across teams. The two remaining backs, called wingbacks or slotbacks, line up behind the line of scrimmage just outside the tackles. This defense is a one gap version of the 34 defense. He may be used as an extra blocker or a receiver. It is generally a balanced formation, and there are backs on both sides of the tailback, offering better pass protection. 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. The other players that are not on the line of scrimmage can either act as tight ends or wide receivers. On a shovel triple option, the back that receivers the forward shovel pass is the first read. 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. 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 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. Because it is generally more difficult to establish a rushing attack using only the shotgun, most NFL teams save the shotgun for obvious passing situations such as 3rd and long or when they are losing and must try to score quickly. The dive back attacks the C-gap or outside the tackle, rather than the guard or B-gap. The Ski-gun is a lesser known version of the flexbone option offense, but still has the inside veer at its core. 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. It has become a very popular offense with high schools and small colleges. It also means that there are more options for blockers as well as receivers . 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]. Remember Oregon with Chip Kelly? Some variants of the triple option have now made the jump to the shotgun formation. Counter or trap play : This teaches linemen how to down block and pull. The 44 defense consists of four defensive linemen, four linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). The tackle spread or "Emory and Henry" formation is an unusual American football formation that dates to the early 1950s, when the Wasps of Emory & Henry College under head coach Conley Snidow used it as part of their base offense. 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). It can be run with two tight ends, one tight end and one wide receiver, or two wide receivers. During the strike season of 1987, the San Francisco 49ers used the wishbone successfully against the New York Giants to win 4121. This formation is most often used on obvious passing downs in the NFL and college football though some teams use it more often, such as Texas Tech University and the New England Patriots in their record-setting 2007 season. These formations lack a flanker, and use the maximum 3 running backs rather than the standard 2. The offense was an immediate success, and Texas won the national championship in 1969 running a wishbone / option system. 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". This formation, paired with the wishbone system, became known as the flexbone. When the snap is taken, they make the first read, then after doing so, they move on to the second read. Do they run triple option as an offense or a play? 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. The fact is triple options are so much more than that. That said, it was regarded as a good formation for trap plays. 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 . Another style is to block the defensive end according to a called run play, like power (fullback/H-back kicks out the DE). His Oklahoma City program presented the new offensive formation to great fanfare before losing to the Southwestern Moundbuilders by a score of 70.[22]. The pitch back is the third read. [44][dubious discuss] The Nickel coverage scheme is often used when the offense is using an additional wide receiver as it matches an extra cornerback against the extra receiver. 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. Flexbone Offense Personnel. 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. 7 DC Pistol Base Formation 8 DC Pistol Formations 9 Motion in the DC Pistol 10 QB and FB Footwork in the GUN 11 Zone Plays 12 23 ZONE 13 23 ZONE vs. [4] More recently, Utah has utilized this formation with quarterback Brian Johnson.[5]. THEYRE THE SAME PLAY! The basic singleback set does not employ a fullback. The Split-T was an offense operating out of a T backfield, where the line splits were very wide, usually around three feet. YouthFootballOnline.com. 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. Both guards, both tackles, a tight end, and a receiver line up on the line of scrimmage. While most offensive playbooks I have looked at were bloated with plays, very few have ever had too many formations. The shotgun offense became a staple of many college football offenses beginning in the 1990s. For example, in 2007, New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini employed a scheme against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots that utilized only 1 defensive lineman and 6 linebackers. It allows defenses more flexibility in man to man coverages and zone blitzes. If offenses grew wise to the drop back, the ends could pass rush instead. Paul Brown was such a meticulous coach that if you gave him something he'd never seen before, he became flustered. There is also a difference in personnel . A triple option is any play that has a designed run called, but instead of two options being made by the player taking the snap, there are three. Also known simply as "Five-wide", a reference to the five wide receivers. It has been used out of the I-formation (and its variants, including the Power-I and Maryland I) and the wishbone formation. It was also the favored formation of the pass-happy BYU Cougars under the tenure of legendary coach LaVell Edwards. This is almost exclusively a passing formation used to spread the field, often to open up short inside routes or screen routes. Some attribute the modern origins of the "Wildcat" to Bill Snyder's Kansas State (whose sports teams are known as the "Wildcats") offense of the late 90s and early 2000s, which featured a lot of zone read runs by the quarterback. The T formation, wishbone, and flexbone are the most popular football formations that use three . 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. 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. As a modern offensive system it is widely regarded as the invention of Don Markham, which revolved around the off-tackle power play, power sweep and trap. This formation is most commonly used for passing, but the quarterback can also hand off to a running back or run himself. In order to create a triple option, the person making the decision must now read two defenders. I love the wishbone and I like killer bee defense. 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. All players other than the kicker may now line up no more than 1 yard behind the restraining line. Into the 80's, Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry was looking for a way to make his Wishbone offense more "flexible." One of the major setbacks of the wishbone is that there are only two players, the two . Yes! The Wishbone, or simply the "Bone," formation is shown below (thanks Wikipedia). With adjustments in blocking and running we can create situations that are unfavorable to the defense at all times. You can turn this into a triple option by leaving the next defender outside that first one unblocked. Since the team had so many talented running backs, they decided to place three gifted rushers in the backfield. The single wing has recently had a renaissance of sorts with high schools; since it is so rare, its sheer novelty can make it successful. The wishbone was developed in the 1960s by Emory Bellard, offensive coordinator at the University of Texas under head coach Darrell Royal. Think of your typical zone read: The O-line blocks inside or outside zone. The Double Wing is widely used at the youth level, becoming more popular at the high school level and has been used at the college level by 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. Jerry Valloton also marketed the offense well when he wrote the first book on the offense. Markham ran very few plays, but blocked them according to defensive fronts and tendencies. Now picture a zone read to the left. If that defender attacks the QB, the QB throws the ball to that receiver, rather than pitching it. 3. [9] The formation was successful, so many NFL and college teams began to incorporate it into their playbooks, often giving it team-specific names such as the "Wildhog" used by the Arkansas Razorbacks, among many other variations. [10], The double wing, as a formation, is widely acknowledged to have been invented by Glenn "Pop" Warner in 1912. If this is the case, there are always at least two intentionally unblocked defenders; one for the decision between options one and two, and the other for the decision between options two and three. 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. I do not consider my offense successful if I score a touchdown in one or two The sixth defensive back is known as the dimeback and this defense is also used in passing situations (particularly when the offense is using four wide receivers). Double Wing Offense: uses two wingbacks to set up power runs and misdirection plays. There are several different variations of the 43 defense such as the 4-3 under defense, 4-3 over defense, 4-3 umbrella defense, 4-3 swim defense, and 4-3 slide defense. The "split T" spreads the offensive line out over almost twice as much ground compared to the conventional T formation. Full Frame: Michael Phelps Goes Fishing. Georgia Tech Option Cut-ups. Also called the "umbrella" defense or "3-deep". This leaves the DE, and the next defender outside of the DE unblocked. Using this new defense, the Giants defeated the Browns twice in 1950 during the regular season. The slot backs would also be even in depth with the QB. This formation utilizes three running backs (a fullback and two halfbacks) and got its name from backfield alignment. 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. 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. Notice that the 4th back required by the rules is the set-back wide receiver at the right (called the flanker). 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. This series is a great offense to considered! When you hear the words triple option, what comes to your mind? The "eagle" in the formation's name comes from the late 1940s-early 1950s Philadelphia Eagles coached by Greasy Neale. This link shows all sorts of schemes from Johnsons system. DOUBLE WING OFFENSE PLAY CALLING The first part of the play call is the formation, we will primarily use TIGHT, OVER TIGHT, and LOOSE. When zone left is called, the option is to the right, and vice versa. Such a pistol-wishbone fusion allows an offense to run an old-school option offense out of a base pistol set. tight wishbone 18 sweep vs. 4-4 split 10 tight wishbone 34 cross lead vs. 6-2 11 tight wishbone fake 42 wedge y pop pass 12 playbook for coaches ^^^ yz[kv^uhww jvt ^pszvu. Frankly, it is a misnomer to call the offense triple option as it is a play that is run out of his spread option offense. Formations with many defensive backs positioned far from the line of scrimmage are susceptible to running plays and short passes. 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. 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. #coachinglife #coaching #youthfootball #playbooks #footballplays. Youth Football Pistol Formation. This formation is typically used for trick plays, though it is somewhat counterintuitively effective in short-yardage situations: a screen pass thrown to the strong side of the formation will have enough blockers to generate a push forward, and the mismatch can create enough of an advantage that the center and quarterback can provide enough blocking power to clear a path for the running back. The quarter formations are run from a 317 or a 407 in most instances; the New England Patriots have used an 047 in some instances with no down linemen. Arguable the most devastating offensive attack ever in college football were the Nebraska Cornhusker teams under Tom Osbourne in the 1990s. There are two major differences. http://yout. In football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the field. Here is the offense that everyone in big time college football seems to be running right now. His playbook will provide the following for coaches wishing to see how the offense works: Formations and tags. The Notre Dame Box differed from the traditional single-wing in that the line was balanced and the halfback who normally played the "wing" in the single-wing was brought in more tightly, with the option of shifting out to the wing. The Saints have always been at the top of the passing attack, but with Drew Brees' retirement, we'll have to see what becomes of the black and gold. 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. Their materials may be seen on their respective websites. There can be two tight ends as well, with no wide receivers. Combining the wishbone and run-and-shoot offenses into one cohesive offensive front has expanded the options football coaches have when considering which offense their team will execute on game day. 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. The power spread offense is designed to be very simple to run and install. 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 pistol can create advantages in the play-action game. The Philosophy: The double tight wishbone's main concept is running the football every down to punish the defenders. Top 5 flex/wingbone plays on the game IMO: Flexbone: Trips Left - TR Option Center. The rest of the offense is far away near the sideline. The Seattle Seahawks under Mike Holmgren also favored this type of formation with the tight end usually being replaced with a third wide receiver. Many other teams in the NFL, even those that do not use this as a primary formation, still run some plays using a variant of this formation. [30] It was called the "Umbrella" defense because of the four defensive backs, whose crescent alignment resembled an opened umbrella, and the tactic of allowing the defensive ends to fall back into pass coverage, converting the defense, in Owen's language, from a 614 into a 416. Or Bob Davie at New Mexico? There are no rules regarding the formation of defensive players or their movement before the snap of the ball as the choice of when to snap the ball is that of the offense which would consequently deprive the defense of an opportunity to take a set position. 22 Dive (Wishbone) 24 Blast (Wishbone) 26 Off-Tackle (Wishbone) 28 Sweep (Wishbone) 23 Counter (Wishbone) 25 Cutback (Wishbone) 29 Weak Sweep (Wishbone) It was created by Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, and evolved from Buddy Ryan's 46 defense. 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. Hurricane Gun Option Offense on February 27, 2017. April 2021 Table of Contents. This may tell the defense you are running the ball, but it also allows for a lot of blockers. Immediately next to him, lined up behind the Guards, are the two blocking backs. The wishbone is a 1960s variation of the T-formation. The base backfield has two backs to either side of the QB. However, the Wing Back may also line up diagonally from the Tight End. 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. It can be a handoff, a lateral or pitch, or a pass, or if the person making the decision is keeping the ball, none of the above. If the DE attacks the dive, the QB pulls. Certain college programs, such as the University of Hawaii and Texas Tech still use it as their primary formation. This is similar to a 33 stack, but with players more spread. Defender. If you were in shot gun, you were a mad scientist. The other 3 backs lined up on the same side of the QB in various arrangements. Any defense consisting of six defensive backs. ", The 5-3 defense consists of five defensive linemen, three linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). It also allows for ten offensive players to block, unlike in a conventional running play, in which the quarterback is usually not involved after delivering the ball to a running back. Coach Bill Walsh used the wishbone because of his replacement quarterback's familiarity with a similar formation in college. This base defense consists of four defensive linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). This defense was the philosophical equivalent of the "Notre Dame Box" offense devised by Knute Rockne in the 1930s, in that it used an unbalanced field and complex pre-snap motion to confuse the opposing offense. Chicago rode this defense into a 151 season in 1985, culminating in a 4610 win over New England in Super Bowl XX. 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 . It then was an important formation up to the T formation era. Now, rather than having a pitch back coming from behind the QB, put that pitch back as a wide receiver out by the sidelines, to the outside of that second unblocked defender. With Markham's success came many converts to his offense and many variations of the offense over the years. Therefore, the deployment and tactics of defensive players are bound only by the imagination of the play designer and the line of scrimmage. The 6-2 defense consists of six defensive linemen, two linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). Now that defensive schemes have been designed to stop the "West Coast" offense, I . Don Markham at American Sports University. Brigham Young University also uses the spread offense, although they tend to employ their tight ends more frequently than Hawaii and Texas Tech. The difference is that the two backs are split behind the quarterback instead of being lined up behind him. The previous RPOs were against 2-high safeties, because that defensive coordinators like to emulate Nick Saban's defense just like offensive coordinators like to emulate Gus Malzahn's offense. Historically, this was the first major defense with 4 defensive backs, and was used to combat the passing attacks of the time. NFL quarterbacks are not necessarily good runners, and are in any case too valuable to the offense to risk injury by regularly running with the football. Bring a back or receiver into the backfield via formation call or motion, and have the QB read that second unblocked defender. The most common seven-man line defenses were the 7-2-2 defense and the 7-1-2-1 defense. 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. 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 dive back is going to charge hard forward while the QB opens, facing the right, reading the play-side DE. interior line and LBs for dive, DE for qb and OLB for pitch man or switch if its double dive. Both offenses also developed secondary veer plays as well, most notably the outside veer, considered by many as the most difficult veer play to stop. The wishbone offense was created by University of Texas assistant Emory Bellard in an attempt to revive the troubled Longhorns' offense. 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. 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. The modern descendant of the Single Wing. The pistol formation adds the dimension of a running game with the halfback being in a singleback position. In the wishbone there are three running backs, two halfbacks and a fullback. 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 flexbone formation is a variation of the wishbone formation. In 2018, the NFL further amended the rules on the kickoff formation. If they run option in my humble opinion you have to assign players for each. The number of upbacks and gunners can vary, and either position can be replaced by a tight end in a "max protect" situation. 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. He is currently the offensive coordinator at Hillcrest High School in the state of Idaho.