If that defender attacks the QB, the QB pitches it to the trailing halfback. Most recently the 6-1 Defense saw an appearance in Super Bowl LIII, where the New England Patriots used it to pressure the high-powering Los Angeles Rams. Two standup players (Monster and Rover) are in "5" techniques. It is occasionally referred to as the prevent defense because of its use in preventing desperation plays. Instead of having four linemen and six linebackers (as the name may suggest), it is actually a 44 set using 43 personnel. This Shotgun formation is found exclusively in the Dolphins' playbook. Also called the "split backs" or "three-end formation", this is similar to the I-formation and has the same variations. The QB and RB mesh, and the QB reads the backside defensive end for give or keep. One style is like the one just described: Read the DE, then the next defender out for hand off, QB run, or pass. A third type of veer play is the midline. Hurricane Gun Option Offense on February 27, 2017. Emerging during the late 1990s and 2000s the spread option is typically run from any variant of the shotgun formation such as the example above. Defense is based on two standard formations, the 6-2-3, and the 5-3-3. Atlanta Falcons The wishbone offense, . Under center is favorable when you want to hide the ball more and get your RB's coming downhill in the run game. Joe Gibbs, twice head coach of the Washington Redskins, devised an ace variation that used a setback, or "flexed" tight end known as an H-back. Faster linebackers require more blocking on the outside, and spoil the top plays of the wishbone. The QB executes the same reads and the pitch back runs the same track. The blocking they used for the triple option was veer, just like the veer and bone offenses, but now they could always have their stud tailback as the pitch back. Though the wildcat concept was successful for a time, its effectiveness decreased as defensive coordinators prepared their teams for the change of pace play. 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. [13][18][19] In the 1956 NFL Championship, the Chicago Bears shifted into a short punt formation in the third quarter, after falling way behind.[20]. If that defender attacks the QB, the QB throws the ball to that receiver, rather than pitching it. With this offense, the quarterback has the ability to get a better look past the offensive line and at the defense. Remember Oregon with Chip Kelly? 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. 11 personnel (1 back, 1 TE, 3 WRs), with the TE playing as the H or Hybrid back position. This also allows the smaller halfbacks to hide behind the offensive line, causing opposing linebackers and pass-rushing defensive linemen to play more conservatively. The two remaining backs, called wingbacks or slotbacks, line up behind the line of scrimmage just outside the tackles. Coach Bill Walsh used the wishbone because of his replacement quarterback's familiarity with a similar formation in college. In the original 43, defensive tackles would line up opposite the offensive guards, and defensive ends on the outside shoulders of the offensive tackles. In order to create a triple option, the person making the decision must now read two defenders. 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. October 08, 2018. 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. April 2021 Table of Contents. With a full breakdown of how one might implement this offense, the bone and shoot attack run is sure to maximize your offensive attacks in a way . 2k followers Football Drills . The T formation is the precursor to most modern formations in that it places the quarterback directly under center (in contrast to its main competitor of its day, the single wing, which had the quarterback receiving the ball on the fly). Shaughnessy thought he would make a great receiver but already had two great receivers in Tom Fears and Bob Shaw. As the extra defensive back in the nickel formation is called the nickel, two nickels gives you a dime, hence the name of the formation. To defend punts, the defensive line usually uses a man-on-man system with seven defensive linemen, two cornerbacks, a linebacker and a kick returner. 3 man roll if you have 2 corners 1 . 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. [13][14] In times when punting on second and third down was fairly common, teams would line up in the short punt formation and offer the dual threat of punt or pass. In this variation of the 34, known also as the "34 eagle", the nose guard is removed from play and in his place is an extra linebacker, who lines up on the line where the nose guard would be, sometimes slightly behind where the nose guard would be. 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. These may employ either tight ends or split ends (wide receivers) or one of each. 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. HuskerBLM said: Off Season "I wonder": The Wishbone and I Formation Option offenses. Counter or trap play : This teaches linemen how to down block and pull. This was the primary defense in football, at all levels, during the single wing era (the 1930s), combining enough passing defense to handle the passing attacks of the day along with the ability to handle the power running games of the times. The A-11 offense combines the Emory and Henry with the wildcat, in that either of the two backs in the backfield can receive the snap and act as quarterback. This is similar to a 33 stack, but with players more spread. The rest of the offense is far away near the sideline. An unusual formation, the swinging gate consists of a center all alone with the quarterback lined up behind him in shotgun. It is because of this that the secondary safety in a football defense is called a free safety rather than a weak safety. 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 . The fourth back is most commonly employed as an extra wide receiver. 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. Now that defensive schemes have been designed to stop the "West Coast" offense, I . . Two Linebackers are 3 yards off the ball behind the DT's. The wishbone is a 1960s variation of the T-formation. The following is a list of common and historically significant formations in American football. This link shows all sorts of schemes from Johnsons system. 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. Schenkel, Chris, NBC Broadcast, 1956 NFL Championship. However, the Wing Back may also line up diagonally from the Tight End. 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. Or Georgia Southern in recent years? Wishbone has 2 tight-ends, 5 linemen, 1 fullback, and 2 half backs. 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 then was an important formation up to the T formation era. When zone left is called, the option is to the right, and vice versa. The QB then reads the next defender out, and can either give or keep, or give or throw. Formations: I-Formation Pro Wishbone Wing-T Ace . The quarterback in this formation (called at the time a "single-wing tailback"), like today's shotgun QB, received the snap on the fly. Shotgun Formation In the shotgun formation the quarterback stands several . [42] A later evolution of the original 5-2 is the Oklahoma 52, which ultimately became the professional 3-4 when the defensive ends of the original 5-2 were substituted over time for the outside linebackers of the 34. They proudly claimed the name of this variation, the ski-gun.. If the defender attacks one option, they choose the other option. It's a combination of wishbone power, wing-t blocking, spread concepts, and pistol formations all in to one. On veer, the hole or dive path is fixed, meaning the back dives forward to the B-gap, then stays on that veer track, angling off the wall of down blocks. The wishbone is a running formation. The Wishbone, or simply the "Bone," formation is shown below (thanks Wikipedia). Pistol formations have gained some popularity in NCAA football, and in fact, variants of this offense were used by the 2007 and 2009 BCS National Champions, LSU and Alabama, respectively. Heres whats really amazing about running triple option from the zone readit works just like inside veer. Immediately next to him, lined up behind the Guards, are the two blocking backs. 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. 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. 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. Same rules as veer: block down inside the hole, leave the first defender on or outside the hole unblocked. With the backfield lining up in the conventional T formation behind the center (quarterback, two halfbacks and fullback), the resulting configuration is "unbalanced" due to the asymmetry of the placement of the linemen. Half dollar defenses are almost always run from a 308 formation. What we are seeing is an application of option and triple option football to a more diverse running and passing game. The offense was an immediate success, and Texas won the national championship in 1969 running a wishbone / option system. "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. 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 Run n Shoot is a very pass heavy, downfield, four wide receiver offense that developed in the 1960s, and for decades, was a major offensive threat in college and the NFL. 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. 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. [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. It is used exclusively as a change of pace due to its inherent limitations, namely that the tackles cannot receive forward passes or advance downfield despite their positioning, and that the diminished interior line makes the quarterback vulnerable to a quickly-arriving pass rush. A kick returner will usually remain back in the event of an unexpected deep kick in this situation. [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. WhatIf's Dynasty College Football Sim - The Ultimate Fantasy Football Games - Coach your favorite college team - Recruit players, set game plans and dominate Theyre zone read systems that rely heavily on triple options. This leaves the DE, and the next defender outside of the DE unblocked. While most offensive playbooks I have looked at were bloated with plays, very few have ever had too many formations. The outside veer is pretty similar to the Split-T option play. Full Frame: Michael Phelps Goes Fishing. 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. It has a balance of passing, which is predominantly play-action in nature. While Army, Navy, Air . The core of his ski-gun is still there, and it has grown a small and committed cult following among some high school coaches. There are few stars in a wishbone offense. . Is it the glory days of the Wishbone in the 1970s and 80s, or do you think of the military academies? The Flexbone offense will utilize three running backs in the backfield at all times. The pistol formation adds the dimension of a running game with the halfback being in a singleback position. 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]. "[16], The formation differs in two significant ways from the single wing. The power spread offense is designed to be very simple to run and install. The T formation, wishbone, and flexbone are the most popular football formations that use three . . Most offensive systems that employ the wishbone use it as their primary formation, and most run the ball much more often than they pass. Do they run triple option as an offense or a play? Minnesota and TCU are also starting to employ the spread offense. 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. It might look like a new-age offense, but its roots go back 40, 80, and even 100 years. The fact is triple options are so much more than that. It is generally a balanced formation, and there are backs on both sides of the tailback, offering better pass protection. 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. This formation was invented by Buddy Ryan, defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears during the 1980s. The difference is that the two backs are split behind the quarterback instead of being lined up behind him. Two tight ends line up on the same side as the flanker. Markham ran very few plays, but blocked them according to defensive fronts and tendencies. 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). Attack. A formation similar to the Flexbone, though much older, is known as the "Delaware Wing-T" was created by longtime University of Delaware coach and NCAA Rules Committee chairman David M. Nelson, and perfected by his successor Tubby Raymond. The Philosophy: The double tight wishbone's main concept is running the football every down to punish the defenders. The Maryland I was developed by Maryland head coach Tom Nugent. 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. "This Army team is . 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. The Wing T has its roots in what Otto D. Unruh called the "T-Wing" formation and is known to have called the play as early as 1938 with the Bethel Threshers.[23]. The shotgun formation is the most common offensive formation used in American football. Thus started what was known as the three-end formation. The wildcat gives the runner a good look at the defense before the snap, allowing him to choose the best running lane. 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. Lets say you call an inside veer to the right. 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 original Eagle defense was a 52 arrangement, with five defensive linemen and two linebackers. With this series, you have the foundational movements of the classic triple option: A dive, a QB keep, and a pitch phase. 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. 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 . (If the punting team is deep in its own territory, the 15-yard distance would have to be shortened by up to 5 yards to keep the punter in front of the end line.) The WR1 lines up to the left and the WR2 lines up to the right. It was also the favored formation of the pass-happy BYU Cougars under the tenure of legendary coach LaVell Edwards. Gun T an RPO System Kenny Simpson 2020-05-12 The Gun T RPO system is now available for coaches wishing to see Coach Simpson's offense. Whether you're seeing the Wishbone, Spread, I-Formation or Flex Bone Option, this is the perfect front to stop those offenses. It saw use during the 1950s in Owen's hands, but never became a significant base defense. Bring a back or receiver into the backfield via formation call or motion, and have the QB read that second unblocked defender. 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. 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. They are still sometimes used in goal-line situations. Notice that the 4th back required by the rules is the set-back wide receiver at the right (called the flanker). 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 Eagles named their version the "Herman Edwards" play after their cornerback who scored the winning touchdown on the above fateful play. Historically, this was the first major defense with 4 defensive backs, and was used to combat the passing attacks of the time. Schaughnessy moved Hirsch to the flanker position behind the right end. 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. This creates a line that is weighted toward the right of the center. This is also a balanced formation (even threats on each side of the field). ago. 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. In Neale's defense, as in Shurmur's variation, the nose tackle could also drop into pass coverage, thus Shurmur's use of the Eagle defense name. Along with zone read from spread sets, teams have also used power and veer schemes to run shovel options as well. Defense consisting of seven (quarter) or eight (half dollar) defensive backs. Meanwhile, the center and the guards remain in the middle of the field along with the quarterback and a running back. Developed at Muskegon High School (MI), pronounced Muh-ski-gun, head coach Tony Annesse made his own adaptations to Paul Johnsons offense, leading Muskegon to multiple state titles. DOUBLE WING OFFENSE PLAY CALLING The first part of the play call is the formation, we will primarily use TIGHT, OVER TIGHT, and LOOSE. By the late 2010s, the pistol had become a favored formation of teams running the run-pass option (RPO) offense, such as the 2019 Baltimore Ravens with quarterback Lamar Jackson. The short punt is an older formation popular when scoring was harder and a good punt was an offensive weapon. All players other than the kicker may now line up no more than 1 yard behind the restraining line. Here is the offense that everyone in big time college football seems to be running right now. 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 . The Pistol Offense is a more sophisticated offense for youth football teams than the Single Wing, Wishbone, Wing-T and or the I Formation. 4-4 is another good one for wishbone. The zone read can be a triple option play! This formation is most often associated with Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers teams of the 1980s and his West Coast Offense. This defense is a one gap version of the 34 defense. This triple-option attack went on to win Texas back-to-back National Championships before . However, as with any hugely successful formation or philosophy, as teams learned how to defend against it, it became much less successful. Nov. 7, 2012. There are many flavors of triple option, and you can find these various types throughout all of football, from youth levels, to the NFL. 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. 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 wishbone requires the QB and RB to get to the corner in many of their bread and butter plays in order to force a DE to choose the QB or RB, and then have the QB or RB beat the corner back for large plays. [33] As late as the early 1950s, the Cleveland Browns were using a 5-3 as their base defense.[34][35]. Shotgun, Trips left (3 wide receivers on the same side) Shotgun, Max Protect (Full back in to provide additional protection to quarterback) . In most cases, one of those two players is the person taking the snap. The wishbone offense is a balanced offense that forces the defense to defend both sides of the formation. Both ends are often split wide as wide receivers, though some variations include one or two tight ends. There can be two tight ends as well, with no wide receivers. Many modern football offenses can be traced back to Yale's T Formation, especially after Halas' Chicago Bears along with . The basic singleback set does not employ a fullback. The flexbone formation is a variation of the wishbone formation. Or Bob Davie at New Mexico? It consists of three running backs lined up abreast about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a T. It may feature two tight ends (known as the Power T) or one tight end and a wide receiver (in this case known as a split end). [26], The Cincinnati Bengals under Marvin Lewis occasionally used a variant of the Emory and Henry formation, which they called the "Star Wars" formation; in their version, both offensive tackles line up on the same side of the quarterback, thus creating a hybrid between the Emory & Henry and the swinging gate.[27][28]. The slot backs would also be even in depth with the QB. [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 Shotgun alignment of the Quarterback adds a level of complexity along with the deeper TB and Spread alignments with passing concepts. The second difference is the blocking technique. [25] The New England Patriots used a variation of the formation by placing a (legally declared) eligible-numbered receiver in the ineligible tackle position; the confusion this caused prompted the league to impose a rule change prohibiting that twist beginning in 2015. [4] More recently, Utah has utilized this formation with quarterback Brian Johnson.[5]. He may come in motion for running plays. There are two major differences. Chicago rode this defense into a 151 season in 1985, culminating in a 4610 win over New England in Super Bowl XX. The ball is snapped to the runner, who usually has the option of either running the ball himself or handing it to another running back lined up in the backfield. The first is the dive-backs assignment. We use 1 back, 2 backs, 3 backs and no back formations. Also called the "umbrella" defense or "3-deep". The 335 removes a lineman to the nickelback. The common rule of blocking on the inside veer is that the first defensive player on (over) or outside of the play-side tackle is the dive read. He may be used as an extra blocker or a receiver. Fielding Yost and Pop Warner referred to the old T Formation as the Regular Formation.. Often, a tight end or full back position is occupied by a player who normally plays offensive line or defensive line positions to act as an extra blocker. Now, leave the next defender outside the DE unblocked. The T Formation is said to be the oldest football formation. In its earliest incarnation, it also used a loophole in the high school rulebook that allowed players wearing any uniform number to play at either an ineligible or eligible position, further increasing defensive confusion and allowing for more flexibility among players changing positions between plays. If offenses grew wise to the drop back, the ends could pass rush instead. On a shovel triple option, the back that receivers the forward shovel pass is the first read. Paul Brown was such a meticulous coach that if you gave him something he'd never seen before, he became flustered. Clark Shaughnessy designed the formation from the T Formation in 1949 after acquiring halfback Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch. This article is going to further define what a triple option is, and some of the more common styles or families of executing them. This may tell the defense you are running the ball, but it also allows for a lot of blockers. There is also a difference in personnel . In 2011, the NFL instituted a rule requiring players other than the kicker to line up no more than 5 yards from the ball before the kick. Formation: Wishbone Plays out of the Wishbone Formation. interior line and LBs for dive, DE for qb and OLB for pitch man or switch if its double dive. 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 LB's have hook zones. Arkansas last ran it in the late 80s under Ken Hatfield. [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. When you hear the words triple option, what comes to your mind? By having the mass of runners in the center it creates an unbalanced field of 8 verses 7 throughout the entire game. The Pistol can also feature the option play. Still, this list of formations covers enough of the basics that almost every formation can be considered a variant of the ones listed below. It was functionally replaced by the more versatile 43. The shotgun offense became a staple of many college football offenses beginning in the 1990s. By 1950, five man lines were standard in the NFL, either the 5-3 or the 5-2 Eagle. Shurmur created the defense in part to take advantage of the pass rush abilities of Kevin Greene, a defensive end sized linebacker. The '46' refers not to any lineman/linebacker orientation but was the jersey number of hard hitting strong safety Doug Plank, the player Buddy Ryan first used in this role at Chicago. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Also a split-end can be used instead of just two tight-ends. 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. 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.