It consists of three running backs: a fullback lined up directly behind the quarterback, and the two halfbacks split behind the fullback. Arizona Cardinals. [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. Below are some of the most popular defensive formations through the history of football. 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. Seems like most offenses run a single set back and/or shotgun formation most of the time and the ol' Wishbone and I Formations only get run on special situations. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy says he and his former offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, don't always have the same vision for what an offense should do.McCarthy says Moore wants to score points . In this formation, one back (the fullback) lines up behind the quarterback. This style was popularized by a coach named Tony Demeo when he coached at various sub-FBS/I-A programs. Lets say you call an inside veer to the right. 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. 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. 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). The dive back is going to charge hard forward while the QB opens, facing the right, reading the play-side DE. If you can make that quick read all five of these get to the 2nd level QUICK and rarely result in negative plays. Most offensive systems that employ the wishbone use it as their primary formation, and most run the ball much more often than they pass. More extreme defensive formations have been used when a coach feels that his team is at a particular disadvantage due to the opponent's offensive tactics or poor personnel match-ups. We will use RIP and LIZ for slow motion or ROCKET And LASER for sprint motion. Also a split-end can be used instead of just two tight-ends. As a result, it was considered a much better passing formation than running, as the premiere running formation was the single wing. This offense was originated with Chris Ault at the University of Nevada, Reno. One variation of the T Formation would be where all the running backs would be closer than usual, being at fullback depth rather than halfback depth. 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. 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. This base defense consists of four defensive linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). hhpatriot04. Whether you're seeing the Wishbone, Spread, I-Formation or Flex Bone Option, this is the perfect front to stop those offenses. The fourth back is most commonly employed as an extra wide receiver. This formation is often referred to as a "two tight end" set. In most cases, it is exclusively a running formation, designed to score by brute force. Singleback Offense: a versatile passing offense, which also works well for draws and outside runs. In addition, they had a very potent power running attack with toss sweeps, ISOs and power plays. 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. Today, Tony Annesse is the head coach at Ferris State University (MI), and he has since adapted his offense to more modern concepts that are popular in college football, like RPOs, which this article will get to shortly. Sometimes this is an outside linebacker. Two standup players (Monster and Rover) are in "5" techniques. The three options are the dive back attacking the guards butt to the B-gap, the QB keeping off tackle, and the pitch back trailing behind. 22 Dive (Wishbone) 24 Blast (Wishbone) 26 Off-Tackle (Wishbone) 28 Sweep (Wishbone) 23 Counter (Wishbone) 25 Cutback (Wishbone) 29 Weak Sweep (Wishbone) Defender. Power RPO with Ron McKie. The 44 defense consists of four defensive linemen, four linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). While these teams relied on more double options, like midline, freeze, dive, belly, down, and lead option, triple options existed as well. 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. [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. Plays. 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). A third type of veer play is the midline. . 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. Midline QB ISO (in any bone formation) Wingbone: Normal - TR Option STR. Army and Navy both currently run Paul Johnsons system, and Johnson also ran it at Georgia Tech. 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. The Pistol can also feature the option play. This play attacks the parameter of the defense, with two lead blockers and a crack block from the split end. You now have what is essentially a run-pass option. Each player on the line has a two gap responsibility. Os Doenges of Oklahoma City University is credited with inventing the offensive V formation, nicknamed "Three dots and a dash" (Morse code for the letter "v"). The dive back plunges forward, while the QB opens, facing to the right, reading the backside DE. Still, this list of formations covers enough of the basics that almost every formation can be considered a variant of the ones listed below. There are many flavors of triple option, and you can find these various types throughout all of football, from youth levels, to the NFL. Diagram and description of the Maryland I at. Schenkel, Chris, NBC Broadcast, 1956 NFL Championship. [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. 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. Some systemic differences across teams. Chicago rode this defense into a 151 season in 1985, culminating in a 4610 win over New England in Super Bowl XX. The running game is nonexistent, and it is usually only used in desperation. If the opposite team is a good passing team, outside linebackers are usually called on to defend slotbacks. 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. They are still sometimes used in goal-line situations. On zone, the back is reading the blocks, and is making a read as to which direction to take the ball. There is also a variation of this defense called the 3-4 under defense. You can turn this into a triple option by leaving the next defender outside that first one unblocked. A variation of the ace is known as the spread formation. The formation is a twist on the basic T Formation that has been a popular Goal Line formation for decades. It was functionally replaced by the more versatile 43. This creates a line that is weighted toward the right of the center. 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. The NFL also made a rule regarding the receiving team's formation in 2018. After all, formations are cheap. All that really changes on the O-line is that instead of leaving alone the first defender on or outside the play-side tackle, they now leave the first defender on or outside the tight-end unblocked. A noticeable difference from the other teams lined up in the double-wing formation was the lack of line splits across the front. One of those other players can be the person making the read (QB keep). The wishbone is a running formation. April 2021 Table of Contents. It also means that there are more options for blockers as well as receivers . The third part of the play is a number. (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.) 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. The 6-2 defense consists of six defensive linemen, two linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). Full Frame: Michael Phelps Goes Fishing. When you hear the veer as an offense, it usually means the split-back veer, or Houston Veer. The Veer offense differs from the wishbone in that it operated from a split-back backfield, using more pro-style formations, featuring a tight-end, split-end, and flanker. A tackle-spread formation was included in the video game Madden NFL 18 under the name "Gun Monster;" it proved to be a problem for the game's artificial intelligence, which could not discern eligible receivers from ineligible ones. Seven-man line defenses use seven down linemen on the line of scrimmage. 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. 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. Many college teams use variations of the shotgun as their primary formation, as do a few professional teams, such as the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. The Chicago Bears of the mid-1980s famously used defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry as a fullback in this formation. This may tell the defense you are running the ball, but it also allows for a lot of blockers. The Shotgun has become a popular option formation since Eric Crouch and the University of . The second part of the play call is the motion, if any. One style is like the one just described: Read the DE, then the next defender out for hand off, QB run, or pass. The Ski-gun is an even more spread version of the wishbone/flexbone system. Most say option football began with the Split-T offense that was very popular in the 1940s and 50s. The wishbone offense is a balanced offense that forces the defense to defend both sides of the formation. This formation sacrifices some size (of linemen) for speed (of linebackers), but coaches choosing to utilize this formation as their base defense typically choose larger players in the front 7 to make up for the shortage of size. If you can identify these two components, you have yourself a triple option play. Two tight ends line up on the same side as the flanker. "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. It was . The original Eagle defense was a 52 arrangement, with five defensive linemen and two linebackers. 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. 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. The play, triple option, can be run out of the spread option, the split back veer, the wishbone, the I formation and even today out of a shotgun spread. In most cases, one of those two players is the person taking the snap. The whole system can be installed within 3 - 5 days and then you get reps, reps, reps. THEYRE THE SAME PLAY! 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 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. Now youre leaving the third defender outside (or behind) of the DE unblocked. Usually, one of the wingbacks will go in motion behind the quarterback before the snap, potentially giving him another option to pitch to. It was created by Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, and evolved from Buddy Ryan's 46 defense. In the original 43, defensive tackles would line up opposite the offensive guards, and defensive ends on the outside shoulders of the offensive tackles. It utilizes four wide receivers and no tight ends. Schaughnessy moved Hirsch to the flanker position behind the right end. The base play of this offense features a dive component, where the QB runs straight down the line of scrimmage to mesh with a diving halfback. Formation: Wishbone Plays out of the Wishbone Formation. The called plays out of this action were halfback dive, QB keep, and halfback pitch. Now almost everyone has shotgun or pistol alignments. The pistol can create advantages in the play-action game. In this formation, the linemen often line up directly in front of the offensive line, while the linebackers "shoot the gaps". 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. Eight players on the receiving team must be lined up in the 15-yard "set up zone" measured from the receiving team's restraining line 10 yards from the ball. Veer schemes typically have linemen with their weight far forward, and lunging out, almost on all fours to block the defense, using mostly shoulders to block or pin defenders. The "spread" allows teams to use speed and athleticism to exploit gaps . The other players that are not on the line of scrimmage can either act as tight ends or wide receivers. Traditionally, the defenders that are read are also left unblocked. But once you gash them a couple of times with these Run Pass Options, then defensive coordinators will pin their ears back and go into a 1-High Shell. Immediately next to him, lined up behind the Guards, are the two blocking backs. double wing 38 sweep hb pass This is the base defense of some teams. The Eagles named their version the "Herman Edwards" play after their cornerback who scored the winning touchdown on the above fateful play. 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. Kick return formations vary; in most situations, an association football-like formation is used, with eleven players staggered throughout the field including two (rarely, one) kick returners back to field deep kicks, two more twenty yards ahead of them to field squib kicks, two more at about midfield mainly to assist in blocking, and five players located the minimum ten yards from the kicking line. [45][46][47][48] Strong safeties are often the more physical of the safeties, often resembling linebackers, so a Nickel with the extra safety can be more effective against the run than one with an extra corner. Many modern football offenses can be traced back to Yale's T Formation, especially after Halas' Chicago Bears along with . Paul Brown was such a meticulous coach that if you gave him something he'd never seen before, he became flustered. [41] The other feature of the 46 was the placement of both "outside" linebackers on the same side of the formation, with the defensive line shifted the opposite way with the weak defensive end about 1 to 2 yards outside the weak offensive tackle. Clark Shaughnessy designed the formation from the T Formation in 1949 after acquiring halfback Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch. 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. Even in his last year at Rice (2005) he was in it a good amount of time. They are used primarily as running formations, often in goal line situations. [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 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. Shurmur created the defense in part to take advantage of the pass rush abilities of Kevin Greene, a defensive end sized linebacker. [10], The double wing, as a formation, is widely acknowledged to have been invented by Glenn "Pop" Warner in 1912. 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. The wildcat gives the runner a good look at the defense before the snap, allowing him to choose the best running lane. It has a balance of passing, which is predominantly play-action in nature. Top 5 flex/wingbone plays on the game IMO: Flexbone: Trips Left - TR Option Center. Please, Source Link: Secrets of the Split-T, Part 2, Georgia Tech Option Cut-ups. This link shows all sorts of schemes from Johnsons system. There are two major differences. Since an extra wide receiver is lined up in the space between the tackle or tight end and the outside wide receiver, he is called the slot receiver. ", The 5-3 defense consists of five defensive linemen, three linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). When you hear the words triple option, what comes to your mind? Minnesota and TCU are also starting to employ the spread offense. This formation, paired with the wishbone system, became known as the flexbone. Using the Diamond Formation to Create Mismatches. Historically, this was the first major defense with 4 defensive backs, and was used to combat the passing attacks of the time. 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 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 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. [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]. Often, these ball transfers are in the form of a hand-off (also called a mesh), or a pitch/lateral. I love the wishbone and I like killer bee defense. 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. [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. Hurricane Gun Option Offense on February 27, 2017. Atlanta Falcons These may employ either tight ends or split ends (wide receivers) or one of each. 28 Sweep (Wishbone) Youth football defenses often times can get in the bad habit of getting sucked inside as you pound the ball up the middle. Thus started what was known as the three-end formation. However, it is also incorrect. 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. Both ends are often split wide as wide receivers, though some variations include one or two tight ends. The T Formation is said to be the oldest football formation. It then was an important formation up to the T formation era. 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. The formation is popular in high school football as well as smaller collegiate teams. It saw use during the 1950s in Owen's hands, but never became a significant base defense. Others attribute the origins to Hugh Wyatt, a Double Wing coach (See Double Wing discussion below). That way if they went in motion, defenses couldnt tell if they were going behind the QB to be a pitch back, or in front of the QB to run a jet sweep. . The 335 removes a lineman to the nickelback. Developed by the Missouri Tigers at the start of the 40s, the offense spread throughout football, and became the offense of infamous Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson. Currently 5/5 Stars. The extra corner is often called a nickelback. At Hawaii however, when Johnson was an assistant, they were looking to make their running game more effective. Don Markham at American Sports University. Or Georgia Southern in recent years? Under center is favorable when you want to hide the ball more and get your RB's coming downhill in the run game. With the Diamond (also called the Inverted Wishbone), the quarterback is in shotgun with a tailback . The advantage is that while 4 players still usually rush the line, the quarterback can be less sure of which of the 4 linebackers will join the 3 linemen. All else is "variations. One is by removing a linebacker from the standard 43 to add the extra defensive back. While most offensive playbooks I have looked at were bloated with plays, very few have ever had too many formations. Think of it as a marriage between the split-back veer and the zone read. 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. The New Orleans Saints. 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 Pistol Offense is a more sophisticated offense for youth football teams than the Single Wing, Wishbone, Wing-T and or the I Formation. [2] In this configuration the line of scrimmage has an end and tackle left of center, while to the right of the center are two guards, a tackle, and an end. As such, its use has declined since 2009, particularly in the NFL. Now, what if you were told that many of the college offenses you see on TV today are also running the triple option? Notice that the 4th back required by the rules is the set-back wide receiver at the right (called the flanker). 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. 3 man roll if you have 2 corners 1 . 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. In Madden 22, the . The "split T" spreads the offensive line out over almost twice as much ground compared to the conventional T formation. . This is similar to a 33 stack, but with players more spread. 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. With this offense, the quarterback has the ability to get a better look past the offensive line and at the defense. Wishbone: Wide - Triple Option. It also makes an effective run formation, because it "spreads the field" and forces the defense to respect the pass, thus taking players out of the box. Half dollar defenses are almost always run from a 308 formation. 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. If the defender attacks one option, they choose the other option. If youre thinking of one or the other, youre correct. Remember Oregon with Chip Kelly? 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. The rest of the offense is far away near the sideline. Not surprisingly the T Formation was developed in the mid 1880s by the father of American football, Walter Camp at Yale. The fullback behind the QB would then lead block around the end, with the trailing halfback following the fullback. The Green Wave, on the other hand, run the option attack from the shotgun and pistol formations, using a no huddle style to keep opponents from subbing. Into the 80s, 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 ends, who could be immediate deep passing threats. Now that defensive schemes have been designed to stop the "West Coast" offense, I . Meanwhile, the center and the guards remain in the middle of the field along with the quarterback and a running back. Zone principles teach a more balanced stance, and using hands and leverage to steer defenders in a particular direction. Here are three diagrams of I-Formation, strong side right (that is, with the tight end lining up to the right, typical for a right-handed quarterback). 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. He used other variations of formations for the triple option, but he still had the base wishbone as a major part of his offense. By 1950, five man lines were standard in the NFL, either the 5-3 or the 5-2 Eagle. A combination of the 44, 62, and the 46, it is designed to stop the run and to confuse offenses. 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. He may come in motion for running plays. The offense is designed in complete backfield series, each of which presents multiple threats to the defense on each play. It appeared in the early thirties as a response to the improving passing offenses of the time, particularly the T formation. Also called "jumbo", "heavy", "full house" and other similar names, this formation is used exclusively in short-yardage situations, and especially near the goal line. When legendary coach George Halas' Chicago Bears used the T-formation to defeat the Washington Redskins by a score of 730 in the 1940 NFL championship game, it marked the end of the single wing at nearly all levels of play, as teams, over the course of the 1940s, moved to formations with the quarterback "under center" like the T.[1] George Halas is credited with perfecting the T formation.