Offense of the future or just unfair?
Above: The Piedmont High School football team lines up against St. Mary's in Piedmont, CA October 3, 2008. (Max Morse for The New York Times)
Here's a very interesting from a story that ran in The New York Times last week (yes, I read the NY Times. I also read the Wall Street Journal).
The A-11 offense is a trip. It was created by a group of coaches in Piedmont who wanted to compete with the big boy schools. I read the story and I laughed because the offense bypasses so many loopholes.
Check out how it works (From The New York Times):
By placing one of the quarterbacks at least seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, and no one under center to receive the snap, the A-11 qualifies as a scrimmage kick formation -- the alignments used for punts and extra points.
Thus interior linemen are granted an exception from having to wear jersey numbers 50 through 79. (The exception was intended to allow a team's deep snapper not to have to switch to a lineman's jersey if he was a back or an end.)
Any player wearing jersey numbers 1 through 49 and 80 through 99 is potentially eligible to receive a pass.
Piedmont's basic A-11 formation calls for a center flanked by two guards, who are essentially tight ends. Two quarterbacks, or a quarterback and a running back, line up behind the center, with three receivers split to each side.
Under football rules, seven players must begin each play on the line of scrimmage and only five are permitted to run downfield to receive a pass -- the two players at the end of the line and three situated behind the line.
The difficult task for a team defending against the A-11 is to quickly and accurately figure out who those five eligible receivers are.
Prior to each Piedmont play, only the center initially goes to the line of scrimmage. The two "guards" and the split receivers each stand one and a half yards off the line.
Then, just before the ball is snapped, Piedmont shifts into formation for the signaled play.
With this simple movement, the possibilities for eligible receivers become dizzying.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Piedmont High and Saddleback Valley Christian in Orange County are believed to be the only schools in the state to run the A-11 offense. Schools in at least five states are banned from using the formation. In North Carolina, the first attempt to run the A-11 will result in a 15-yard unsporting penalty and the second in disqualification of the head coach.
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
Great post, bookmarked!
Very, very interesting offense, and am surprised it took so long for some coaches to develop it.
Will it stick?
Obvious answer is yes, the game is already moving to very, very spread out, this is the next step.
Top Notch.
Paul M.
This offense is Genius, pure Genius.
Love it, totally get where football is headed and it is smack dab down the middle right in the direction of this super wide open offense.
Awesome possibilities!
Ted
SB,
Then we both agree that this is a version of the spread, that was the main point I was trying to make. I do think the NFHS will crack down and limit this offense as well but I think for the time being it is creative, and Piedmont is sneaking by with it for now.
Oscar,
Is not the new hot offense the Spread Offense? Just like the West Coast Offense was the big thing, it's now the spread.
Gloucester Coach,
Why then have numbering requirements? If this is allowed, then get rid of numbering restrictions. Do you think that will happen in NCAA or the NFL?
I don't think so, and I believe that NFHS will adopt language similar to the college rule to have that numbering restriction on obvious kicking situations.
This is innovative, but created out of a loophole in the rules. NFHS historically has closed loopholes over the years. It is just another variation of the spread.
Future of the game?
Now that I have seen the videos of Piedmont and the other teams using this type of offense, it is certainly a "part" of the future of football.
Will every team use this? No.
Many teams at all levels will adopt some form of this unique and thrilling offensive system.
Impressive and my compliments to the coaches who invented this wild offense.
Oscar
NY,
I think Brockton could give them a run for their money...ha
SB,
Isn't the Wing T based on deception and chaos? There are plenty of Trick plays that are still legal and make the game fun. Thats what makes High School and College Football great you can out smart your opponent. Do you think Boise St. would have won against Oklahoma a couple years back running a basic offensive package?
I know the A-11 Offense is a little different because the deception is in not knowing who is eligible and who is not, but I don't think that the heart of A-11 offense is that from what I have briefly seen. It's similar to the Spread offense and isolating your speed against your defensive opponent which is spread out and takes big slow lineman out of the game. This concept I'm describing is definitely the future of the game. They are even using this type of mentality in the Pro Game. When would you ever see a wideout screen in the NFL 5 years ago? We saw Randy Moss run for a TD last weekend on that play.
Never even dreamed the game of football could be so opened up by this type of innovation, and I want to see this team play, or any other team using the A-11 offense.
Groundbreaking, exciting and about time.
Sid
GloucesterCoach,
This offense was created on a loophole. The NFHS has taken a dim view to "creative" plays like those "wet ball," "wrong ball," and "where's the tee" are now illegal according to the NFHS casebook.
When some big time team, with a big time coach, ends up losing a game (after viewing the game films) because the officials failed catch a covered up receiver that caught a game winning TD, you will see some furious calls to the NFHS office in Indianapolis.
It is currently illegal in NCAA, which has up to seven officials at many levels, and so far, about a half dozen's states have had it ruled illegal by their states' rule interpretors.
Most people gripe about the level of HS officiating, so you favor adding another wrinkle for a crew to worry how to cover such an offense? The numbering requirement exists for a reason, to help the players, coaches, and officials to follow eligible receivers and the numbering exception exists so team have some leeway to use players such a long snappers who may be backs or end without changing numbers.
I have read what Coach Kurt Bryan has said on his websites and national forums, and he is pushing this through coaching clinics which can be a source of extra income for him and his staff.
The feeling among many is that this offense will be legislated out by Indianapolis as early as next season.
GloucesterCoach,
Do you think Brockton could stop this offense?
Isn't this similar to Urban Mayer's offense at Florida? At the end of the day, you can say an offense is about deception or anything else, but you still have to get it done. If you have Tim Tebow your offense will be better than if you have most other QBs.
Wow,
That is a truly dizzying offense. I think its creative and don't think it should be outlawed. Football is about creativity and the game has evolved from the beginning of student body left and student body right. I'm sure when playaction plays were first created there was some type of uproar too. This type of offense could only work at the high school level though, maybe in small time college. Big D1 programs have such freaks of nature that the deception would just be caught by speed and pure athletes on the defensive end. Just like the Wing T offense is successful in the HS game but is not really in college.
For every action there is a reaction. For every offense there is a defense, it may be onesided for a while but the defense will catch up.
Holy smokes!
This offense is amazing, sheer creativity and brilliance.
Football has been the greatest game in America due to its speed, power and innovation.
A-11 is the future of football is some form or another.
Gill
Where is Jim Thorpe when you need him?
Goldenarm,
They can stay in the same formation for everything and never have to tip their hand, whether they are going for two or one.
The can do a running kick for punts.
FG/PAT - Utilize the drop kick.
I take it they go conventional on a punt, field goal or PAT? Does anyone know?
If not, you best hire a 200mph long snapper.
Coach Rycroft would just put his fastest tailbacks at defensive ends and have them sprint in and get the QB before he gets the pass off.
By the way Miguel, the cyber monster has been eating my attempted posts. Oh well.
There would be no halftime show as we know it.
Halftime entertainment would be a mixed martial arts assault on the officiating crew by both coaching staffs.
Most good refs played the game once and have spent a lifetime of Saturdays and Sundays watching the craziness over which they now choose to attempt to regulate. In other words, it is a looooooooong learning curve.
In today's game, the basic tackle eligible presents issues for refs. Consider the confusion of illegal man downfield and the sheer visual snowstorm of figuring out who the eligible receivers were on a play. Instant Replay would become a necessity at the prep level and even with it mass confusion would prevail. CIF is not ready to oversee this monstrosity.
I love the look and the concept and the thought of throwing a TD to the center, but maybe they better Beta test it in Canada or Australia for 20 years before unleashing it here.
This offense was created to take advantage of rule loophole of NFHS (high school) rules. It is illegal in the NFL and NCAA and, most likely, will be not legal (except on obvious kick situations) in HS ball within the next couple of years.
All it will take is a HS officiating crew cost a big playoff game because they were confused on who was eligible to end this nonsense. If it illegal with more experienced officials, who could expect a HS crew, with fewer guy, not make mistakes?
reality czech,
Maybe you should move leagues, since you will finish in the bottom where you are at now.
PHS used this offense in certain situations last season. It creates match up problems for a defense, but theres usually only 3 linemen blocking for the QB. Quick blitzes can get your QB killed or running for his life.
or Amat could just join the Mission League and run the table
Bishop Amat should really work on this and use it. Maybe they could win a league game this year.
THAT IS WILD. HOWEVER, THERE ARE THINGS THE D COORDINATORS WILL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT IMMEDIATELY. SEVERAL OF THOSE PLAYERS ARE INELIGIBLE RECEIVERS. THERE'S NO NEED TO COVER THEM. THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY BLOCKERS. BUT THAT GIVES THE OFFENSE BLOCKERS ON THE EDGE FOR WR SCREENS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WOW
yooooooo... i saw this online. this would have D-Coord going bananas... even with scouting reports is confusing. good post Mig