Your Thoughts on the A-11 Offense?
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 how the NY Times explained the offense:
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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Could be the most exciting, interesting and awesome football idea since the forward pass.
This offense is great!
Zane
Sheer unadultered genius, opens up the game like never before!
Awesome!!!
Freddy
Looks fun... but a team clearly needs a strong passer in the back field to make it work. It takes me back 50 years or so to my grade school days. Everyone runs out "hit me, I'm open... hit me I'm open"... maybe we should change the name fromt he A-11 to the "hit me I'm open" format. It won't be long until someone at a high enough level cries foul and the A-11 goes away... Too bad, it's fun to watch!
This offense looks to be very fun, but it just reminds me of when I was a kid and all my buddy's and I would get together at the park and play and everybody was eligible, this is just glorified street ball.
It is no wonder football is America's greatest game, it is fun, wild and innovative beyond the norm.
This A-11 is a perfect fit, truly wild, definitely innovative and wide, wide open.
Love it!
Sammmy
That looks fun.
The real devil is the wing-T. Can we get rid of that?
if watch this one again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3MmVF9xao8
you notice split wide right the lineman (with ineligible numbers) just stand there and are not involved in the play - making it easier to defend.
In the A-11 you have NO idea until a count before the snap who's eligible.
Like Miagi's Crane Technique in Robledos "Karate Kid" ...
"No can defend!"
wowzer
thats not the A11 its just a gate right or gate left a common play in high school go to bonita ull see it after each touchdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3MmVF9xao8
check out how a fast defense kills the a11
taught florida a lesson
I LOVE CAPITAL LETTERS!
A simple cover will stop this formation or a hybrid of a cover two. Regardless of the formation, a defense that plays the zone well and is disciplined will shut this "wacky" offense quickly. Also, only five players can go out for a pass, so once again, a zone shall stop the pass. You can also send the outside backers on a blitz. The blitzing backers will pickup the running back that is on their side. The other backer will smash the QB. This will make the QB make a quick decision. Just some thoughts.
RHS played Piedmont in the 07' season & WON . RHS AD is a Piedmont Alum.
FYI
TM
Give the Piedmont coaches points for cleverness, but there is no question they're blatantly violating the intention of the numbering exception.
My guess is eventually someone closes the loophole and the A-11 goes away. (From what I understand, the NCAA already has a rule that a team in punt formation must have a reasonable expectation of actually punting...)