Utah Football

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Karl Monty asked:




Introduction

Football is like life; it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority. It is certainly a more leveled out sport, with more countries able to compete at a high level, increasing the competitiveness of the game, and helping it to avoid monotony. It is played in any kind of weather: rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog. It is a contact sport, and it has its occupational risks. Exercises are extremely important to anyone’s football career and can relate to both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.

Training

Strength training is a requirement for playing football. Train at low intensity’s if you are new to weights, working on your legs for power and your arms in order to hold off players. Work one leg, and then simply turn around to face the other way, in order to work the abductors. Count the number of reps that you can do, in order to gauge the difference if any in strength in each leg press. Aim to keep your legs and back straight throughout the exercise, to help isolate the gluts, holding a secure object for balance.

Jumping

A Jumping Jack, or side straddle hop as it is called in the United States military (also commonly known as a star jump, especially to children of Commonwealth nations), is a physical jumping exercise performed by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide and the hands touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet together and the arms at the sides. Jumping Rope is another proven exercise that can help your vertical leap. Unfortunately, three common myths regarding rope jumping prevent many people from even considering it. There’s a certain level of fitness required to do traditional rope jumping (about the same as running 9 minute miles or bicycling 13 miles/hour). As an aside, novice jumpers are less efficient at rope jumping and “waste” more energy than experienced jumpers.

Conclusion

American Football is apparently so exciting that 93 million tune into to watch commercials; the beautiful game does not even have commercials, eat it. American football is a complicated team sport which almost defies a brief and straightforward definition. American football is about planning and execution. American football also arguably requires players to be in better shape pertaining to their position on the field. Jumping higher will help just about every player in football and here is a good article pertaining to increasing your vertical, click here to see it.

Michael Russell asked:




The game of football features two teams going at each other. One team is on offense and the other team is on defense. We’re going to concentrate on the offensive players in this article and the role of each man.

The offense of a team is the key to scoring points. Without a well tuned offense a team doesn’t have a chance. That’s why each man in the offensive unit has to know his role and execute it to the best of his ability. This involves not only skill but also thinking on his feet. Football is a very technical game in many respects and if a player doesn’t have all the plays stuck up in his head, he’s not going to know how to react when a certain play is called.

The offense itself is actually run by the coach who calls the plays, even though he’s not on the field with his players. But on the field, the game is run by the quarterback. This is probably the most important position in the game of football. A good quarterback can mean the difference between winning and losing, especially in the final minutes. He’s the one who hands the ball off to the running backs on a run play or passes it to the receivers on a pass play. Everything falls on his shoulders.

The running backs, which are the halfbacks and fullbacks, are the ones who run the ball on run plays and help give protection to the quarterback on pass plays. They can also act as receivers on pass plays as well. Running backs need to be very quick on their feet. They also need to be strong in order to block for the quarterback. Running backs are probably some of the best athletes on the field.

The wide receivers and the tight ends are the ones who catch the passes thrown by the quarterback. There are a number of routes that these players need to run during the course of a game and each route has to be known beforehand. The routes themselves can be very complicated in an attempt to throw off the defense. Receivers have to be very fast in order to outrun the defense. They also need to have very good hands to catch a football.

The linemen, called guards and tackles, are there for two purposes. On pass plays they are there to provide pass protection for the quarterback so he can have enough time to get his pass off. On run plays they are on the line to create holes for the running backs to run through. In order to do both of these jobs linemen have to be very strong and very big. Some linemen are well over 350 pounds. When these guys hit you, you know you’ve been hit.

Rounding out the offense is the kicker. He is the one who either kicks the extra point after a touchdown is scored or tries for a field goal if the team is close enough to the goal line but not close enough to go for a touchdown. A kicker has to have very strong legs, as some of the kicks he has to try are from quite a few yards away.

For an offense to be effective, all the men on it have to work together. That’s what makes some offenses great and others not so great. It’s called teamwork.

James Boyd asked:




The Northwestern Wildcats enter the 2010 college football season hoping to finish with a third straight winning season. Pat Fitzgerald has constructed a strong foundation at his alma-mater, which has led to his name being rumored for other high profile coaching positions. Northwestern is projected to finish towards the middle of the Big Ten this season, but will always come to play each Saturday expecting to win. The Wildcats are listed at +2000 to win the Big Ten title. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 Big Ten football predictions article.

Offensive coordinator Mick McCall has installed his spread offense effectively at Northwestern. The Cats produced over 400 yards of offense per game in 2009. The majority of those yards were gained through the air. Mike Kafka threw for 3430 yards and 16 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He suffered an injury towards the middle of the season last year and backup Dan Persa stepped in. Persa will take over the starting position after gaining some valuable game experience a year ago. His dual threat ability is a staple of Northwestern quarterbacks the past few years. I believe he will be an adequate replacement for Kafka. Running the ball was an issue for the Cats last season. They averaged only 118 yards on the ground/game and gained a measly 3 yards/carry. It will likely be running back by committee in 2010 with so much depth at this position. Arby Fields received most of the carries down the stretch, but Stephen Simmons was the starter at the beginning of last year. Scott Concannon offers a different type of running style than the other two and will be used also. Drake Dunsmore is the top returning receiver with 47 catches. He is more of a hybrid tight end that should play a much larger role in the offense this season. The offensive line returns five who have starting experience and need to improve their run blocking.

The defensive side of the ball has made tremendous strides under Fitzgerald. In 2005, the Cats gave up 480 yards/game and almost 34 points. This prompted Northwestern to bring in a coach with a defensive background. Last year, they gave up 350 yards on average and 24 points/game. The Wildcats do not have the most talented players in the Big Ten, but they play extremely hard for Fitzgerald. Linebackers Quentin Davie and Nate Williams return after finishing 1-2 in total tackles last year. The defensive front loses their best player (Corey Wootton) and two other full time starters. It will difficult to match the 129 rush yards allowed in 2009 with the new group coming in. The secondary lost two all conference performers and three starters in all. This is one of the most difficult area’s to lose that much talent and expect opponents to air it out early and often against the Cats.

Northwestern plays one of the easiest schedules in the country. They open with Vanderbilt on the road and end the non-conference slate with Central Michigan at home. A trip to Minnesota opens Big Ten play on October 2nd. Conference favorite Ohio State is not on the schedule. Two of their four conference road games are difficult tests at Penn State and at Wisconsin. I believe this team will end up in the middle of the Big 10 and win 7 games.

James Boyd asked:




When you think of the Air Force, you might not think about a football team. You might think of beautiful, efficient planes or the disciplined and highly-trained pilots who fly them. However, a football team is exactly what you should think of-a highly-trained, efficient, and disciplined football team whose talent level is often underestimated. For anyone who watched the 2009 Houston-Air Force bowl game, you know what we’re talking about. This team’s fierce commitment and trust can eliminate a more skillful offense in the blink of an eye.

Offense: Air Force’s triple option offense is an extremely potent one even against some of the best defenses. It controls possession time by running constantly and using screen and shovel passes along with tosses (thanks to these strategies, Air Force was in control of the ball more than any of their opponents, by 1.17 times!). It also uses reverses and play actions on occasion to keep defensive coverage honest. The offense also likes to force plays outside when the cornerback is unsupported and create one on one situations.

As a true running team, Air Force only averaged 88.4 passing yards per game in 2009 while exploding onto the scene with 283.5 rushing yards per game. They also turn over the ball less than one time a game, with a total of 12 turnovers in the 2009 season including the postseason. The real weapon against Air Force’s opponents is Air Force’s extremely good stamina and their ability to keep playing even at the end of a difficult game. Statistically, they manage to gain the same number of points every quarter, which shows that they don’t get tired or slow down.

Perhaps their most noted player, Tim Jefferson, will return as quarterback again this season. Jefferson isn’t your classic dual-threat, but still has too much arm-strength to just be a glorified running back. He is also very durable and brave, playing the triple option like few others can. He had only 93 total passes last year, but his 88 rushes for 254 yards really speak to his spectacular ability. Jefferson’s passes usually find Kevin Fogler, the fast, 6’5″ and 205 pound receiver who averages 22.7 yards per carry. In addition, Jefferson’s running back, Asher Clark, ran for 865 yards in 2009 and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Jared Tew, who only weighs in at 210 pounds, is a key part of many of Air Force’s downhill runs and frequently takes down the much larger, opposing linebackers. He also is a key part of Air Force’s red zone offense, with 4.1 yards per carry and 9 rushing tds..

Defense: The term “disciplined,” which was used to describe the entire team, is especially applicable to the defense. They managed to pick up 2/3 of the fumbles other teams dropped in the last season. They intercepted 20 passes overall, although 6 of those are from their bowl game against Houston in 2009. With the amount of unity that they display, the fact that Air Force’s defense is less talented than other teams is completely hidden.

They may have lost two of their most important linebackers in the past year, but they are still returning necessary players, Andre Moore and Rick Rocketts, who both had an average of 6.5 tackles for a loss last year. They will have an experienced run defense with no starting freshmen, and they will not tally too much below the 134 yards per game from 2009′s defense. Their pass defense managed 20 interceptions last year and their veterans, Anthony Wright and Jon Davis, will definitely improve.

Prediction: 4th in the Mountain West, and +5000 to Win the BCS Championship

See the rest of expert Jimmy Boyd’s picks for the 2010 Mountain West in his 2010 Mountain West Football Predictions.

Remember, for the best in sports predictions, be sure to check out what the experts are picking! For your college football picks, always go with the people who know the college football lines the best!

Dave J. Burns asked:




One of the most exciting plays in football comes in the form of a blitzing linebacker or defensive back creeping up to the line and then attacking the quarterback at the snap of the ball. It’s almost expected, especially when a team is put in a position whereby they need a big play or long yardage in order to convert to a first down. A good football defensive system implements a solid blitzing scheme for either pass or run situations.

There’s nothing that can pump fans up more in football than a quarterback sack, a forced turn-over, or a running back getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage on a called blitz.

But what are the pitfalls of blitzing and opponent?

Predictability comes to mind! For instance, if you continuously blitz eventually you’re going to pay the price of being too predictable. In other words a good football offensive co-ordinator or quarterback will eventually call a play that will take advantage of your blitzing personnel and take advantage of that player vacating his normal area of responsibility. Dump the football in this area and probably get a decent gain out of it.

Now your strategy at this point will begin to change and you’ll hesitate to blitz for fear of giving up another big gain. The advantage certainly swings in favour of the offence as they have more time and space to manage the football. Not good for you though!

Blitzing is a big part of any youth football system. The point is: don’t be too predictable, use different looks and players when you blitz, as well as different pass coverage’s whether it be man or zone. Also, don’t always blitz when the offence is in a long yardage situation, mix up the downs as well. Blitzing on first down has commonly been referred to as the run blitz. Disguise your blitzes by showing blitz, but then at the snap of the ball, having your players all drop back into coverage. This can confuse any quarterback and now they will hesitate at changing the play at the line of scrimmage now giving your football defence more and time and space.

Dave J. Burns asked:




One of the most difficult assignments in football is to contain the offense. That is, prevent the offense from getting outside to the side line, gaining the corner, and sprinting down the side-line. For the most part, a good athletic running back that gains the side-line will probably score the majority of the time as once they are in the open field will use their speed and athleticism to do damage.

The contain responsibility would be the assignment of either the outside linebacker or defensive end depending on your philosophy. My experience at the youth football level is that you will be more successful assigning an outside linebacker with the contain responsibility as opposed to the defensive end. A true defensive end would read the play and have both an inside and outside run responsibility, be able to scrape off his block and contain the outside run. However, these type of players are hard to find at the youth level and once double teamed are ineffective and give up the corner on the outside run play.

I have had more success by using a outside linebacker with primary contain responsibility and set up the defense so that the defensive ends work in tandem with the outside linebacker to maintain contain. Basically the outside linebacker would align on the line of scrimmage about two yards outside of the offensive tackle and on the snap of the ball would get up field to at least ball depth and turn in any outside runs or roll-outs, once they are disciplined on getting up field the next step would get them to collapse the pocket at ball depth and force the ball carrier to the inside.
I like to align the defensive ends on the outside shoulder of the Offensive tackles and on the snap of the ball they would engage the tackle and control the C gaps while at the same time reading the play in case of an inside run. The outside shoulder alignment gives them the edge on the outside run and by engaging the offensive tackle they can help with the inside run as well.

The offense now has to choose who to double team either the outside linebacker or the defensive end and with the end and outside linebacker working in tandem you should still have solid defense versus the outside run.

Cheers

Jeff Hemhauser asked:




In youth sports, a well planned and productive practice is essential for your team’s success. A structured practice can often times be a challenge as children have a natural desire to have fun. The key is to make sure your youth football practice is upbeat yet productive. Here is an in-depth, inside look at how to run a successful youth football practice.

5-8 Minutes:

Stretch. 4 player lines across -4 yards between each player lane – each row is 5 yards behind the row in front. Everyone stays in line evenly, every person counts and hits their pads after each stretch 10 count. Have your kids look & sound like a TEAM.

20 Minutes:

Warm-ups/ Conditioning. Players stay in the lines from stretching but move inside until they are one yard away from each other. Your conditioning coach should be in front; seeing 4 helmets across (Each kid is directly behind each other in all 4 lines). Proceed with High Knees, Kick outs, Shuffle, Backpedals, and then end warm ups with two ¾ speed sprints. Following warm ups we get right into conditioning stations. Condition stations, one for each of the four lines. Then you’ll rotate so each group can work every condition station.

Stations: Station 1: Crabs (crawl on hands & feet stay off the knees!) Station 2: Karaoke ( right over left, good hip movement). Station 3: Change of direction (sprint, into shuffle, into back pedal, and then shuffle again). Station 4: Tires: The classic! Put your kids through the tires station. Fast feet, get those knees up!

Water Break

10-15 Minutes:

Individual Offense. Each position goes with their position coach, working on skills, drills, and blocking responsibilities for the position each kid plays.

20-30 Minutes:

Team Offense. Complete offensive team practices against a scout defense (both first & second teams rotate reps). The scout defense will be running our opponents’ defense (so the kids get a feel for what the opponents’ defense likes to do). The objective of the team offensive session is to improve our offense as a complete unit. Team offense is time for our kids to practice our blocking rules while creating fluidity with our offensive plays. We will also work on our goal line plays as well as extra point attempts (Field Goal). We will end our team offensive session with our punt team. PS, Your offense should be installed the first week of practice, this in-season team offense session is strictly for timing and execution.

Water Break

10-15 Minutes:

Individual Defense. Each position goes with their position coach, working on skills, drills, and responsibilities.

20-25 Minutes:

Team defense. We will start team defense with tackling drills, defense is all about tackling well. Then right into complete defensive team practicing against a scout offense. The scout offense will be running our opponents’ offense (so kids get a feel of what the opponent’s offense likes to do, also to practice reading our keys for this week’s offensive attacks). The objective of the team defense session is to improve our defense as a complete unit. Team defense is time for our team to practice the execution of our stunts, blitzes, shifts, coverages and base gap & key assignments. The scout offense will run the plays (of our scouted opponent ) to help the kids get a feel for what our opponents’ offense likes to do. We will also practice our goal line/ extra point block packages with great intensity and attitude. Getting a goal line stop or blocking an extra point can give the team some positive momentum. It can also make the difference in winning or losing the game (PS extra point is worth 2pts in youth football) so you do not want to let your opponent make the kick. We will end our team defensive session with our punt return team, then right into our pump up circle chant!

Water Break

10-15 Minutes:

Team Special Teams. Complete special teams will practice against scout special teams. The objective of team special teams is to practice the importance of kickoff coverage (staying in lanes and containment) and kick return blocking. We will also practice kicking power and direction. We will end team special teams with our onside kick / hands (Onside recovery) teams.

10-15 Minutes:

Sprints. We will run sprints with great pride and purpose, knowing the importance of being able to play a full game at full speed and winning the fourth quarter. The team that is in the best shape will usually end the game with a victory. The importance of conditioning must not be overlooked with kids! Being in shape will only help kids be able to focus game time and will help prevent injury. Again Very Important! Conditioning. Conditioning. Conditioning!

Practice time in each phase depends on your youth football coaching style, preference, and time your football organization allows you.

Having a practice schedule and sticking by it is very important. You need to run organized practices. Run a youth football practice with an up-tempo rhythm, don’t let your kids get bored and don’t let them stand around. Always make sure your team is jogging on the field and that they switch phases of practice with great passion and energy. You as a coach need to run practice with great passion, decisiveness, and a type of command when you speak. Remember they are kids, they can get bored or daydream very easily. It’s your job to keep your youth football practice fun and upbeat.

Greg C Nelson asked:




The Clemson Tigers went 9-5 on College Football Picks in 2009 and the team will not be as nearly as talented as they were at the skilled positions in the C.J. Spiller era but the team stall has a chance to return to the ACC championship game. Second year coach Dabo Sweeney had a nice coaching debut last year but has his work cut out for him this season. Clemson went 9-5 in 2009, losing the ACC title game 39-34 to Georgia Tech but ended the season by beating Kentucky in the Music City Bowl 21-13. The tigers were 9-5 against the spread, going over the betting total odds 8 times and under 6 times. The Clemson offense scored a little over 31 points per game and that was 28th in the nation. The offense as a whole ranked 74th in College football averaging 362.4 yards per game but a lot of that production will be missing now that spiller is gone. The defense ranked 20th nationally giving up 314.3 yards per contest and allowed 20.4 points per game. The pass defense was exceptionally good ranking 7th in the country.

In addition to replacing Spiller the Tigers may also be without the quarterback who led them to the ACC Atlantic division title last season. Kyle parker had a great baseball season and there is a strong possibility he could call it quits on the gridiron to concentrate on a pro baseball career. If Parker does return he will have 7 returning starters who made at least 6 starts in 2009, four of them offensive lineman, if Parker decides to pursue his baseball career, redshirt freshman Taj Boyd will probably be under center. Running Back Andre Ellington showed flashes last season rushing for 491 yards on just 68 carries and Jamie Harper had 418 yards on 80 carries. Wide receiver Jacoby Ford will also be missed and Clemson will be counting on Xavier Dye and Terrance Ashe at that position.

The 2010 Clemson Tigers defense will be strong on the defensive line and in the secondary but the linebackers will be tested often. DeAndrea McDaniel has superstar written all over him and will be a Thorpe award candidate as well as one of the best defensive players in the ACC. T Jarvis Jenkins and Da’Quan Bowers are 2 of 3 starters returning on the defensive line. Brandon Maye had 96 tackles last season but is the only proven linebacker. This sports handicapper believes Clemson will go 7-5 overall in 2010.

Dave J. Burns asked:




One of the most frustrating things I see as a youth coach in football is poor tackling fundamentals. Watching a player come up and grab the jersey of the ball carrier and then turn and try and throw the player to the ground is definitely not good tackling. If any of your players do this in youth football its time to work on their tackling fundamentals.

The key to good tackling and football tackling drills is to teach them to have good body position. Good body position puts their body in the right position to make a proper football tackle. Now when we talk about having good body position we’re talking about having a good football stance, with knees bent, butt down, flat back, neck bulled, and the head is always back with the arms slightly back, The body is now coiled and in position to make a proper tackle. By being in a coiled position the player is now in position to explode up and through the ball carrier, wrap him up with his arms, head back, neck bulled, and on contact we talk to our players about hip explosion and driving the arms up and around the torso, looking for chest to chest contact with head always back, never down.

One of the pre-season tackling drills we do to emphasize this in youth football is to get the players to partner up. We instruct them to get on their knees face to face with about ten inches between their knees. One of the players is instructed to sit up on their knees with arms extended out to their side. The other player, the tackler, is instructed to sit back with his butt on his legs; head back, neck bulled, and arms straight out behind the back. On command the player is to explode off his back legs with his hips with head back, drive the arms up under the armpits of the other player, get a good chest to chest contact, with head back, and wrap up and hold. Understand now that neither player ever leaves their knees. The coach will refer to hip explosion, head back, neck bulled, and chest to chest contact while driving the arms up and through the defender. The next step is to have the ball carrier stand straight up with arms extended out to the sides with the tackler kneeling this time on one knee with one leg up, sitting back once again, on his heel, with arms back, neck bulled and head back. On the coach’s command, the kneeling player will explode up once again, drive his arms up and through the arm-pits of the player, wrap up, get a chest to chest contact, with head back, and neck bulled. Now we’ll separate them about 5 yards apart, both standing, the ball carrier will once again have his arms extended out to the side. On the coaches command the ball carrier with arms extended will walk straight up toward the tackler, the tackler will step, drop to one knee, and then drive up through the ball carrier, chest to chest contact, with head back, neck bulled, wrap up and walk him back several steps.

We find that this is a good drill that emphasizes how we want our players to set up their bodies in order to make a proper tackle. We emphasize hip explosion, with head back, neck bulled, chest to chest contact, driving up through, and wrapping up. By starting them on the knees we are able to isolate and talk about their body position and specific things they need to work on to be a good tackler and progress to where they are both standing. This tackling drill slows things down to a controlled speed and emphasizes solid tackling fundamentals.

Cheers!

Todd Krueger asked:




Offensive formations

Before the ball is snapped the offensive team lines up in a formation. Most teams have a “base” formation they prefer to line up in, while other teams leave the defense guessing. Teams will often have “special formations” which they only use in obvious passing situations, short yardage or goaline situations, or formations they have developed for that particular game just to confuse the defense. Because there are a nearly unlimited number of possible formations, only a few of the more common ones are listed below.

Pro Set

The Pro Set is a traditional formation commonly, a “base” set used by professional and amateur teams. The formation has two wide receivers, one tight end, and two running backs with the backs split behind the quarterback, who is lined up behind center. The running backs are lined up side-by-side instead of one in front of the other as in traditional I-Formation sets.

Shotgun formation

The Shotgun formation is an alignment used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used by many teams in obvious passing situations, although other teams do use this as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage, he stands at least 5 yards back. Sometimes the quarterback will have a back on one or both sides before the snap, while other times he will be the lone player in the backfield with everyone spread out as receivers. One of the advantages of the shotgun formation are that the passer has more time to set up in the pocket which gives him a second or two to locate open receivers. Another advantage is that standing further back from the line before the snap gives the quarterback a better “look” at the defensive alignment. The disadvantages are that the defense knows a pass is more than likely coming up (although some running plays can be run effectively from the shotgun) and there is a higher risk of a botched snap than in a simple center/quarterback exchange.

The formation got its name after it was used by a professional football club, the San Francisco 49ers, in 1960. Combining elements of the short punt and spread formations (“spread” in that it had receivers spread widely instead of close to or behind the interior line players), it was said to be like a “shotgun” in spraying receivers around the field like a scatter-shot gun. Formations similar or identical to the shotgun used decades previously would be called names such as “spread double wing”. Short punt formations (so called because the distance between the snapper and the ostensible punter is shorter than in long punt formation) don’t usually have as much emphasis on wide receivers.

At times the formation has been more common in Canadian football, which allows only three downs to move ten yards downfield instead of the American game’s four. Canadian teams are therefore more likely to find themselves with long yardage to make on the penultimate down, and therefore more likely to line up in the shotgun to increase their opportunities for a large gain. Teams such as the Saskatchewan Roughriders utilize the shotgun for a vast majority of their plays.

Wishbone formation

The wishbone formation, also known simply as ‘bone, is a play formation in American football.

The wishbone is primarily a running formation with one wide receiver, one tight end and three running backs behind the quarterback (who takes the snap under center). The back lined up behind the quarterback is the fullback and the other two are halfbacks (although they may be called tailbacks or I backs in some playbook terminology).

The wishbone is often associated with the option as this formation allows the quarterback to easily run the option to either side of the line. It is also ideal for running the triple option.

History

The wishbone was developed by Offensive Coordinator Emory Bellard and Head Coach Darrell Royal at the University of Texas in 1968. Coach Royal was always a fan of the option offense, and in looking at the personnel on the team, Coach Bellard saw three great running backs. After experimenting with family members over the summer, Coach Bellard came up with the formation.

Coach Bellard demonstrated the formation to Darrell Royal, who quickly embraced the idea. It proved to be a wise choice: Texas tied its first game running the new offense, lost the second, and then won the next thirty straight games, leading to two National Championships using the formation.

It was given the name wishbone by the Houston Chronicle sportswriter Mickey Herskowitz.

A variation to this formation is called the flexbone.

I formation

The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical (as viewed from the opposing endzone) alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players’ alignments in the now-archaic T formation.

The formation begins with the usual 5 offensive linemen (2 offensive tackles, 2 guards, and a center), the quarterback under center, and two backs in-line behind the quarterback. The base variant adds a tight end to one side of the line and two wide receivers, one at each end of the line.

Typical roles

The I formation is typically employed in running situations. The fullback typically fills a blocking, rather than rushing or receiving, role in the modern game. With the fullback in the backfield as a blocker, runs can be made to either side of the line with his additional blocking support. This is contrasted with the use of tight ends as blockers who, being set up at the end of the line, are able to support runs to one side of the line only. The fullback can also be used as a feint–since the defense can spot him more easily than the running back, they may be drawn in his direction while the running back takes the ball the opposite way.

Despite the emphasis on the running game, the I formation remains an effective base for a passing attack. The formation supports up to three wide receivers and many running backs serve as an additional receiving threat. While the fullback is rarely a pass receiver, he serves as a capable additional pass blocker protecting the quarterback before the pass. The running threat posed by the formation also lends itself to the play-action pass. The flexible nature of the formation also helps prevent defenses from focusing their attention on either the run or pass.

Common variations

Many subtypes of the I formation exist, generally emphasizing the running or passing strengths of the base version.

* The Big I places a tight end on each side of the offensive line (removing a wide receiver). Coupled with the fullback’s blocking, this allows two additional blockers for a run in either direction. This is a running-emphasis variant.

* The Power I replaces one wide receiver with a third back (fullback or running back) in the backfield, set up to one side of the fullback. This is a running-emphasis variant.

* The Jumbo or Goal-line formation further extends the Power I or Big I, adding a second or third tight end to the line, respectively. This variant has no wide receivers and is all but exclusively a running formation intended to reliably gain minimal yardage, most commonly two yards or less.

* The Three-wide I replaces the tight end with a third wide receiver. This is a passing-emphasis variant.

The I formation, in any variant, can also be modified as Strong or Weak. In either case, the fullback lines up roughly a yard laterally to his usual position. Strong refers to a move towards the side of the quarterback with more players, weak in the opposite direction. These modifications have little effect on expected play call.

In Professional Football

In the NFL, the I formation is less frequently used than in college, as the use of the fullback as a blocker has given way to formations with additional tight ends and wide receivers, who may be called on to block during running plays. The increasingly common ace formation replaces the fullback with an additional receiver, who lines up along the line of scrimmage. The I will typically be used in short-yardage and goal line situations.

Goal Line formation

Single set Back

Single set back is a base formation in American Football used by the offensive team which requires only one running back behind the quarterback. There are many variations on single back formations including two tight ends and two wide receivers, one tight end/three wide receivers, etc. The running back can line up directly behind the quarterback or offset either the weak side (away from the tight end) or the strong side(towards the tight end).