New football offense

Sounds like something the New Jersey Generals used to run in the USFL to take advantage of Doug Flutie. And they did run it sometimes with the center as an eligible receiver. They would have a tight end next to him, but the tight end would step back off the line. I remember seeing plays where Flutie actually threw to the center.

Another USFL team, the Memphis Showboats, also ran some spread formations with two quarterbacks.

 

I read a little of the Yahoo story on this. The coach came up with this as a way to try to compete with the bigger schools, he says.

His school isless than 1000 students and they play against schools twice their size.

 

If the center is uncovered on one side, he'd be eligible. But then everyone on the uncovered side would all have to be in the backfield (making all of them eligible). That would mean you'd have to play the six other guys on the covered side in order to get seven on the LOS so that the formation would be legal (five more "linemen" and a wide out). That would limit the options on that particular play.

Like so:
F F Q Q
CGGTTT E

The center could be eligible on a play, but it wouldn't be practical as that would be the formation with the fewest pass options. I'd think this would be the easiest to defend, provided the defense picked it up, because only one person to the right of the center can receive a pass.

However, anyone can catch a backward pass, so the center could run back around a take a pitch. That would still be tough to defend but I'd tell my guy on the center to just shadow him because if he runs backward, it's pretty obvious why he is. If he sets up to block, bull rush him and put him out of position to help downfield.

I think the NFL is the only level where it's in the rules that a center can never be eligible, even if he is on the end of the line. (The QB isn't eligible either unless he's in the shotgun).

 

This offense would only work in high school states that don't follow NCAA rules. NCAA and NFL rules prohibit this kind of offense.

 

Exactly, against a team that knows what its doing this offense will just get the QB killed.

 

It was used last year and approved by the National Federation of High Schools, which I believe follows NCAA rules.


From the linked story:

Colleges have even implemented some plays in some games, obviously not fulltime.

From the sidebar on the linked story:

 

It just seems like a variant of the lonesome polecat. A defense will never be in the dark as to who an eligible receiver is, since six players must be on the LOS and have to stay there for at least a second.

Ragu's spot on with his defense. You can rush five and set up a zone behind to cover quick routes (hooks with the CBs, slants with LBs and fades with S and $ in either half).

 

Based on that video, I'm with whoever said the refs would call a penalty every play.

 

This would never work as a regular offensive scheme. As someone above said, a fast defense could turn this offense into a debacle, especially if they had some physical corners busting up routes.

On the other hand, pull this out as a trick play every once in awhile, and I think you'll have a solid play that could get a first down when you really need it.

 

Who needs two QBs when you have one Tim Tebow?

 

This would never work.
Anybody who would try it must be crazy.
It must be illegal.
I've never seen anything like this before.
Bush-league. Arena football. Flag football.
In my day we never flipped the consarned ball around like this.
It's not the .... "right way to play."

Relax, we'll be back to our regularly-scheduled NFL tailback-off-tackle same-old-shit after the next commercial.