Xs and Os: Basic Offense

by Arnaldo

As we all know, there are two ways of advancing the football: running and passing.  There are dozens of different ways to execute each of those, however.  In this Xs and Os, we'll be looking at types of offensive plays, with some detail into specific plays.  Here's a review of offensive positions, if you need one.


Running Plays


Today's football strives for a 50:50 distribution of run and pass plays, but at its origins, football was strictly run oriented.  A run play is much more than just a hand off to a running back.  The entire offense has a job to do, from different routes to formations and blocking schemes.  Essentially, a run is defined by two things: the formation and the play.  We're going to focus on the plays instead of the formation, but keep in mind most of these can be adapted into most common formations.

Dive - A dive play consists of a the half back receiving the ball and running straight forward into the A-gap (the gaps between the center and either guard).  Typically the full back will run ahead and serve as the lead blocker, though dive plays can be run out of formations without full backs.

Power - a power run consists of an angled exchange between the quarterback and half back, leading the half back into a route towards either the B-gap (gap between a guard and a tackle) or the C-gap (between a tackle and a tight end).  There is typically a full back as the lead blocker (but again not necessary), and there is always a pulling guard from the backside (the side where the play is not developing, opposing the playside).  "Pulling" refers to a player leaving his usual post to block elsewhere.  This is one of the most common run plays in football.

Counter - a counter run starts like a power run, but after the half back takes one or two steps in one direction, he cuts to the opposite direction.  The counter technique can be applied to more than just the power run, but is most commonly so.  It is designed to trick linebackers to start moving to one side, only to be delayed in recognizing and reaching the true play side.

Dotted lines denote toss

Sweep - a sweep refers to the direction of the running route and can be run several different ways.  The route moves directly outwards towards the sideline and curves up towards the endzone, beyond the tackles.  There are 3 basic sweeps: Toss, QB, and jet.  A toss sweep, the most popular, usually run out of an Ace or I-formation, involves the quarterback turn around and toss the football back to the half back as he begins running the sweep route.

A QB sweep is a sweep patter ran by the quarterback himself.  It can be run out of almost any formation and is popular in the spread option style where quarterbacks are typically mobile.  The jet sweep has the backside slot receiver in motion before the snap towards the quarterback.  The ball is snapped as the receiver is close and immediately handed off to the receiver who is already at near top speed.  This is a great way to get the ball quickly to the outside, before the majority of the defense can react.

Green denotes pre-snap motion

The jet sweep is also ran effectively from a empty backfield set, where the quarterback is alone in the backfield and the defense does not expect a run play without a running back on the field.





FB run - a full back run refers to any run play where the full back is the designated ballcarrier (excluding the option).  This is typically ran out of the I-formation but again can be run from where ever there's a full back.  The play sacrifices a lead blocker but gains an element of surprise.  The fullback is much closer to the line of scrimmage and so the play takes off in less than half the time as a conventional dive play.  Also, full backs are typically larger and stronger than half backs and can push through defenses.  Some instances have the full back actually switch to the half back position for extra momentum on short yardage situations (see Mike Alstott).

QB sneak - a run designed for the quarterback from under center.  As the name implies, the play is sneaky.  From under center, the quarterback wastes no time to hand the ball off to anyone and immediately starts forward progress.  This play is fairly commonly used in very short yardage situations (inches).  Most of the responsibility actually lies with the center and the two guards to push the defense enough for the quarterback to get the ball passed the first down marker, inches away.

Draw - a draw is any type of run that is first disguised as a pass.  The key in recognizing (and executing) a draw is a delayed hand-off.  The quarterback will take his drop into the pocket as if looking for receivers, but then hand the ball off.  Draws can be made out of almost all conventional run plays where the quarterback can at least appear to be passing.  In offenses with mobile quarterbacks, the quarterback himself can run the ball in a QB draw.  Draws are a way to open up running lanes by "drawing" linebackers back into coverage as they expect a pass.


Passing Plays


Passing plays are nothing but a combination of different parts: formation/personnel, routes, and protection.  Each formation puts a different number of receivers in different places on the field.  Formations can put together a different combination of wide receivers, tight ends, full backs, and half backs, but all of these are eligible receivers.  Each runs a different route that is predetermined, and the quarterback has a "progression" of receivers he will try to throw too on each play.  A half back or full back might run a short route and wait as a last resort, called a "checkdown".  Alternatively, the half back or full back, or both, may stay in the pocket to help the offensive line block for the quarterback, which is referred to as "max protect".  I intend on delving into formations later on, so for now let's look at some common routes.

Slant - a slant route is one of the more common patterns.  It has the receiver run directly at a 45 degree (or less) angle from the line of scrimmage.  Slants may be towards the center of the field or away.

Hitch/comeback/curl/hook - these are a group of routes that are all fairly similar.  Each has the receiver run straight forward (towards the endzone), stops, and turns around to make the catch.  Hitch routes are shorter (two or three steps before turning) while curls and hooks are longer (four or five yards).  These are common checkdown routes.

* From the right side of the field (slot or Z receiver)

Go/fly/seam - a go route has the receiver go in a straight line directly towards the endzone.  Hail Mary plays consist of four or five of these.

Post - a post route begins like a go route but cuts into an angle towards the center of the field (the goal post).

Corner - a corner route is the opposite of a post route where it begins like a go route straight forward but cuts in an angle towards the sidelines.

Drag/in - a drag or an in route has the receiver take a few steps forward and then cut at a 90 degree angle towards the center of the field.

Out - an out route is the opposite of a drag route, where the receiver will take a few steps and then cut 90 degrees towards the sidelines.

Flat - a flat route is ran exclusively by running backs that start near the quarterback, and run directly towards the sidelines.  Flat routes may be flat or slanted.  They can also be used for a lateral pass that won't count as a forward pass, allowing the receiver to then make a forward pass himself, which is considered a trick play.

Wheel - a wheel route is also usually ran out of the backfield (though less commonly also by wide receivers).  It starts as a flat route that cuts 90 degrees towards the endzone.

Sluggo - a sluggo route is a "slant and go".  After the receiver makes his initial slant cut, he makes another cut into a go route to shake off his defender.

These routes combine with formations to form specific passing plays, like "all slants" or "double sluggo".


Unconventional Passing


Play-action pass - play-action passes are like draw runs but reversed.  They are passes disguised as runs.  The quarterback will fake a hand-off with a running back, who will fake "running the ball".  The quarterback then resets himself into the pocket and makes his pass.  Most passing plays can be made into a play-action pass with the addition of the running fake.  It has its advantages and disadvantages.  Play-action passes take much longer to develop and requires the quarterback to read his progression much quicker since the play has been in motion for some time before he sets in the pocket.  This extra time also makes the quarterback more susceptible to pressure and sacks.  If executed well, its advantages outweigh these.  Defenses first need to recognize the play as a run or pass.  If fooled into a run, they might forget their coverage assignments and pursue the ball carrier, leaving receivers wide open.  Even a small hesitation by linebackers or cornerbacks can be exploited by an experienced quarterback.

Flea-flicker - the flea-flicker is a more extreme play-action pass.  In a flea-flicker, the quarterback will actually hand off the ball to a running back, who will then take a step or two with the ball, stop, turn around, and toss it back to the quarterback, who then makes a pass.  The flea-flicker is rare because it shares the same advantages and disadvantages of the play-action pass, but amplified; high risk, high reward.

Andrew Luck on a simple flea-flicker

Screen pass - a screen pass is a specially designed pass.  As I mentioned earlier, on a pass play, the quarterback goes through a progression of potential receivers.  Screen passes are designed with one receiver in mind, and moves other players around him to block for after the catch.  There are several types of screen passes but two I want to focus on.

Bubble screen - a bubble screen is thrown to an outside reciever (X or Z) as makes a "bubble" route behind and around the slot receiver.  It can also be thrown to a slot receiver as he makes a bubble route around the outside receiver.  The other receiver serves as his lead blocker.

Notice the pulling linemen

Slip screen - a slip screen is the most common screen pass.  Three offensive linemen (center and guards) will block for only a moment, leave their assignments and move the pocket towards a sideline with a running back following.  The quarterback is left alone and typically finds himself backing up several yards as the unblocked defensive linemen pursue.  Once the "side pocket" is formed and clear of defenders, the quarterback makes the easy pass to the running back, who now has several blockers ahead of him.  It takes very experienced defensive linemen to recognize this play as it develops and react appropriately.


Bootleg - the bootleg is really both a run and a pass play.  The bootleg refers to the route ran by a quarterback on certain play-action passes.  It begins with the normal fake hand off but instead of setting himself in the pocket, the quarterback will look for receivers in a run towards the sidelines (concealing the ball behind his hip like a bootlegger).  A half back or full back might serve as his lead blocker for protection or if the quarterback decides to tuck the ball and run it himself.  If no blocker accompanies him, it is called a "naked bootleg".  Several conventional running plays will have the quarterback run the bootleg route without the ball anyway to try to confuse the defense and to set up the bootleg play-action.  Bootleg passing and running are integral components in several offensive philosophies.

 

Peyton Manning on a bootleg keep

Xs and Os: The Option

by Arnaldo

If you've watched the Florida Gators play under Urban Meyer, or the Denver Broncos in the last few weeks, you've probably heard the word "option" thrown around a bit.  In this Xs and Os, we're not just gonna define the option, we're gonna get into its specifics, technique, and recent application in the NFL (via Tim Tebow).

The option is nothing more than a series of run plays (from a variety of formations) where there are two or more potential ball carriers.  Conventionally, a run play will have a single predetermined ball carrier running a predetermined route.  The option allows the quarterback to decide during the play, how he wants the ball to be ran.  He does this by reading certain players before the snap, and during the first few moments of the play, and decides how to proceed based on these reads, called "keys".


Option Plays


There are essentially only two option plays that can be executed from various formations.  Each has only two potential ball carriers, or "options".

Read Option

The "mesh" exchange between Tim Tebow and Jeff Demps.
Note Tebow's eyes as he reads his dive key and decides what
to do with the ball.

The first is called a "read" option, which has two possible options, a "dive" track and a "keep" track.  The quarterback takes the snap and puts the ball in the belly of his running back.  Instead of handing it off, he holds it there and follows along with the running back's movement for as long as he can without taking an actual step.  This amount of time is called the "mesh".  During the mesh, the quarterback reads his "dive key", a defensive end (opposite of the running back's direction).  If the end pursues the running back, the quarterback with keep the ball and his keep track will run in a direction away from the dive track.  If the end recognizes the play as an option, and waits to see how the mesh unfolds, the quarterback will hand it off and the play follows the dive track.  Keep in mind that a dive refers to a running route directly up the middle.  If the quarterback reads his key correctly, the offense will always have the upper hand, because the keep track moves away from the end's direction, and the dive track will have a head start on the end who hesitated.  This play is also sometimes referred to as the


Speed Option

Tim Tebow in the motion of pitching the ball on a speed
option run.

The second option play is a "speed" option.  It is so named because as soon as the quarterback receives the ball, he immediately goes into motion.  The two tracks here are the "keep" track and the "pitch" track.  A running back, here refered to as a "pitch back", will be running a few yards beside the quarterback.  When the quaterback (still carrying the ball) runs into some defenders, he may chose to keep the ball, or pitch it back to the running back, based on his read, here called a "pitch key" (usually a linebacker or defensive back).  If the defender pursues the quarterback, he'll pitch the ball, but if the defender follows the pitch man, he'll keep it.  As long as both options aren't being simultaneously covered, the speed option should always get positive yardage.

Triple Option

Josh Johnson running his keep track.

Those two plays are essentially the building blocks of the option.  There are two forms of "triple option" that derive from them.  Triple option meaning that there are three possible ball carriers, the conventional triple option is a combination of both the read option and the speed option.  With two running backs, the play begins and runs exactly like the read option.  If the quarterback decides to keep the ball, he still has the pitch man running beside him (the speed option).  This entire sequence is also known as the "veer" (play; there is also a "veer" formation).

The other triple option is a double speed option.  Innovated (debatable) and perfected (indisputable) by Urban Meyer, this involves all three backs to rush in one direction just like the speed option.  The only difference is that the quarterback has two pitch options, one on either side of him.  The benefit here is that typically on a speed option, the quarterback finds one or two defenders ahead of him, but hardly ever three.  The third option allows allows for positive yardage, almost all the time.  Note that the forward pitch is called a "shovel pass".  This is done to differentiate the two because even a forward pitch is a forward pass.  If it is dropped, the ball is dead as an incomplete pass.  A normal pitch (backwards), if dropped, is a fumble and a live ball.


Formations


Originally, the option was invented out of the single-wing and T formations, but quickly became prevalent out of the wishbone. All three formations are now extinct, so we'll just skip over them.

Flexbone

The most successful flexbone option team.

The wishbone evolved into the flexbone in the '80s where Fisher DeBerry combined the double slot formation with the wishbone option concepts.  The flexbone moved the wishbone's backs into the slot back positions.  This made the overall scheme more pass-friendly, whereas the wishbone wasn't.  This completes the flexbone into a full offensive scheme.  Today, only four FBS teams base their offense off the flexbone option and are considered true option teams.  They are the three service academies, Navy, Army, and Air Force, and Georgia Tech.  If you ever have the chance to closely watch any of these teams play, pay close attention to how the run these plays from the flexbone.  As you can see, the flexbone utilizes four backs, the quarterback, a full back, and two slot backs.  A slot back is a role typically filled with half backs or wide receivers.  The position is a hybrid of the two, and slot backs need to be skilled evenly between the two positions. 

Triple option in the flexbone.  Note the read option that may
become a speed option.

Now lets look at the option plays from the flexbone.  Typically, one of the slot backs goes in motion before the snap, and ends up past the full back by the time of the snap.  The quarterback sidesteps to enter the mesh stage with the full back.  He reads his dive key and makes a decision.  If he decides to keep it, he follows his keep track along side the pitch track ran by the slot back who went into motion before the snap.  After reading his pitch key, he may keep it or pitch it.  This same play can be redrawn in several variations with the tracks slightly moved around.  There is also a lot of room for pass plays and play-action passes from this formation.

Shotgun

Read option from the shotgun (see top picture).

I say shotgun and not spread here because the spread isn't a formation; it's a scheme.  A formation with three or more spread out receivers with the quarterback in the shotgun is considered spread.  Now a shotgun isn't a particular formation either but an umbrella of formations with the quarterback several yards behind the center.  This is the new wave of option football popularized by Urban Meyer, Rich Rodriguez, Chip Kelly and others.  Under this system, the quarterback receives the snap and enters the mesh immediately, or takes off on his track on a speed option, just like before.

Triple option (double speed) from the shotgun.

The difference maker in this system is the spread concept.  Three to five wide receivers spead the defense out and makes wider holes for the option run to find.  This is why under this system, small shifty backs (Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps) are more useful than big, strong, power backs.  The other advantage behind this scheme is that it doesn't become predictable or one sided.  The spread is without a doubt, the best scheme for strong passing.  Look at any two minute offense.  Look at Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers pass in the spread.  It gives them great field vision, several receivers causing separation in the secondary, and mismatches that will always favor the offense.  Defenses have to prepare for a deceptive option game, and a spread passing, and that's not even factoring what happens when you combine the two for play-action passing.  Defenses can be talented, but unless they're properly disciplined for this type of offense, they'll lose every time.


Reemergence in the NFL


If you're like me, or plenty Gator fans, you've been paying close attention to the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow.  After going 1-4, the Broncos start Tebow and implement the spread option which has never seen decent play time in the NFL.  As I mentioned earlier, the early option concepts thrived in pro football, but the spread option has never quite made the transition (one exception is the Josh Johnson Buccaneer package).  In my opinion, as reluctant as the NFL has been to change, the players who were a part of the popularization of the spread option are now all in the NFL.  There was bound to be a breaking point.  This isn't to say that all teams will start encorporating the this scheme.  They won't.  There a reason the most popular offensive style is called the Pro-style.  The NFL, like all pro sports, is a business.  A business where people quit their jobs, and get new ones.  Franchise players are a thing of the past.  Free angency, and the need for greed, has homogenized NFL schemes.  Because players and coaches are constantly shifting from team to team, all offenses and defenses styles are basically the same.  There are slight differences and plenty of variations, but they are conceptually the same.  A team that sets out to break these tendencies needs stability so that all their players can adapt to the new system.  It's like moving to a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road.

Yeah, these idiots.

I will say this, however.  There is a reason Tim Tebow excels at these plays.  He is a Heisman winning, two-time National Champion under this system, but as great as that sounds, he's not alone.  There happens to be not one, but two other quarterbacks in the NFL with similar resumes: Vince Young and Cam Newton.  Newton, we all know, won a Heisman and a national championship doing almost exactly what Tim Tebow did a few years prior.  And Tebow succeeded Vince Young, winning a national championship at Texas and coming in second in Heisman voting behind Reggie Bush, who vacated the award (so it's basically his).  They're also not having the most success right now.  Young's future is up in the air.  On the other hand, Cam Newton is having little to no problem fitting into his new scheme, but it still isn't his forte, and the Carolina Panthers still need a jump start.  Don't be surprised if we see Carolina pull a Tim Tebow, and put Newton in a similar option situation next year.

Xs and Os: Defensive and Special Teams Positions

by Arnaldo

Obviously after covering offensive positions, defensive and special positions were to follow.  A lot of these positions vary depending on the defensive scheme but we'll get into that later.  For now we'll just assume a standard 4-3 defense.

Defensive Positions

Defenses have three levels, the defensive line, linebackers, and the secondary.  I realize the secondary is the third level of the defense, but the name comes from the term "the box" which combines the d-line and the linebackers making the secondary the second line of defense.  Keep in mind that the rules allow defensive players to move freely and line up anywhere on their side of the line of scrimmage, so where I say these players line up may change during an actual game but they will usually line up there.

Defensive Tackles and Ends.  The defensive line consists of these.  The term "tackle" refers to the offensive tackles, if not the act of tackling, so the defensive position is usually referred to as a defensive tackle.  The defensive line has one job: tackle whoever has the ball.  On pass plays they are trying to penetrate the pocket to tackle the quarterback (a sack).  On run plays they are still trying to penetrate the offensive line to reach the ball carrier.  How they do this does vary depending on the particular play.  Defensive tackles line up in a 3-point-stance on either side of (and facing) the center and usually try to penetrate the A-gap, the gap between the center and either guard.  In a 3-4 scheme, or any time a defensive tackle lines up directly in front of the center, he is referred to as the nose tackle.  Defensive tackles are usually the biggest players on the team weighing in between 300-370 pounds. 

Defensive ends line up other outside the defensive tackles also in a 3-point-stance.  They push the tackles while also trying to get around them using their speed.  Defensive ends are usually smaller and quicker and there's a recent trend that is making them even smaller.  The days of 290 pound ends are approaching their end.  Now, most teams (especially in 4-3 schemes) use 250-275 pound ends that are quicker to get around the tackle to make a sack, and can still drop back into coverage on specialized plays (see Jarvis Moss, Derrick Harvey).

Linebackers.  The second level of defense are linebackers who line up, stay with me here, behind the d-line.  Their roles are typically more complex than that of the linemen.  In man coverage they are assigned an offensive skill player to cover, while in zone they have a tight zone to cover.  They're also the most common blitzers (whoever rushes the quarterback besides the d-line).   There are usually 3 linebackers on the field, two outside linebackers and a middle linebacker.  They also have nicknames to distinguish which linebacker they are.  The middle linebacker is referred to as Mike, the strong side linebacker is Sam, and the weak side linebacker is Will.  The strong side of the field is determined by which side of the offensive line the tight end line up , the opposite side is the weak side.  More times than not, the right side (from the offensive's perspective) is the strong side.  Furthermore, if the tight end goes in motion to the opposite side, the defensive assignments may shift over so that Sam doesn't have to move with him, unless that particular match-up is critical for the defense.  Linebackers are typically lean but very well built.  They are usually around 245-270 pounds.  The middle linebacker is typically largest of the three but doesn't necessarily need to be.

Cornerback.  The cornerbacks along with safeties make up the secondary.  Cornerbacks line up one on one against the X and Z receivers, in most schemes.  They must be among the fastest players on the team to keep up with the receivers.  Cornerbacks are not only responsible for not letting his assignment get into open space, if a pass comes his way he has to put himself between the ball and the receiver without interfering on the receivers ability to catch the ball (this would result in a pass interference call), and if he can, make an interception.  Cornerbacks are sometimes called on to blitz.  Because of their angle towards the quarterback, they often sneak up on him, so much so that former quarterback coach and head coach Jon Gruden calls them corner cats (see Ronde Barber, Darrelle Revis).

Safeties.  Safeties come in two varieties and there are usually only two on the field: strong safeties and free safties.  Strong safeties are usually stronger but the name derives from strong side, where the strong safety lines up behind the Sam linebacker (see Ahmad Black, John Lynch).  Free safeties line up loosely behind the strong safety but on the weak side of the field.  They typically are a bit quicker than strong safeties.  Safeties in general sit back and wait to see the play unfold before engaging.   If the play develops into a run, the safeties will engage to assist on the tackle from the "north" (the direction the offense is facing) so that in case the ball carrier escapes a few tackles, the safety is prepared to make the last possible tackle.  Safeties are taught to never find themselves behind the offense, but different coverage schemes might have them on unusual parts of the field and certain blitz schemes might utilize safeties as pass rushers.

Special Teams Positions

A football team usually has 5 special teams.  It could have fewer depending on how the personnel carry over, but there are 5 different needs for a special team: kick-offs, kick returns, punts, punt returns, and onside kicking/receiving (hands teams).  Field goals typically use the same team that handles punts but with a kicker instead of a punter, and a holder.  The majority of each special team is made up of starters and back-ups of various positions with the addition of a few specialized roles and a few specialized positions.

Let me begin by differentiating a role and a position.  A position is the type of  player who handles certain responsibilities.  A role is a job that could be filled by a certain position or various positions.  A quarterback is a position, the starting quarterback is a role. 

photo: photo-gator (Flickr)

Kicker.  The kicker handles the kick-off and field goal kicking.  A kicker's experience probably includes punting, but the two positions are specialized, so there is a designated kicker and punter.  Keep in mind punting involves receiving the snapped ball, dropping it and kicking, while kicking refers to kicking the ball from a tee or by a live place holder.

Punter.  Already kind of defined above, a punter is called upon on 4th down situations to strategically giving up a down to move the ball as far back as possible for the other offense to use.  In the event of a safety, a punt by the nonscoring team is required to return the ball back to the scoring team's offense from the 20 yard line, though a tee-less kick or a drop kick is also allowed.  College rules now allow a team to kick off the ball with a tee from the 20 instead.  Punters and kickers have no size significance.  Their skills lie solely on their abilities to kick, so usually they may vary in height but are usually very skinny.

photo: photo-gator (Flickr)

Long snapper.  The long snapper is a specialized position.  On punts and field goal tries, he will line up at center, and snap the ball back to the punter or holder.  This requires him to be a much more precise snapper than the starting center.  The long snapper also needs to see his snap for precision while a center snaps while facing forward.

Holder. The holder is a role.  It's usually filled by a punter or occasionally a backup quarterback.  On field goal attempts they catch the football from long snapper and quickly set it up to be kicked.

Punt/kick returner.  These are also roles filled usually by the fastest shiftiest player, typically a wide receiver, running back, or defensive back.  There is usually a separate punt returner than kick returner.  Some kickoff formations have two possible returners on both sides of the field.  Returners need to be fast, but the ability to read blocks down field, escape tackles, and make quick cuts and jukes are probably just, if not more, important than pure speed.

Xs and Os: Recognizing Penalties: Episode 1

by Dub

The stadium is roaring. The other team is on offense on its own 20 and just ran a deep pass play on 3^rd and 10. Forty yards down the field lies a yellow penalty flag. Your team’s number one corner back is walking back to the defensive huddle shaking his head and trying to speak to the referee. He throws his hands up in frustration and the referee queues his mic to let us all know, “Pass interference, Defense, Number 31, Automatic first down”. The crowd erupts, as a fan next to you is screaming and trying to get a “BULLSH*T” chant started among the others. You feel lost, not knowing what just transpired on the field, and you want to know how to avoid it for next time.

We here at Bruce and Albert know that watching football with your friends can be a little intimidating. No one wants to stand up and scream at the television, cheering and high-fiving his friends, or to rally the marching band to play the penalty song, only to find out the penalty is against your own team. This is our first installment of Xs and Os: Recognizing penalties. 

The first set of penalties we will discuss is one that hits rather close to home for us Gators & Buccaneers fans: interference calls on receivers and defensive players. There are a number of calls that can be made down field that could either negatively or positively influence your team's success. For all of our rules discussions, we will be using the 2011 Official Playing Rules and Casebook of the National Football League which can be found here.

I could just tell you what the penalties are, and have you look them up, but we'll explain here with some photos to better detail the rules. The most often called penalty down field is Defensive pass interference, often referred to among football geeks as "PI". As a precursor to all of this verbiage, though, we want to make very clear that none of these penalties will ever be called, NCAA or NFL, if the defensive or offensive player is watching the ball and making a play without looking back at the other player. This will be explained later.

As defined by the National Football League in Rule 8 Section 5 Article 1, "It is pass interference by either team when any act by a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders the progress of an eligible receiver’s opportunity to catch the ball. Pass interference can only occur when a forward pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage, regardless of whether the pass is legal or illegal, or whether it crosses the line". In short terms, Defensive PI occurs when the quarterback (or whoever is acting as the passer) throws the football to a receiver, and the defensive player makes contact to prevent the receiver from making a catch, before the ball arrives (see figure to the left). Offensive PI is the same, but the roles are switched; it occurs when a receiver is going down field and realizes he cannot make a play on the ball, so he keeps a defensive player from catching the ball through contact, which is defined as any touching between two players after the ball has left the hand of the quarterback, but before arriving at a catchable point for either player. These are usually tactics used by players when playing very aggressive coverage, or if there is possibility of the receiver or defensive player making a game changing play on the ball, like a touchdown or interception as the case may be. As a side note, contact down field between a defensive player and receiver to prevent making a catch is called Illegal Contact, if the ball has not left the hand of the quarterback. The distinction between the two is easy to remember, if the ball is thrown its interference, and if it’s not, it’s illegal contact.

While penalties are usually a sign of an undisciplined football team, pass interference is not always a bad thing. Now we’re going to talk about situational pass interference using some names you might know. Florida is playing against Tennessee, and Florida is on offense. John Brantley receives a snap and looks down field for Andre Debose. He throws the ball down field where Andre and a corner back are sprinting toward the end zone (for all intents and purposes this corner back will be referred to as CB). The ball is in the air, arching down toward the two players racing to make a game changing play. Debose jumps into the air to make a catch, but jumps too early, realizing he may have misjudged the ball. He realizes that, not only is he not going to catch the ball, but CB who ran slightly slower than Debose is closer to the ball and  looks to make a clean interception, and possible return. Mid-air, Debose grabs the defensive player and wraps his arms around him, dragging him to the ground, preventing CB from making the play. You know, though, that this will not result in a turnover, and instead just be a penalty. As a football team, you ALWAYS want to prevent a score, at whatever cost.

The other kind of down field “interference” penalty is Defensive Holding. Defensive Holding is defined in the NFL rulebook Rule 8 Section 4 Article 6“… defensive holding if a player grasps an eligible offensive player (or his  jersey) with his hands, or extends an arm or arms to cut off or encircle him”. This occurs when a receiver is running down field and a part of his body or uniform is held by a defensive player, who is trying to prevent him from making a play. This call is also very easy to understand, when you have the right signs. A player might be running slower than normal, or look hindered; this is a situation when you check the defensive player’s hands during the play and see if he is grasping any material or part of the other player. This is a call that, like pass interference, can be made to prevent a big scoring play. However, sometimes both of these plays are made by a defensive player who realizes he is beaten and is just making a last ditch effort to disrupt the play.

As we stated in our precursor, none of these plays will be called penalties if a player is “playing the ball” not “playing the man”. Here is a very quick explanation. Imagine two players standing on the goal line. We’ll use Andre Debose and CB again as our examples. Debose and CB are looking back downfield toward where John Brantley is standing and has thrown the ball. As the ball approaches the two players on its downward arc, Debose and CB bend at their knees and prepare to jump. Debose is in front (closer to John Brantley than the end zone), and uses hand to stabilize himself on the other player as he is in the process of jumping. They both jump and Debose makes the catch, immediately being tackled by CB. This is what is known as Incidental Contact, and will be a “no call” every time. The reason it is not called is because Debose is making a play on the ball without vastly changing the outcome of the play. While it may give him a slight edge, as long as he is looking at the ball and not making an obvious effort to give himself an advantage, he won’t get flagged.

Hopefully, now you will be able to watch a football game and know not only the penalties being called, but how to quickly recognize them, and whether or not they were situationally advantageous for your team. If you have any questions, please comment on this post and we’ll respond as soon as possible!

Xs and Os: Offensive Positions

by Arnaldo

This blog plans to have an "Xs and Os" series ofposts giving you an elementary approach to a certain topic, and graduallybecome more and more in depth.  They'llbe tagged "Xs and Os" so if you plan on studying up just type thatinto the search bar.

Thanks to our first request, this lesson plans to break downall offensive positions, their typical player size, and their function.

Let's begin with breaking down the sections of theoffense.  There are essentially two: theoffensive line, and the skill positions. I never liked the term skill positions because I truthfully believegames are won in the trenches and the offensive line is often more valuable.

The offensive line breaks down into 5 players of 3 positions.  They are tackles, guards, and a center.  The center lines up where the ball isplaced.  He is surrounded on either sideby a guard, who is then followed by a tackle. The five linemen have essentially the same function after the ball issnapped (by the center).  This may soundsimple but it requires a lot of focus and quick reflexes.  On run plays, they run block by pushingforward (or in a predetermined direction/fashion) and leading the ball carrier,and on pass plays they back up and form a "pocket" around the quarterback"pass blocking" the defender sent in to rush the Quarterback.

The center has the added responsibility of calling theoffensive line block schemes.  This meanshe's telling the rest of the line who to block and in which way, depending onwhere the defense lines up (unlike the offensive line, the defense can line uphowever they like).

Quarterback.  Thequarterback's chief job is to pass the ball to any of the other skillpositions.  Note that the offensive linemenare considered ineligible receivers, unless they line up in a differentposition and there are 5 other linemen as usual.  Also note that football allows one forwardpass per play, which is why those rare double pass plays requires the first oneto be backwards.  The quarterback alsolines up in one of three positions: under center, shotgun, or pistol.  Under center is pretty self-explanatory,where he is right behind the center reaching under his legs close to theball.  The shotgun is the other mostcommon position where the quarterback stands a few yards behind thecenter.  This has its benefits and risks(high or fumbled snaps).  The pistol(rare nowadays) is about halfway between the center and the shotgunposition.  The quarterback also calls thesnap count, hands the ball off on running plays, occasionally becomes a ballcarrier on option plays (we'll get to these later), and calls audibles (on thespot change of play) if he sees the defense is lined up in an unfavorable way.  Quarterbacks vary in size depending on theirrole but they are usually not welcomed in the NFL if they are not at least 6feet tall (see Chris Leak).  Strictpocket passers may look like they don't play football at all by just looking atthem (see Eli Manning, Tony Romo). Scramblers are usually more athletic whether it be built for speed (seeMichael Vick), strength (see Ben Rothlisberger), or both (see Tim Tebow, AaronRodgers).

Running backs.  The termrunning back covers several roles but mainly describes the half back/tail backor rare h-back.  Sometimes the fullbackwill be lumped in there if he's utilized as a ball carrier.  Running backs line up in several differentpositions in the backfield and don't always run the ball.  On passing plays they either help theoffensive line protect the quarterback (this is referred to as max protect) orthey may run a short route and be what's called a check-down or dump-offoption.  If the quarterback can't find anopen receiver, he'll throw to the check-down. They vary in size from the smallest players on the field if they're fast(see Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps) to fairly large and strong (see TrentRichardson or LeGarrette Blount).

Fullbacks.  Thefullback is a dying breed, more so in college football.  Some teams literally don't have one, and usea tight end or an undersized back-up tackle when they need a fullback.  He's physically something between a tight endand a lineman and are only really used in the I formation and variations of theI.  Lined up in front of the half back,he serves as his lead blocker.  Thismeans instead of having a predetermined defensive player to block, he will runthe half backs route ahead of him and block whomever gets in his way.  He is rarely handed the ball but athleticfull backs may become surprise receivers and ball carriers.  Loyal Tampa Bay fans will remember the successwe had running Mike Alstott in short yardage situations (and in regular yardagesituations line up at tail back) and Gator fans should recall the most recentFSU game where Hunter Joyer had some huge plays.

Wide receivers.  Thewide receivers line up on various positions on either side of the offensiveline.  They run a predetermined route andbecome a throwing option.  I feel thatpart is pretty self-explanatory.  Whatyou need to wide receivers are their positions on the field.  There are several.  Typically, the most skilled receiver lines upin the X position on the far left side of the field.  The second will go to the Z position on theopposite end.  These outside receiversare typically tall.  Most formations haveroom for at least 3 receivers.  The thirdlines up between either the X or the Z and the offensive line.  He used to be referred to as the split endbut is now commonly known as the Y receiver or slot receiver, they could be thesame size as X and Ys but small shifty receivers find success here too (see WesWelker).  There are formations that willhave up to 5 wide receivers, especially in a spread scheme.

Tight Ends. Tight ends line up tight against the end of theoffensive line, see how that works? They are used as mobile blockers on runplays like fullbacks, but are also used as receivers.  Tight ends vary in size.  They  canapproach the size of a fullback, or as thin as a wide receiver.  Typically their routes are short and aredesigned as a match-up problem for defenses. They should be strong enough to earn several yards after catch (YAC), orquick enough to outrun linebackers.  Anambiguously sized tight end can be a match-up nightmare for defenses (see AaronHernandez).