Well, before I get to the spread variant of the I formation, I thought we needed to discuss another smashmouth offense used across the nation in 11-man, and used a good bit in 8-man as well. That would be the Single Wing offense. One of the oldest used offenses in the sport, it incorporates power running and determination, along with aggression and fundamentals. Now, I know that the Notre Dame Box and the Single Wing are distinctly different offenses in 11-man. However, in the 8-man game, you lose the man who changes the offenses by removing the wing, so that you are able to still have the BB and the ability to run heavy formations. This means that in 8-man, the main difference is that the TB is on the side away from the BB or to his side. Also, while the Single Wing has a QB, the Box does not. This is also not a big difference when moving the offense to 8-man. When attempting to institute this offense, you must first pick your players and their positions wisely. Nobody has to be the best athlete on the field. They just have to be the most determined. They must be willing to not look like a superstar. Formations (I will show if the formation is Single Wing based or Box based in the name just to make it easier.) "Base Wing" "Base Box" "Overload Box" "Overload Wing" "Power Box" "Split Wing" Players (the names are a bit different in these offenses due to age and theory) Now, as you can see, these formations use the Tight Ends VERY liberally. You will not split people out frequently, as you will rely on inside running. With this in mind, be sure that your players are prepared mentally and physically. They must be bought into the offense, and they must be ready to be tough. This offense is not like the Flex or the Spread Option offenses, in that it can easily be taught and run. It does not require reading, as the Snap Back doesn't have anyone to run the option with, or it is not a good scheme.
Without an option attack, all of your running must be carefully thought out and executed. Pulling your guards is always a good option, and running GT's is actually possible. Running behind blockers is a benefit of this offense. You will not have long flashy plays, but you will suck up clock and keep your offense on the field. Differences Now, the differences. The Single Wing is slightly different in backfield alignment, as the diagrams show. The thing the diagrams do not show is that the SB and TB are both aligned on the center. The SB's inside leg is on the center's outside leg, and the same is true for the TB. This means that your center must be talented when aiming and snapping the ball. This technique is very instrumental in many plays, since you want your SB to lead Double Lead plays to the strength. He also leads Sweeps. The SB will take most of the snaps, do not get me wrong, but he will lead for the TB on those plays. Unless you want to add some trick plays, then the TB won't throw, so it doesn't affect that. The Box doesn't do that. You only have one back who can take the snap, so your SB can't lead for others and the ball can only go to him. This does mean that you lose a little bit of trickery on the snap. However, you get more trickery afterwards, since you can hand to the TB, bring the BB around and hand to him every now and then, or pop short passes. You will not run many plays. In fact, it is better if you don't, since you can concentrate on getting very good at a few good plays, and be able to rely on them all the time and know that the players will be able to run them all the time. Base Plays/Personnel Discussion The base plays you definitely have to have are a SB lead dive, a Sweep with both SB and TB, and a TB Dive. You also must have an off guard play of some sort, what kind of play here is really up to you. I've seen Stretches, Counters (in my opinion the most useful), and Quick Pitches. In the Wing, it is easier to hit these plays quicker, and you can snap it to the SB or TB. In the Box, the SB can only get it, but he has more blockers, since if you snap to the SB he would have to handoff or take it in the Wing, and can't block. Passes are equally simple. Basically, you need a flag, an out, and a fly. Anything else is up to you, but those are the best and most needed. Remember, you will not be throwing the ball all that much, and will be relying on running the ball. For personnel, you must pick your guys well. SB: Leader on the field, calls plays, tough, can block, run, and throw accurately, does not have to have a huge arm. TB: Tough, able to run and block. BB: Best backfield blocker, tough, bigger (if possible), and able to run inside on counter plays. TE: Able to catch and block. OL: Aggressive run blockers. C (in Wing): Able to snap the ball to two backs, good blocker, smart. Conclusion In conclusion, these offenses are quite easy to install and use. You do not need the best athletes or biggest linemen to be competitive. It is also easy on us coaches because it takes some of the guesswork out of the play calling. With few plays, you can't overthink it. It is also a great option for a team that is just trying to learn the 8-man game. Note I will be posting an actual playbook for these soon, I just wanted to get this article out and the playbook is taking me a while. I will have them in separate posts soon. Coach A Comments are closed.
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