Single-wing formation: Difference between revisions
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== The Single-Wing Today == |
== The Single-Wing Today == |
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Although the Single-wing has lost much of its popularity since [[World War II]], its characteristic features are still prevalent in all levels of modern football. They include pulling guards, double teams, play action passes, laterals, wedge blocking, trap blocking, the sweep, the reverse and the quick kick. Many current offenses, such as that of the [[Florida Gators]]' coach [[Urban Meyer]], use Single-wing tendencies for running plays, while using wide receivers instead of wingbacks. |
Although the Single-wing has lost much of its popularity since [[World War II]], its characteristic features are still prevalent in all levels of modern football. They include pulling guards, double teams, play action passes, laterals, wedge blocking, trap blocking, the sweep, the reverse and the quick kick. Many current offenses, such as that of the [[Florida Gators]]' coach [[Urban Meyer]], use Single-wing tendencies for running plays, while using wide receivers instead of wingbacks.<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2723273/</ref> |
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The single wing has had success across the country from Alaska to Florida at the youth, middle school, high school and college levels. There is a group of very successful high school coaches still running the Single Wing from Florida to California. In 2006 alone, three Single Wing teams played in the Virginia High School State Finals, with two winning Titles, Giles High School and [[Osbourn High School]]. Louisa County High School in Virginia nearly pulled off a worst to first story in Virginia this year as Mark Fischers team went to the single wing, losing in the finals. |
The single wing has had success across the country from Alaska to Florida at the youth, middle school, high school and college levels. There is a group of very successful high school coaches still running the Single Wing from Florida to California. In 2006 alone, three Single Wing teams played in the Virginia High School State Finals, with two winning Titles, Giles High School and [[Osbourn High School]]. Louisa County High School in Virginia nearly pulled off a worst to first story in Virginia this year as Mark Fischers team went to the single wing, losing in the finals. |
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Revision as of 21:47, 17 December 2007
In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation is any offensive formation having exactly one wingback and one tight end aligned together. However, the term usually connotes formations in which the snap is tossed rather than handed. Formations with one wingback and a handed snap are commonly called "wing T" or "winged T".
History
Among coaches, single-wing football denotes a direct snap formation as well as a deceptive scheme that evolved from Glenn "Pop" Warner's offensive style. Traditionally, the single-wing was an offensive formation that featured a core of four backs including a tailback, a fullback, a quarterback (blocking back), and a wingback. The single-wing was one of the first formations attempting to trick the defense instead of over-powering them. [1]
Pop Warner referred to his new offensive scheme as the Carlisle formation because he formulated most of the offense while coaching the Carlisle Indians. The term single-wing came into widespread use after spectators noticed that the formation gave the appearance of a wing-shape. In 1907, Warner coached at Carlisle, a school for Native Americans, where his legacy consisted of at least three significant events. The first was the discovery of Jim Thorpe's raw athletic ability. The second was the use of an extensive passing game that relied on the spiralled ball. Finally, faking backs who started one way, but abruptly headed the opposite way, kept defenses guessing.[2]
The direct snap or toss from the center usually went to the tailback or fullback; however, the quarterback could also take the ball. Unlike today, the quarterback usually blocked at the point of attack. The wingback could double-team block with an offensive lineman at scrimmage or even run a pass route.[3]
View two-time All-American Jack Crain's handwritten playbook that clearly denotes how the University of Texas ran their version of the single-wing circa 1939-1940. UT ran a balanced line, which means that there were the same number of linemen on each side of the center. Also, the ends were slightly split.[4]
The advent of the T formation in the 1940's led to a decline in the use of the Single-wing formations, but this style of football is still practiced by a small group of teams across the country, almost exclusively at the high school and youth level.[5] The Pittsburgh Steelers were the last NFL team as of 2007 to use the single-wing as their standard formation, finally switching to the T formation in 1952.[6]
The Single-Wing Today
Although the Single-wing has lost much of its popularity since World War II, its characteristic features are still prevalent in all levels of modern football. They include pulling guards, double teams, play action passes, laterals, wedge blocking, trap blocking, the sweep, the reverse and the quick kick. Many current offenses, such as that of the Florida Gators' coach Urban Meyer, use Single-wing tendencies for running plays, while using wide receivers instead of wingbacks.[7]
The single wing has had success across the country from Alaska to Florida at the youth, middle school, high school and college levels. There is a group of very successful high school coaches still running the Single Wing from Florida to California. In 2006 alone, three Single Wing teams played in the Virginia High School State Finals, with two winning Titles, Giles High School and Osbourn High School. Louisa County High School in Virginia nearly pulled off a worst to first story in Virginia this year as Mark Fischers team went to the single wing, losing in the finals.
Colton California was a USA Today top 20 team in 2006. They run the Single Wing abut 90% of the time, with the Double Wing making up the other 10%.
In 1998, 2006 and 2007, Menominee High School in Michigan won the State Championship using the Single-Wing.
Even a number of college teams today run single wing plays and formations, like Florida, Boise State, West Virginia, Utah, Missouri, Texas, Nevada, Texas A&M and Arkansas to name a few.
References
- ^ Warner, Glenn (May 1, 2007). Football For Coaches And Players. Carlisle, PA: Tuxedo Press. pp. 136–170. ISBN 0977448647.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201395_pf.html
- ^ http://www.footballhistorian.com/football_heroes.cfm?page=18
- ^ http://www.noconacn.net/crain/playbook.htm
- ^ http://www.johntreed.com/SWO.html
- ^ http://media3.steelers.com/tradition/teamhistory/
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2723273/
See also
- Glossary of American football
- 46 defense
- A Formation
- Flexbone formation
- I formation
- Notre Dame Box
- Pro set
- Shotgun formation
- Single set back
- Spread offense
- Sutherland Single-Wing
- T formation
- Triple option
- Trips formation
- Veer
- Wishbone formation