A Remarkable new offense still in the stages of formation I'm sure, but it brings to the table some qualities that are truly revolutionary . . .
Founded solely by the Piedmont Football coaching staff in California, this new offense is interesting alone in its description.
This is a scrimmage kick formation and the Piedmont base set . . . 2 direct snap QB's if you will (or it just as easily could be a QB and TB type), 3 wide receivers split to each side (THATS RIGHT 6 WIDE!), and 3 quasi-linemen (again in theory and I'll explain myself shortly). The reason I say quasi is because there are NO non eligible receivers on the field. Everyone is wearing eligible jerseys 1-49 or 80-99, and the 3 "linemen" are really a center with tight ends on either side of him.
This REALLY spreads the field, certainly to the point that I want to see their protection schemes. But aside from that it really does force you to defend all 11 players on the field. "How is that possible? All 11 players can't just go down field to catch a pass can they?" Your right . . . they CAN'T. HOWEVER, the best part of the offense is . . . you as a Defensive player have NO idea who is going out for a pass on any given play.
"Is that all they do is pass?" No, and again I have no idea what ALL they run, but they do run out of the A-11. particularly from what I have seen on tape, option plays and obviously QB sneaks. But the offense is very easily opened up, I have, for example SEEN them run a speed option from the 2 backs in the backfield and the pitch man after having received the pitch throw it down field for a Touchdown. Which leads a restless soul myself to really THINK "was that an option pass? Was it designed all the way to be a pass? Can it really get this complicated?" etc etc.
The "A-11" offense actually stands for "all 11 offensive players potentially eligible" . . . think of it as lining up in a fake punt every play. Naturally it is a fiasco for referees, but that's their job. Plus imagine what its like for the defense. I won't profess to know too much about the actual schemes involved or even the serious points which the offense chooses to exploit (aside from the obvious spreading the field to its limit and the confusion factors involved) but I CAN list a few interesting points that become evident upon learning the formation.
- You have no idea who is going out for a pass on any given play and that's VERY scary, just think of the world's most complex tackle eligible pass play . . . except their are 5 tackles and they all run and catch like wide receivers.
- Motion in this offense can be the difference between a gain on offense and a touchdown altogether. Motion and formation shifting or changing can also very much so DICTATE where the Defense lines up, because if you fail to respect where someone is lined up in this offense it can seriously hurt you.
- Like in all spread offenses, the free plays abound and the Defense can OFTEN call the plays for you; nobody in the box means run it up the gut NOW, the uncovered man gets the ball NOW. It's a thing of beauty really.
- I love the throwback to the old single wing double QB idea. Some modern football fans may have seen this concept when Arkansas ran its wildcat package (even though I think D-Mac got all the snaps). This means that you REALLY shouldn't even know who is going to get the snap . . . as well, you don't know the guy who DOESN'T get the snap is going to do. This setup seems perfect for setting up the speed option as well. Also as I mentioned earlier this allows for the old single wing back faking and misdirection that is in my opinion is so essential to running the football. All this aside I really didn't see too much true dual QB line up on the film though.
- Tell me what the alternate formations are in THIS offense!!! In modern conventional football a formation that often goes to the way side is a 4 wide look to the right side. This in itself is a crazy addition or package to an already good passing offense . . . what kind of crazy off balance formations can you have in this system? Imagine something like 5 or 6 wide to a side maybe? I'm not sure but I would have to imagine that as much as the A-11 in CONCEPT is a shock to the system already, it must lend itself some amazing tweaks and variations to an already insane system.
- A fundamentally sound system and a ball club that executes is awfully hard to beat if you have NEVER SEEN THIS OFFENSE IN YOUR LIFE. Which will be the case most often for those who will pick up on the offense and use it either as a package or as their base system.
So do I think that this is the NEXT BIG THING? No . . . I think that this is primarily a grass roots movement right now, and its going to be tough to get it moving without serious support at the College level (at the very least) and some MORE big time high schools. This very well could end up as an equilizer offense only, which by nature are destined to relative obscurity in the mainstream offensive picture. HOWEVER if this proves to be anything like the spread offense (and don't get me wrong it has plenty of components of the spread) which was at first PROFESSED to be an equilizer offense but TURNED OUT to be a TALENT AMPLIFIER as shown by countless top programs across the country, then perhaps A-11 will become the next offensive fad . . . in time of course.
(The following information can be accredited to the following blog http://a11offense.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-is-a-11-offense.html . . . which was actually made by the creators of the offense at Piedmont High School described herein)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A-11 Offense
My Guess on the Next Big Thing in Offense
The absolute blow-up of Spread Option football has become EXTREMELY evident over the past 5 years or so. The Godfathers being of course the Urban Meyer's and the Rich Rodriquez's. They have started an offensive revolution that will probably continue to live on at the high school level for a LONG time, and at the College level for at least some time. The typical set is a 4 wide 1 back set out of the gun, and the base play behind it all is the option. It could be the zone read with the QB eying the defensive end, or it may be the speed option with the back or even (what i think is an incredible concept) . . . a motioned wide receiver. So yes some of us or even most of us if your an enthusiast understand and have heard of or seen the Floridas and the West Virginias run this system on TV, and we have even heard of or seen it trickle down to the grass roots at the high school level.
However, I wonder whats next. Just because i like to be on top of things, and because I would like to think I'm a student of the game.
I honestly believe that 2 things are part of the equation.
1) LITTLE is truly "revolutionized" any more, the shotgun, the option, the spread formation, all these things were coined and well understood well before my time even, and the coaches themselves who are made to be the Geniuses behind these schemes readily admit that little in the light of new concepts is really being brought into offensive thought and strategy. the entire spread option scheme is based off of older ideas and principles, the wide receiver motion setting up the pitch, refer back to the Navy flexbone, the speed option, obviously just the option run at a deeper depth than usual yet AGAIN an ingenious idea in my opinion, the zone read is based off of the option principle that a single defender cannot defend 2 men and that he must PICK one giving the offense an advantage as well as being able to use one less blocker
I also believe that
2) The Next Big Thing that becomes an Offensive fad will simply be some sort of reproduction of an original offensive thought. That is to say that its going to be something you have HEARD OF BEFORE. The spread option was amazing and unprecedented in that, it gave offenses a way to RUN THE FOOTBALL very effectively out of PASSING formations, that was an unheard of concept and I think it was more than anything a SOLUTION to the problem of unbalanced offensive production (concerning predictability and the run vs pass ratio out of the shotgun).
So I'll get to the point.
The Next Big Thing in football will not be a revert to the stone age of power football, but rather it will be the final frontier of the SPREAD OFFENSE that has been left (at major levels) highly unexplored. When I say Spread offense i do mean to differentiate between all the zoning and running and optioning that can be done out of Meyer's and Rich's system. I am talking about the concept or the idea of spreading the field which has been a blossoming idea in football for the longest time now.
The unexplored frontier that i mentioned is the Empty Set.
The 5 wide receiver set employed by New England and Green Bay in 2007 to me has just GOT to be the next big thing. Not just because the Pro's are doing it, but rather because like I said it is the unexplored plateau. It is to many coaches a gimmick, a gadget, or a special set that they only go to occasionally. To some it is a mainstay but that number is probably fewer than all the I formation, West Coast split back, Pro Single back, Spread Option teams out there. I think that it is a remarkable SYSTEM in itself if you commit to it, and i say that solely because of the possibilities and defensive mismatches it presents. Given you cannot run it someone who doesn't have a head for system, but you cant put a power football QB in a West Coast system either. Obviously its all about finding the right guy, but once you have a smart coach who knows the system and how to take advantage of the FEW situations that you encounter in a 5 wide set, and then you get a QB who is merely an EXTENSION of that coach's mind on the field, I have got to imagine that this is the next big thing because i believe it has the substance to be a base offense in itself.
However, I wonder whats next. Just because i like to be on top of things, and because I would like to think I'm a student of the game.
I honestly believe that 2 things are part of the equation.
1) LITTLE is truly "revolutionized" any more, the shotgun, the option, the spread formation, all these things were coined and well understood well before my time even, and the coaches themselves who are made to be the Geniuses behind these schemes readily admit that little in the light of new concepts is really being brought into offensive thought and strategy. the entire spread option scheme is based off of older ideas and principles, the wide receiver motion setting up the pitch, refer back to the Navy flexbone, the speed option, obviously just the option run at a deeper depth than usual yet AGAIN an ingenious idea in my opinion, the zone read is based off of the option principle that a single defender cannot defend 2 men and that he must PICK one giving the offense an advantage as well as being able to use one less blocker
I also believe that
2) The Next Big Thing that becomes an Offensive fad will simply be some sort of reproduction of an original offensive thought. That is to say that its going to be something you have HEARD OF BEFORE. The spread option was amazing and unprecedented in that, it gave offenses a way to RUN THE FOOTBALL very effectively out of PASSING formations, that was an unheard of concept and I think it was more than anything a SOLUTION to the problem of unbalanced offensive production (concerning predictability and the run vs pass ratio out of the shotgun).
So I'll get to the point.
The Next Big Thing in football will not be a revert to the stone age of power football, but rather it will be the final frontier of the SPREAD OFFENSE that has been left (at major levels) highly unexplored. When I say Spread offense i do mean to differentiate between all the zoning and running and optioning that can be done out of Meyer's and Rich's system. I am talking about the concept or the idea of spreading the field which has been a blossoming idea in football for the longest time now.
The unexplored frontier that i mentioned is the Empty Set.
The 5 wide receiver set employed by New England and Green Bay in 2007 to me has just GOT to be the next big thing. Not just because the Pro's are doing it, but rather because like I said it is the unexplored plateau. It is to many coaches a gimmick, a gadget, or a special set that they only go to occasionally. To some it is a mainstay but that number is probably fewer than all the I formation, West Coast split back, Pro Single back, Spread Option teams out there. I think that it is a remarkable SYSTEM in itself if you commit to it, and i say that solely because of the possibilities and defensive mismatches it presents. Given you cannot run it someone who doesn't have a head for system, but you cant put a power football QB in a West Coast system either. Obviously its all about finding the right guy, but once you have a smart coach who knows the system and how to take advantage of the FEW situations that you encounter in a 5 wide set, and then you get a QB who is merely an EXTENSION of that coach's mind on the field, I have got to imagine that this is the next big thing because i believe it has the substance to be a base offense in itself.
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