Helping Ball Carrier Along

The old style of starting the game has been retained, but there the old conditions cease, and the new features will at once be appearant The first one of the most important changes will be when the opposing teams line up for a scrimmage. Instead of facing each other at close quarters, as in the past, the length of the ball will separate them, and this will affect the entire character of the defensive play. It will put an end to charging, and from a spectator's standpoint will materially improve the game, as it will reduce to a minimum mass plays, which make it next to impossible for the spectators to watch the progress of the ball with any degree of satisfaction. It will prevent one team securing a big advantage on their opponents before the ball is actually in play and favor a defense rather than an aggressive game.

In the early years of football the rule that governed the number of players on the line of scrimmage fluctuated; 1895, seven players must be on the line of scrimmage until the ball is snapped; 1896, rule again changes stating at least five players shall be on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped; 1903, rule changes again state that now the number of players on the line of scrimmage could be either seven or five under certain conditions. Then finally in 1910, the rules committee changes for the last time the number of players on the line of scrimmage to seven prior to the snap of the football. This rule change of 1910 has remained unchanged to the present day.

John Heisman, famous coach and one of the inventive minds of football wrote in 1932 in the Yale? Princeton football program, "Camp's scrimmage plan gave the ball into possession of the center and he alone could put it into play with a snap-back. This control of the ball made it possible for the offensive team to plan plays in advance, and the use of signals by the quarterback made for better team play". (Davis, 1926)

Coach Campbell,

You and oneback need to combine your knowledge of the history of the game and open a public library!
Thanks for all that very informative post!!!

JC

In May 1958, Clem W. Thompson, Francis Nagle, and Robert Dobias conducted a study the results of which were published as Football Signals and Movement Times of High School and College Players. This study measured the time it took their subjects to move a distance of 18 inches. Two different starting signals were used: (1) rhythmic, either a digit signal (one, two, three, four), or word?digit signal (hut one, hut two, hut three; and (2) non?rhythmic word digit signals or non?rhythmic color signal (red, green, orange, etc.). Rhythmic digit starting signals were found to result in the fastest movement times for both high school and college players Thompson et al., 1958).

It is important when understanding rules and technique that the stance has taken on many different looks since 1869, depending on the philosophy of the coach teaching it. The stance, an important aspect of offensive line play, was researched by J.M. Deck (1962) in his doctoral dissertation entitled Effects of Stance, Body Position, and Initial Step Patterns. The evidence suggests that a stance with high hip elevation is best. Since other factors such as stability and maneuverability are important to the football stance, appropriate modifications of the suggested starting stance are often indicated.

When fast movement is desired, the best stance is one in which the knees are bent slightly and the weight is distributed over the feet. Starting on the balls of the feet prior to the movement stimuli offers no advantage because of an athlete's tendency to rock back on his heels before making his initial step.

In 1964, as the game progressed, then Head Football Coach Bobby Dobb wrote of his updated version of offensive line play which he utilized at Georgia Tech. In his book, Bobby Dobb on Football (1964), he said:

It is in the offensive line that we find the unheralded and unsung heroes of any football team. The first downs and touchdowns of legendary halfbacks would never have come to pass but for the "blood, sweat, and tears" of an offensive line. Offensive line play can't be faked (p. 31).

Coach Dobb stated that in order for an offensive lineman to enjoy any success he first must have a good stance to enjoy any possible advantage against his opponent. Next most important factor is releasing from the line of scrimmage (getting off on the football).

There are five major factors necessary to any good offensive stance. Listed in order they are: (1) leg spread, (2) foot stagger, (3) arm position, (4) plane of the hips, back, and head, and (5) weight distribution (Dobb, 1964).