Multi-Formation Systems

Use of "multi-formations" is in a different category from "orders of football" (AKA: "systems") such as the Wing-T. MOST Wing-T teams that use "multi-formations".

I personally believe in using "multi-formations" with FEWER PLAYS. We have 14 basic formations that we get to easily by moving 2 people (move ONE to get 7, & move another to get the other 7). That makes 28 if you go left & right (which of course, we do)!

ALL our formations fit neatly into TWO categories:

1. "PRO FAMILY" (X & Z on opposite sides)

2. "SLOT FAMILY" (X & Z on same sise).

In my opinion formations should be used only to accomplish two things...find what the defense has the hardest time matching up against, and find where you players are featured best. Find the offensive sets that accomplish those two things and use them. If it takes 14, I guess go with 14--however I'm guessing any coach can probably cut that down. At the HS level, everyone has to balance creative playcalling with confusion possibility of the players. Something has to give. You don't have enough time to put in an NFL-style offense. The greatness of the Wing-T or Double wing sets is they are set around a very sound package of plays that work off one another. Fewer plays = less confusion for players because each play is repped over and over. Multiple set offenses with thicker playbooks must allow for more mental mistakes by the players, but can compensate by more imaginative playcalling. Pick your poison, develop your kids, and go at it.

I disagree, I assisted coaching a PAL league for those of you who do know what PAL is it stands for Police Athletic League, and I co-ran the offense with the head coach and found the kids even at 11 years of age (was the age grouped i coached) were able to pick up on an 8 formation playbook, each formation containing 4 Plays, 6 of them were 2 Pass and 2 Run, while 2 of the formations, Shotgun Trips Right, and Shotgun Trips Empty contained 1 Run (a Draw on the Shotgun trips right) and the Option Right on the Empty formation, and with 32 plays we ran the offense with little complications and managed to finish 9-1 Winning the league championship. (no playoffs, best record wins it, we played every team) So I do believe that it is possible to teach kids multiple formations especially if you simplify it so that each kid knows his assignment has one position to play (we had enough kids to run Platoon having 11 for offense and 11 different kids for defense and even had a kicker/punter too) We also survived running a 4-4 Defense with 3 Safeties, 2 of which would play man on with the Splits and the other playing a zone in 5 yard radius, and had 5 Simple Plays, Jailbreak (all the linebackers rushed), Ian Blitz (inside linebacker) Mike (Middle) Randy (Right side) Lester (Left side) and set the record for Lowest points allowed, so I believe it really just depends on the coaching level and the amount of time spent teaching (we had practice 2-3 times a week) and asked the parents to go over one formation each day, on the days there were no practice.

Define but what you mean effective, cause in my opinion the less of a play your opponent sees the more likely for success it is since they won't expect it, where as if you run the same dive four times the team will be better prepared, and 12 plays doesn't give you many options in terms of situations i believe.

Good point. I guess I do overestimate opponents. It just sucks though cause I have so many ideas for plays and formations in my head (must of my playbook was drawn up by myself, using only the basic play formula of Holes 2468 Right 0 Center 1357 Left, and the Route Tree, with the exception of a few plays pulled out of "Football's Best Offensive Playbook" by Dwight "Dee" Hawkes, including the infamous Bobby Bowden's 46 Toss.