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The Single Wing Offense Video starring Jim Ahern

This great companion to the book gives you  step-by-step review of the fundamentals and techniques involved in designing and installing the single wing offense. Coaching the Single Wing Offense details the key aspects of executing this offense, including blocking schemes, essential facets of the running game, passing game elements, and coaching pointers.

If you have a number of coaching resources, this one will only add to your knowledge of the Single Wing Offense.

Popularity: 71%

Technorati Tags: Single Wing Offense, Single Wing Videos

The Single Wing 3 Pack — Championship Productions, Inc.

In Volume 1, Coach Mike Rude delivers a great video on the Basics of the Single Wing Offense. The videos review several of the formations, the mechanics of the play calling system, shifts, and motions. Coach Rude and offensive line coach Brian Berry cover the techniques of each formation including seam bucks, counter trey, option, and wedge series.

One of the best aspects of the video is the list of blocking rules for every hole allowing for countless combinations of plays. Coach Rude covers individual play assignments, adding team demonstration and game footage to help fully demonstrate the player’s responsibilities and the offensive playbook.

After only four years of running the Single Wing, Coach Rude’s team has averaged over 4,000 rushing yards a season and has had six rushers with over 1,000 rushing yards. Using this rush-oriented offense will allow your team to control the clock, limit turnovers, and have fun with a new style of successful football.

In Volume 2, Coach Rude explains the tactics, techniques, and drills that are necessary to install the Single Wing Offense. Demonstrated are 15 essential drills to designed to progressively build the Single Wing Offense. Examples of the drills include:

• Offensive line splits
• Basic blocking schemes,
• Snapping to the tailback and fullback

Coach Rude then looks at an innovative formation shift that takes place during the snap count. Game footage demonstrates how the shift can potentially draw defenses to encroach several times a game. All the tactics, techniques, and drills that will enhance the player’s knowledge of each situation, play, and defense are covered in detail. You are provided with a systematic progression of drills that will help aid your team stay organized and efficient.

In Volume 3, Coach Rude focuses on getting the Single Wing fullback involved in the game plan. The fullback is the key to opening up your playbook by adding an even larger spectrum of deception for the defense. Coach Rude goes over every blocking assignment for every play, and presents a “Blocking Rules Cheat Sheet” that makes remembering everything you learn much easier. Take advantage of the 20 plays that Coach Rude meticulously diagrams that will allow your team to dominate the game, the chains, and the clock.

Credits to Mike Rude,
Johnston City High School (IL) Head Coach;
Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame (`95),
Selected as the Ray Eliot Award recipient (highest award given to IL HS football coaches)

Popularity: 91%

Technorati Tags: single offense videos, Single Wing Offense

Seeing more Cover 2 this year. The goal of this coverage is to take away the short routes and hopefully get pressure with the 4 defensive linemen. The corners and linebackers play both zone and man out of the two deep safety alignment. In man, the cornerbacks will try to wall off inside routes or flatten out routes to the sideline.

You can attack cover two with intermediate routes into the middle of the field and in the strong side curl area or in the void 15 t0 25 yards behind the corner toward the sideline. Posts, seams, and digs. You can run a fade if you hit it quick, but a good corner can pick a fade thrown on a line. The sucker bet is a deeper fade or one with some loft; count on the safety getting over the top.

So how do you attack Cover 2?

Stretch the coverage vertically deep and short. The cornerback has the flats in zone and will probably collision the receiver in man. The smash concept is a great cover 2 beater. This is a burst corner with the outside receiver, which will freeze the safety, protecting a break over the middle. The number 2 receiver will run a route into the flat holding the cornerback. The hole will open behind the cornerback on the sideline.

Another way to attack this coverage is to stretch the cover horizontally. A fade by number 1 will cause the cornerback to collision the receiver and widen to slow the route allowing the safety time to support. The number 2 receiver runs a flat route away from the linebacker in coverage, which should be a mismatch.

The last and probably a favorite of offensive coordinators across the nation is attacking vertically with 3 or 4 routes. If the cornerback and linebackers fail to slow the deep routes, look for holes in the middle or on the sidelines at about 15 to 25 yards. Played correctly, the cornerbacks should collision the outside receivers and then zone cover the flats. Look for mismatches if they are in man. The seam, or another intermediate middle route, will hold 1 or both safeties. First Down!

One last note…

If you cannot pass, you will not see cover 2. Expect 8 men in the box and cover 1 & 0.

Popularity: 89%

Technorati Tags: Single Wing Offense, single wing passing plays

As a long time football coach and official, I get the opportunity to see several teams at the High School Varsity level down to the youngest levels of youth football. During dozens of conversations with coaches before, during and after games, a common and disturbing questions arises. The question is “what to spend time on during a youth football practice”.

Do you spend more time on individual drills versus team play put in periods? Do you put in more plays versus fewer plays? How much time on offense versus defense? At what age can you pass effectively? How many days a week should I practice? How do I balance winning against letting all the kids play?

First, coaches at a higher level probably don’t face the same challenges. When a freshman football player shows up, he probably has a basic grasp of the game. This is why youth coaches are so important to the development of each player. Granted, most of the kids on a youth football team will never suit up for even a high school junior varsity game, but this is the team you have been given. I’ve coached players from 5 to 18. I prefer ages 12 and above. Youth coaches, you provide a service that requires the patience of a saint. Thank you.

What should you spend time on?

Let me give you years of experience. Not just mine, but that from other coaches I talk with, both as coach and state certified official. The answer is…it depends on your program, your philosophy, and your team.

Here is my youth football philosophy. I am sold on the single wing offense for youth football. I believe that defense is more important than offense. I play my best 11 on defense and if I have to substitute, then I find a place on offense. I believe that telling a player who to block is easier than how to block. The basketball pick is as effective as a pancake block if your player is in the way of the correct player.

I believe that fewer plays executed flawlessly is better that multiple plays, formations, and/or motion. I have personally observed that most high school varsity programs pass about 20% of the time which works out to be 12 to 15 plays, or less. Most, not the shotgun spread teams that you may rarely see in your league. If the time it takes to pass effectively is greater than what you have in practice. Don’t pass.

I believe that every child below age 13 should play. Winning is important, the parents think so more than the players, but experienced coaches know this already. Play every player within the requirements of your league whether it is minimum play or minimum time. As a youth coach, do not take the success of your team too personally. I say too because you have a significant responsibility, but kids are kids.

Lastly, there are numerous resources available to coaches. Take time to educate yourself. Read, study, talk to other coaches. Understand that you are responsible for creating the future players of the game.

Popularity: 75%

Technorati Tags: Coaching Youth Football

First, there are no standards for the Single Wing Quarterback. Second, the purists would argue that the concept of the Single Wing Quarterback doesn’t really exist. I use the term quarterback because everyone recognizes the type of athlete playing quarterback. The offensive leader, who reads defenses, makes audible adjustments, and handles the ball most of the time.

The prototypical NFL quarterbacks are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Every coach in the country would love to have players like this, but we wouldn’t be running the Single Wing. Better examples are Tim Tebow and Pat White, Steve Young, Vince Young, and Michael Vick.

Each year coaches evaluate players. Every season, a new quarterback will play the position differently, adding his own talents and touch. The measuring stick of a successful quarterback is constantly evolving. Factors include changes to the rules of the game, age level of the team, experience level of team, coaching philosophy, countless physical and mental variables.

The Single Wing Offense offers tremendous diversity and the quarterback may line up in different positions. Depending on the series, the may be in a tailback, fullback, quarterback, or blocking back alignment. Different types of players may be required to run different Single Wing play series.

Physical attributes are an important factor in determining the Single Wing series that we can run and the type of personnel required. But, you can’t coach age, size, and speed. A fullback can’t always play quarterback and the quarterback won’t always fill the shoes of a good fullback, tailback, or blocking back.

Most of the mental aspects of the offensive team leader and captain can be coached. These traits of the successful Single Wing Quarterback include:

• Leadership
• A football head. The player needs to have a solid grasp of the game
• Decision making ability

The mental attributes below, in my opinion, cannot be coached.

• Mental toughness
• Competitiveness
• Confidence
• Willingness to learn the game inside and out
• Coachability

Popularity: 70%

Technorati Tags: Coaching Youth Football, Quarterback, Single Wing Offense

Coaches, the following is a list of topics that every youth Single Wing Quarterback must learn. The list is created to be age appropriate for youth football. Each of the skills should be comfortable before moving to the next, more difficult skill. You probably won’t have time to cover each of these during the preseason, but thankfully, some old time football coach created the off-season.

Stance (direct snap)

• Varies by scheme from standing, 3-point stance, and infielder ready positions
• Hands should be ready to receive ball on appropriate snap cue
• Eyes on the defense with ability to make pre-snap reads
• Relaxed and Ready

Catch the ball

• Look the ball in
• Soft hands like a receiver or shortstop

Handing the ball off

• Place the ball firmly into ball carriers pocket
• Look the ball into the pocket
• If the ball is dropped, recover it quickly
• Carry out all fakes to the whistle
• No Fumbles, QB is responsible for fumbles

Throwing the Football

• Head and eyes Head straight, eyes level through the throw
• Wrist Straight and stiff
• Step to the left of the target, on a balls of the feet, normal step to a bent front knee, weight transfer, lift with legs into throw
• Hips rotate open to the target
• Throwing arm gets to proper arm slot, Zero Position, or elbow forward at about 45 degrees, above the shoulder line, and elbow about 6 inches in front of shoulder
• Elevate and Extend
• Follow through

Passing Drops and Sprint Outs

• Athletic stance for movement any direction
• Position ball off rear shoulder about a fist distance away
• Angle the bottom of the ball about 45 to 60 degrees out, cocking the wrist
• Work on open steps and cross over steps
• 1-step drop and 3-step drop focus on proper depth and footwork
• 5-step drop and 5-step drop hitch work on hitch on 5^th step and throwing with balance
• On sprint out plays get 5 yards or more deep and sprint outside, turn the shoulders aligning with target, run at the target.

Fakes

• Carry out all fakes to the whistle
• Fakes set up both run and pass pays
• Carrying out fakes shows discipline, commitment
• Pitching, lateral or tossing techniques
• Pitching is done with thumb down flip out or basketball chest pass from the side. Both are acceptable and coached in option programs.

Popularity: 56%

Technorati Tags: Coaching Youth Football, Quarterback, Single Wing Offense

Below is a great article to start off the topic on how to train, teach, coach, or prepare the Single Wing hybrid quarterback. From personal experience, I can tell you that almost any “position player” can be taught to be a Single Wing quarterback.

If you have a kid that is willing to put in the work, you can teach him to be a Single Wing hybrid quarterback. I have helped a middle linebacker become a quarterback in less than 9 months. You can too.

Single Wing Tailback Wins Heisman Trophy and Revolutionizes the Game

By Dave Cisar

A Single Wing Tailback has won the coveted Heisman Trophy. Sophomore Tim Tebow won the Heisman after an amazing 2007 season that saw him throw for 3,122 yards and 29 touchdowns and run for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Here is how the voting broke down: Tebow finished with 1,957 points, followed by Arkansas “running back” Darren McFadden (1,703), Brennan (632) and Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel (425). Tebow received 462 first-place votes.

Urban Meyer

Running offensive guru Urban Meyer’s offense at Florida, we all got to see Tebow running a lot of what us Single Wing enthusiasts know as the Single Wing. Coach Meyer is unabashed and has been quoted numerous times that he likes and runs lots of variation of the good old Single Wing.

Single Wing is the New “Hot” Thing

The Single Wing has seen a big resurgence of use at the youth level as well as a big increase in High Schools especially in Virginia, Michigan, Florida, California and Iowa. We think it makes so much sense at the youth level, but the way we run it, it doesn’t require you to have a Tim Tebow or Darren McFadden. It looks as if many High School and even College teams may be looking at how the “quarterback position is defined. It may be easier for many of these teams to find and develop a Single Wing type “quarterback” than the traditional drop back pro style passer. Remember Tebow was a tight end and linebacker until just before he entered High School.

Now even some of the “experts” are re-examining the Quarterback position and looking how playing 11 on 11 football may be “the wave of the future”. The next time someone asks you what kind of offense you are running, tell them it’s something like what Florida Runs or something like the “Wild Hog” series that Arkansas uses and has so much success with. These two College teams are “revolutionizing” football with something myself and many youth coaches across the country have been running for years.

Here is one pundit and what Herbstriet say about this:

Is Florida’s Tebow Revolutionizing The Position?

By ANDY STAPLES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 8, 2007

The scene is the first play of a highlight video for Los Alamitos (Calif.) High junior quarterback Clark Evans. And thanks in part to the 51 TDs scored this season by Tebow, the University of Florida’s sophomore quarterback, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Evans could become one of the nation’s most prized recruits next year. After tonight, the demand for a single-wing tailback with a howitzer for an arm may soar. Tebow could become the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in the award’s 72-year history.

While Tebow, Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden, Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan and Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel wait to learn who will claim the trophy, coaches from schools throughout the country are scouring high schools looking for the next Tebow. Meanwhile, thanks to Tebow, junior varsity linebackers, tight ends and fullbacks may go to bed tonight dreaming of one day tossing TD passes and freight-training free safeties.

“I’ve been saying it all season. I think Tim Tebow is revolutionizing the position,” ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. “There are kids who are in middle school now, built like linebackers or tight ends, and they’ve always been pushed in a certain kind of way as a 13-, 14- or 15-year-old.

“Now they see Tim Tebow, who’s built like a linebacker, but he has the ability to throw the ball and now there’s a place for that guy in this spread offense.”

Copyright 2008 Cisar Management and winningyouthfootball.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Popularity: 60%

Technorati Tags: Quarterback, Single Wing

The Single Wing…

This offensive football scheme has a tremendous following. College teams like Florida, WVU, Texas, Boise State, and Utah run derivations of Single Wing, called the shotgun formation. During the 1920’s, the Single Wing began with a direct snap from the snapper to a running back three to five deep in the backfield.

The beauty and flexibility of the Single Wing is the backfield alignment. There is no standard formation. The ball can be snapped to multiple backs, in several positions, creating incredible deception. The Single Wing uses both a balanced and unbalanced line. Spreading out receivers can create multiple opportunities.

Coaches, you will have a multitude of tricky backfield maneuvers to keep opposing defenses off balance. The Power, Spinning Fullback, Quarter Spin, and Buck series are the bread and butter of the Single Wing. The Single Wing also takes advantage of all aspects of the modern passing game.

Fans, the Single Wing offers insight into offensive history. The evolution of the spread shotgun offense operates under key principles. The Single Wing dominated football from the 1920s to the 1950s. The principles apply today.

At the youth level, the Single Wing gives coaches an offense that is easy to understand and implement. I have coached the Single Wing offense for 8 years at all levels. I continue to run it and have success year after year. I have leveraged decades of knowledge accumulated by coaches to have total faith in the effectiveness of this offensive system.

You quickly discover why Coaches across the country at youth, high school, and college. Power and deception are just two benefits. Other benefits include fewer false starts, fewer lost fumbles, better use of limited talent, more kids get to run the ball, and it is just a blast to watch.

Picture names like Tim Tebow, Vince Young, and Pat White. These quarterbacks were integral members of a Single Wing type offense with plays we would all recognize and run. Look at their statistics and the success of their teams.

Blog Catalog

Popularity: 100%

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A Course in Football for Players and Coaches

Reprint of Pop Warner’s 1912 classic on coaching football. Includes balanced-line single-wing formation.

Popularity: 60%

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Single wing football master coach Ken Keuffel knows how to help football teams achieve greatness. In his new book, he describes how you can lead your team to victory by applying the philosophies and techniques he has learned in a storied coaching career. In this book, you won’t read about any play or idea Coach Keuffel hasn’t tested on the football field. All his tactics are tried and true and presented in such a way that every coach and player can easily understand them.

Popularity: 62%

Technorati Tags: Ken Kueffel, Single Wing Offense