Football has gone through many evolutions and cycles over the last 152 years since Rutgers and New Jersey (Now Princeton) squared off in the first known American Football game. Every year there are new wrinkles and fads. I have found, however, that even though there are new wrinkles, nearly everything is built off a foundation that comes from the early years of the game. You still find teams today running the single wing, which carries roots into the early years of football. On the other side you have teams that run the air raid, where the throw the football all over the field.
One of the great parts about the game today is how diverse it is. While the game is ever-changing, it also stays the same in foundation. Regardless of what system you run on offense, the game comes down to blocking, ball security, and explosive plays. And defensively, it comes down to lining up right, playing fast, and tackling.
The Return of the Fullback
One thing I love about football today is that two back formations have been making a comeback. In the early 2000's, many teams began to run the "spread." Spread is a broad term, but we saw more athletes on the field and less tight ends. You had the quarterback in the shotgun instead of being under center. Over the last 10 years or so, we have seen more and more teams starting to bring back tight ends and fullbacks. The fullback is a lost art in football.
The fullback is essentially a 6th blocker in the game. If you can find a fullback who has dynamic talents where he can run and catch, you have something special. Back in the late 90's when we faced several wing-t teams each year, the key to the offense was the fullback. We used to say, "if we can stop the fullback trap and belly, we will be okay." The better the fullback, the tougher teams were to defend.
In our own offense in the late 90's, we were based in the I. The key for our success was our fullback. Our fullback had to be able to block, catch, and run the football. We wanted a big guy with some speed. The biggest key, however, was their physicality. They had to be able to kick out an end, lead up on a linebacker, and break tackles on our option concepts. The more physical they were, the better we would be. Defenses began to load the box to take the run. We used option concepts to read defenders and gain a numerical advantage. One key to a successful run game is being able to equate numbers in the box.
Today we are seeing teams in the shotgun using an H back like a fullback. Sometimes, they call him a sniffer back. He is leading up on linebackers, kicking out ends, and running pass routes. Offenses also move the fullback and tailback around, creating opportunities to get change the numbers. The one difference is that the "new" fullbacks are not going to get as may carries in the run game as they would under center. Offenses have also taken "option" football to another level, reading first, second, and third level defenders.
One advantage in the shotgun, is that you can borrow your fullback to change numbers much easier than you can when under center. When you are under center, you have to run a slower developing play to bring the fullback across the formation. In the gun, you can have your fullback work immediately across the formation, changing gap fits.
