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Tom Wyrwich covers High School Sports for The Seattle Times.

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July 28, 2008 11:24 AM

Innovative, interesting, controversial: The A-11 offense

Imagine 11 guys running onto the football field, every one of them reporting eligible. Nine of them set up into three sets off three along the line up scrimmage. And then not one, but two, quarterbacks line up behind the middle set. Only six are eligible to go downfield, but who do you cover?

There's the dilemma, one the coaches at Piedmont High School, a Bay Area school in California, created to help the small school compete. The team debuted the offense last season, and scored only nine points in its first two games. But then it went 7-2 after that and made the postseason.

So now the coaches are getting calls from around the country, from other coaches at small schools who want to implement the offense. The offense even has its own Web site now.

You'll never see it in college or the NFL -- where rules are player eligilbity are more stringent. But the coaches discovered a loophole in high-school rules. If the quarterbacks line up more than seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, then the formation is considered a scrimmage kick formation.

There's been much debate on the play's legality, but California has already ruled it legal under its state rules. The National Federation of State High School Associations has not made a ruling on the offense.

Continue reading for a diagram of how the offense lines up, and leave your own opinion on the offense. Should it be allowed -- or maybe should your school start implementing it ASAP?

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Posted by good ol' george

12:24 PM, Jul 28, 2008

I wouldn't use it. Looks illegal to me.
If that's the case, then (put name of school you hate the most here) will end up using it.

Posted by Ex-High School Coach

1:13 PM, Jul 28, 2008

I think it is legal. I wouldn't use it and wouldn't want to watch a game where it was being used....call me old fashioned :)
If I want to see something designed to "trick" the opossing team every play.....i'll skip the game and go watch a magic show!

Posted by bp

2:00 PM, Jul 28, 2008

doesn't the triple-option or the spread-option try to trick the opposing team on every play? same with play action, zone blitz, and numerous other tactics of football.

i am not a fan of watching option football (even if the huskies implemented it) myself but it a staple of highschool & college ball.

Posted by Ray Brassard

10:21 PM, Jul 28, 2008

Read your rule books, it is legal. The different formations that are called tell different sets of players to step on the line or be off the line. They always have seven on at the snap. The "loophole" of putting the quarterback at seven yards or more (scrimmage kick formation) is used to allow all of the players on the field to wear eligilble numbers and removes the requirement of a "lineman" having to report as eligible. Piedmont will get into a regular two-back offense in certain situations. American Football Monthly had a great article on this offense a few months ago.