NEO-FOOTBALL

Who says nothing is really new in football; that everything has been tried? A coaching staff at a small California high school came up with a wrinkle that will either change the game or cause the rules to be changed. They call their offense the A-11.

Here's what you have to know. 1) The offense must have at least seven players on the line of scrimmage when a play starts. 2) Players eligible for a pass have to wear the numbers 0-49 or 80-99. 3) In high school, when the hike is to a player at least seven yards behind the line scrimmage it is considered a kicking formation. 4) When in a kicking formation, the rule of numbers is suspended. 5) The players on the end of the line and those in the backfield are eligible to receive a pass.

Okay, here is how it works. All offensive players wear numbers that would make them eligible to receive a pass. The quarter back and a running back line up seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. To start the play, the center and two tight ends go up to the ball. The other six players spread across the field and all get within one step of the line of scrimmage. The difference between being on the line or behind the line is very small. The defense cannot assimilate which players are eligible quickly enough to defense a pass. In football played with all standard numbered players, there are 36 possible formations. Using this method, there are 16,632 possible formations.

I understand that its a blast to watch. All the fans love it. It allows a small school to compete with a big school that has big players. It is also a natural evolution of the spread offenses we see in college today. Big players are obsolete. The downside to all this is that the offense is also near impossible to referee.
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