Here's a football question...

[ACamp1900]

I help coach high school football and honestly believe I know this game better than the average football fan(just sayin)... BUT here is something that gets me...


is there a rule on the books that I am unaware of that says you MUST have a QB on the field for an offensive play or something??? Otherwise why the hell when you come in the wildcat do you have the QB out wide??? I understand personel in the huddle and the defense matching it and all but once you get to the line you're really giving that side of the field away... so again, is there some rule I don't know of... otherwise what is the purpose of ever having your QB on the field for a play from the wildcat.... it can't be due to simply mind jobbing the D out of the huddle b/c that's just stupid to me... again I'd rather them know the formation than give up a side of the field... if there is some official reason why, then how do you get away with fake punts??? I'm stuck b/c I assume it MUST be some rule because otherwise it's just stupid to have him anywhere NEAR the field of play on that formation able to get hit in the blocking game im-humble-o


thanks if anyone has answers/opinions here..

 

[military_irish]

nothing official, i just think to "fool" the defense you keep the QB out there so when you break, then the defense as to scramble to figure out what to do.

it also adds another dimension to the Wildcat, you can pitch it back to the QB then he can throw a pass.

but their is nothing official about having an actual QB on the field, that i know of

 

[ACamp1900]

then the wildcat is freakin retarded....

lol

maybe I have missed it but I have never once seen a QB get the ball and pass in the wildcat... he'seither any empty uni or a blocker, either or is not good...

 

[GreatGolson]

well i think its logical, so that a defense doesnt automatically know before the huddle that its gunna be a wildcat play, if that were the case the defensive coordinator would be ready with something as the qb was leaving the feild

 

[military_irish]

haha maybe they feel a QB can block better than a WR

(Crist last year against Purdue) lol

 

[ACamp1900]

well i think its logical, so that a defense doesnt automatically know before the huddle that its gunna be a wildcat play, if that were the case the defensive coordinator would be ready with something as the qb was leaving the feild

so you're saying the one guy that comes in on D and whatever D you would run is the difference... yet you take a man away on offense by keeping him in there... show me a wildcat play where the QB does more than stand there or feebly try to block... either way it's the same difference so why not just get a WR out there and keep your QB safe???

 

[ACamp1900]

Here's a thought... the wildcat where the QB and RB just switch...

RB takes the snap... the strong side WR goes in motion as always...

three options... RB keeps,... RB hand off to WR... RB flips to QB and he floats it to the weak side WR if he is because the D bit on the run wide open....


lol... yes, I've been drinking but it sounds better than having my man block on the edges...

 

[military_irish]

Here's a thought... the wildcat where the QB and RB just switch...

RB takes the snap... the strong side WR goes in motion as always...

three options... RB keeps,... RB hand off to WR... RB flips to QB and he floats it to the wide open weak side WR who is wide open....


lol... yes, I've been drinking but it sounds better than having my man block on the edges...

everything sounds better when you drink, lol

 

[GoingGreen]

The only reason I can think of is - the player running the wildcat throws it out to the QB, and the QB bombs it deep.

 

[GreatGolson]

what im saying, is that when a d coordinator sees the qb going OUT to the sidelines on a 1-3 down, 99% of the time it will trigger him to think WILDCAT and make some kind of shift, this happens BEFORE the qb goes out to play as wide reciver, i personally would like to see peyton manning play left guard.

 

[ACamp1900]

everything sounds better when you drink, lol

Quarter backs make better downfield blockers................................................................................................................................................





you're right, seven Octoberfests into it and it does sound a tad bit better...


maybe Denver should run with that idea with the second coming and end Lord Tebow's career before it starts....

 

[ACamp1900]

what im saying, is that when a d coordinator sees the qb going OUT to the sidelines on a 1-3 down, 99% of the time it will trigger him to think WILDCAT and make some kind of shift, this happens BEFORE the qb goes out to play as wide reciver, i personally would like to see peyton manning play left guard.

I understand that, and said so in my OG post... but that doesn't make up for taking that side of the field away does it??? I guess that is my biggest issue. The D knows what is coming once they see the formation anyway

 

[ACamp1900]

The only reason I can think of is - the player running the wildcat throws it out to the QB, and the QB bombs it deep.

If I had ever seen this happen I wouln't have asked the quesiton though...

 

[GreatGolson]

I actually saw it in a HS game last year, it worked. But the team was far better than the defense

 

[ACamp1900]

I actually saw it in a HS game last year, it worked. But the team was far better than the defense

well if that option is legit for a college of pro team then my point is mute... but you can still win division titles with the veer in high school...

 

[GoingGreen]

I've seen the QB throw it to a WR, and then the WR throws it back to the QB, and then the QB throws it deep. It's kinda similar, guess.

 

[ACamp1900]

I've seen the QB throw it to a WR, and then the WR throws it back to the QB, and then the QB throws it deep. It's kinda similar, guess.

out of the wildcat?!


I've seen this from more traditional formations... at all levels... including pro

 

[irishfan]

then the wildcat is freakin retarded....

lol

maybe I have missed it but I have never once seen a QB get the ball and pass in the wildcat... he'seither any empty uni or a blocker, either or is not good...

ND gave Clausen the ball out of the Wildcat against Stanford last year. Was a deep bomb to Floyd. I think Bama did it last year on a deep pass to Julio for his 1st TD of the year.

But to go along with what some other people have said, I think its just so the D can't subsitute for the wildcat. And Michigan's offense is a pretty much a qb-less Wildcat come to think of it.

 

[IrishinSyria]

ND gave Clausen the ball out of the Wildcat against Stanford last year. Was a deep bomb to Floyd. I think Bama did it last year on a deep pass to Julio for his 1st TD of the year.

But to go along with what some other people have said, I think its just so the D can't subsitute for the wildcat. And Michigan's offense is a pretty much a qb-less Wildcat come to think of it.

That's what I was going to say. I also remember Quinn making a few plays out of the wildcat, the point was that he was at least a threat to get the ball on a bubble screen and throw.

You're right about Michigan's offense, and it proves ACamp's point. They run a wildcat, but can exploit the entire field because they're not burdened with a QB lining up as WR. Gameplan all you want, but if a QB has the ability to attack you anywhere vertically or horizontally, its going to give your defense nightmares.

 

[TDHeysus]

then the wildcat is freakin retarded....

exactly

 

[BGIF]

Defenses generally have a 1 man advantage, 11 on 10, in that most QBs are not considered running threats. They stay home.

The Wildcat is basically a single wing formation. It's employed today setting a speedy RB or WR to take the snap while putting the QB in a WR slot. This requires the defense to cover everybody. Negating the defense's normal advantage.

It also served as a surprise factor. If you substitute for the QB before the play the defense can also substitute - another DB. Since you're using the same 11 players the defense has to cover with the same 11 and the defense doesn't know it until a few seconds before the snap. The NCAA only allows 20 hours of practice a week so DC's can't afford to spend much time on it.

If the offense just has the QB stand around than it negates much of the advantage of the formation. He is a triple threat, run, pass, receive, in this formation as is the Wildcat Back.

A QB is not required to be under center, nor take the snap (direct snaps to backs have long been employed). A team is required to have so many men on the LOS and so many in the backfield.

Both the NFL and CFL use the wildcat although with unlimited practice time it doesn't have the same lack of prepartion impact in those leagues. The CFL changed their rules a year or two ago to accomodate the Wildcat.