American football strategy

American Football involves a great deal of strategy and execution. There are many different alignments and plays that can be run in many different situations. For example, there are kickoffs, field goals, and punts which all require different alignments, as well as standard offensive and defensive alignments that vary widely.

Offensive alignments

See American football for a description of positions used

There are literally hundreds of offensive alignments that are commonly used in the game of football, although most are slight variations on a theme, or a set of personnel. All offensive formations use 5 offensive linemen who are not allowed to handle the ball, and 6 "skill" position players who are allowed to handle the ball. Exactly 7 players must always be on the line of scrimmage when the play begins. This article will organize offensive alignments by the personnel that are on the field, and assumes that a quarterback is used in every formation.

2 Running back, 2 Wide Receiver, 1 Tight end

I-formation

One of the most basic offensive alignments is the I formation. The quarterback aligns directly behind the center, the fullback several yards behind the quarterback, and the halfback several yards behind the fullback. The tight end aligns directly next to the furthest offensive lineman, usually on the right side, and 2 wide receivers are split several yards to the outside of the offensive line.

This formation is a fairly balanced alignment. It slightly favors a power running game, as the offensive line, fullback, and tight end are able to block opposing defensive players, it is versatile enough to allow runs to many different areas of the middle of the field, as well as off-tackle and even some sweep and pitch plays. The I-formation is also fairly good for passing plays, especially using play-action, where the offense fakes a running play before passing.

There are several possible variations of the I formation. The fullback may align slightly to the left or right, usually called a weak or strong I respectively. Also, both wide receivers can line up on the same side, rather than different sides.