Practice Organization for the Wing-T.

AS WITH EVERY OTHER MAJOR OFFENSE IN football, practicing organization is a critical element of the Wing-T. This is particularly true of the Wing-T offense because of the versatility needed in one position--wingback.

The wingback is the most important position player in the offense. He must perform the skills and have the same understanding of the offense as the three positional players, namely:

First, he must be able to block the tight end and understand the blocking schemes of linemen.

Second, he must be able to catch the ball, which means he must know the passing game like a wide receiver.

Third, he must be able to carry the ball on all the counter plays, which means he has to understand all the backfield actions of the running game.

The tight end is second in importance to the wingback. He must possess the skills of a lineman and the catching ability of a pass receiver.

Wing-T coaches who do not organize with the aforementioned facts in mind are making two major mistakes:

First, leaving the wingbacks with the running back coach for the entire practice. Result: The wingbacks learn to run the counter plays, but not the blocking rules or pass routes. They also fail to get the valuable repetitions in catching passes and blocking defenses.

Coaches who practice in this manner will try to teach these skills and rules to the wingbacks during team offense time, thus shortchanging their teams, as the players won't become the best they can be in all phases of the game.

The second mistake made by many coaches is to utilize substitutes to solve the problems caused by mistake No. 1.

A coach who wants to run a counter play may put a back-up running back into the game at wingback, then will put a back-up tight end in at wingback when he needs a block. Finally, he may put a wide receiver in the game at wingback when he plans to pass.

Any defensive coordinator who knows how to scout will know exactly what is coming by watching the players who are substituted in at the wingback position.

The answer to the problem lies in finding a player who can run, catch, and block. This is not always easy to do, but it can be solved through organization--by working all the individual groups on the same phase of the game at the same time. The wingbacks must rotate to different position coaches as the phases of practice change.

For example, during the practice of running plays involving the fullback, the wingback should be working with the wide receivers.

Since the wingback usually has a downfield block on the fullback trap and the other fullback running plays, the receivers should be with the linemen working on stalk blocking during this time.

The tight ends should be with the linemen working on the blocking skills for the fullback plays. When the individual groups work on the running plays for the tailback, the wingbacks should join the tight ends and linemen to work on the down block needed to run the buck sweep.

When the groups change to counter plays and reverses, the wingbacks should join the running backs.

When it's time for the individual passing game, the wingbacks and tight ends should join the wide receivers to learn routes and practice catching the ball.

The tailbacks and fullbacks should work on pass protection. During group passing time, the tailbacks and fullbacks can join the linemen to work together on pass protection.

The quarterbacks, who may have worked on drop and sprint-out steps during individual time, can join the receivers, tight ends, and wingbacks for pass skeleton during group pass time. The tailback and fullback should join the pass skeleton when it's time to work on play-action passes so that all the timing of the fakes are perfect.

If the coaching staff is large enough, the offensive coordinator should be the wing-back coach. He can make sure the wingbacks are at the right place at the right time. As the wingbacks receive instruction from the various position coaches, the offensive coordinator may roam the field to check on other positions as needed.

With small staffs, a wing-back coach is not necessary, as long as the wingbacks and tight ends are sent from coach to coach at the proper stages of practice.

Coaches can utilize time and personnel to their fullest extent by organizing practices into the different phases of the Wing-T and seeing that everyone is always where he belongs.