Wing and shoot.

A combination of the Wing T power game and the Run and Shoot wide-open passing game

The wing and shoot represents the evolution of two outstanding concepts of football. It combines the power of the Wing T with the wide-open passing game of the Run and Shoot.

The evolutionary process began at Williams College, where I coached under Bob Odell, who ran a multiple offense that included several aspects of the Wing T. Later on, as head coach at Salisbury State University (MD), I employed the Delaware Wing T, and when I moved on as a graduate assistant at the U. of New Mexico I had the opportunity to learn the high-scoring Run and Shoot (executed from a spread) in a Division I-A setting.

My exposure to both the Wing T from a wing set and the Run and Shoot from a spread convinced me that both offenses could be .effectively combined by adapting the techniques and principles of the Wing T to the Spread.

Most offenses use either shifting or motion, but the Wing T and Shoot employs both in a very rapid fashion. This combination of simple shifts by one or two players and two types of motion make it difficult for the defense to adjust before the snap.

Since both originate from the same basic formation, the defense has to be ready to stop both offenses right up to the point of the snap.

The techniques are as follows:

1. The shifting by a slot to a halfback position to lead-block or carry the ball, or by the shifting of a slot and split end to a tight-end tanker formation, as shown in Diag. 1.

2. Short and "zip" (three-step) motion or extended motion through the formation to trips, as shown in Diag. 2.

3. A combination of shifting and motion culminating in a sweep to the shift side, as shown in Diag. 3.

The quarterback controls the shifting by a nod of his head and the motion by a lifting of his heel. With a non-rhythmic count, the ball can be snapped when the motion man is in various positions.

A check system, employing colors, enables the formation to go from one play to another and from one offense to another.

For the Wing and Shoot to be effective, the coach cannot simply align in a spread and emphasize pass. He must utilize his shifts and motion from the spread and go to run or pass according to what the defense gives him.

This means that during the preseason, he must install the Wing T running game, including the action passes (belly and waggle) and then install the sprint and/or drop-back passing game from the Run and Shoot, including draws and screens.

The results are obvious. The run-conscious coach can prevent defenses from aligning in eight-and nine-man fronts to stop the run, while the Run and Shoot or pass-emphasis coach who formerly had to cope with seven and eight defenders dropping into pass coverage can now go inside with an effective power running game.

Both types of coaches can, in short, shift the emphasis of their attack from within the Spread Formation and do it, if necessary, from a pre-snap read by using his check system.

The plays normally used from the Wing T were the fullback buck, fullback trap, buck sweep, buck sweep waggle, belly, belly option, belly counter, belly pass, power, power counter (sweep series, belly series, power sweep series).

The plays from the Run and Shoot that we used in conjunction with the Wing T were the sprint to trips or single receivers, drop back (short, intermediate, long) screens and passes (sprint passes, drop-back passes, etc.)

Joseph Dailey Athletic Director Wilton (CT) High School