1028:
20:
99:
mandated that offenses use at least seven down linemen. These players usually stood shoulder-to-shoulder before the snap, a posture defenses tended to match. The defenses of the time are considered unsophisticated by today's standards. The interior defensive linemen were expected to hold their ground
154:
can be seen as a modern variant of the 7-man defensive front (specifically the 7–2–2), with the cornerbacks (ends), outside linebackers (tackles), "defensive ends" (guards) and the nose tackle (center) all lined up roughly on the line of scrimmage. The key difference is in the spacing of the line
83:. Into the late 1930s, the 7–2–2 was still commonly employed inside the defender's thirty-yard line. It was considered "very strong against a running attack, but rather weak defensively against passes." The 7–2–2 was also employed when the opponent was expected to
127:
show a broadly spread front, with the center and two guards versus the interior five offensive linemen, defensive tackles 2–5 yards from the guards, and ends 2–5 yards outside the defensive tackles, and well outside the offensive ends.
155:(the linebackers and defensive ends are spread much wider than in the original 7-man front) and the fact that the outside linebackers and cornerbacks usually stand upright instead of crouching into a three-point stance.
135:
eventually made the seven-man line defenses vulnerable, but it remained a common formation, particularly against opponents with an unreliable passing attack, even into the 1950s. The abolition of the
119:, were introduced, and increased the lateral running and passing threats, the seven man front changed in character. Box and letter drawings of the seven man front, by coaches such as
96:
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331:
267:
1052:
1031:
324:
72:
907:
804:
764:
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139:
at all levels of the game by the 1960s effectively ended use of 7-man fronts except in goal-line situations;
132:
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36:
650:
347:
785:
474:
101:
997:
84:
60:
44:
930:
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181:
655:
80:
942:
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449:
59:. At that time, most teams were using a nine-man line on defense, and there were only three
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8:
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143:
thus allowed bulkier offensive linemen to be taken out and replaced by nimbler
120:
104:, while the responsibility of disrupting the offense rested primarily with the
1046:
437:
316:
210:
Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the
Invention of American Football
109:
982:
670:
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552:
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397:
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68:
64:
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952:
887:
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497:
144:
112:, especially those lined up on the "strong" side of the opposing line.
48:
620:
590:
527:
517:
512:
19:
847:
817:
738:
115:
Over time, however, as new offensive formations, such as the
23:
7–2–2, as played in the 1936 Alabama–Mississippi State game
184:, Published by Boy Scouts of America, Inc., December 1946.
1044:
268:Pro Football Formations 1: In the Beginning. . .
346:
332:
230:, p. 51, Whittlesey house, McGraw-Hill, 1935.
270:, Hickok Sports, retrieved January 22, 2011.
227:How to Watch Football: the Spectator's Guide
307:The American Legion Magazine, Volumes 31–32
339:
325:
212:, p. 44, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1992.
55:invented the seven-box defense in 1890 at
67:. The 7–2–2 was the base defense used by
18:
244:, p. 77, A.S. Barnes and Company, 1938.
220:
218:
165:
1045:
320:
16:American football defensive formation
215:
147:, giving defenses more flexibility.
310:, p. 64, The American Legion, 1941.
13:
14:
1064:
1027:
1026:
283:, McGraw-Hill, 1937, pp 209–216.
224:Louis Little and Robert Harron,
299:
296:, Prentice-Hall, 1952, p. 168.
286:
273:
261:
247:
233:
202:
187:
1:
158:
90:
1053:American football formations
7:
196:Football: A College History
173:Boys' Life, Vol. 36, No. 12
10:
1069:
348:American football strategy
255:The First Book of Football
131:Improvements in offensive
97:1906 football rule reforms
1022:
1006:
906:
803:
773:
747:
721:
714:
689:
576:
473:
390:
380:
354:
199:, p. 84, McFarland, 1987.
241:The Book of Major Sports
100:against their assigned
24:
258:, p. 47, Watts, 1958.
39:", or players on the
22:
1014:Resting the starters
908:Defensive formations
805:Offensive formations
208:Wiley Lee Umphlett,
51:, and two safeties.
294:My Kind of Football
57:Springfield College
43:at the time of the
35:, used seven "down
715:Defensive strategy
137:one-platoon system
25:
1040:
1039:
799:
798:
710:
709:
656:Statue of Liberty
279:Bierman, Bernie,
141:free substitution
53:Amos Alonzo Stagg
41:line of scrimmage
33:seven-box defense
1060:
1030:
1029:
781:Icing the kicker
719:
718:
697:Clock management
651:Hook and lateral
586:Play-action pass
388:
387:
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318:
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281:Winning Football
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133:blocking schemes
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931:Seattle Cover 3
902:
893:Minnesota shift
853:Single set back
795:
769:
743:
706:
685:
681:Tackle-eligible
661:Halfback option
616:Fake field goal
572:
469:
433:Run-pass option
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898:Notre Dame Box
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702:Hail Mary pass
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631:Fake procedure
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121:Bernie Bierman
92:
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65:forward passes
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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676:Swinging gate
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450:Run and shoot
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438:Triple option
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292:Owen, Steve,
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75:, as well as
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
29:7–2–2 defense
21:
998:8-in-the-box
972:
755:Bump and run
641:Fumblerooski
636:Flea flicker
413:Buck-lateral
372:Play calling
306:
301:
293:
288:
280:
275:
263:
254:
249:
240:
235:
226:
209:
204:
195:
193:Tom Perrin,
189:
172:
167:
149:
130:
114:
94:
77:Mike Donahue
69:Knute Rockne
32:
28:
26:
873:Pistol-Flex
833:Single-wing
646:Hidden ball
596:Double pass
578:Trick plays
558:Stop-and-go
403:Air Coryell
367:Two-platoon
362:One-platoon
152:3-4 defense
145:linebackers
117:single wing
49:linebackers
888:Jump shift
838:Short punt
729:Man-to-man
666:Hard count
626:Fake spike
601:End-around
465:West Coast
455:Smashmouth
381:Offensive
159:References
125:Steve Owen
91:Background
73:Notre Dame
926:Miami 4–3
748:Coverages
621:Fake punt
445:Pro-style
182:0006-8608
176:, p. 27,
1047:Category
1032:Category
863:Flexbone
858:Wishbone
493:Crossing
423:Multiple
418:Hurry-up
408:Air raid
383:strategy
102:blockers
993:Prevent
978:7–1–2–1
916:2-level
883:Wildcat
848:Pro set
843:Shotgun
818:Split-T
739:Tampa 2
671:Pyramid
611:Spinner
606:Reverse
355:Systems
106:tackles
63:and no
37:linemen
988:Nickel
868:Pistol
760:Double
722:Scheme
553:Sluggo
538:Screen
488:Corner
475:Routes
460:Spread
428:Option
391:Scheme
180:
81:Auburn
47:, two
1007:Other
973:7–2–2
943:3–3–5
878:Trips
786:Stunt
774:Other
690:Other
568:Wheel
563:Swing
548:Slant
483:Chair
61:downs
983:Dime
765:Zone
734:Zone
591:Draw
543:Seam
533:Post
523:Jerk
508:Flat
503:Drag
498:Curl
398:A-11
178:ISSN
150:The
123:and
110:ends
108:and
95:The
85:punt
45:snap
27:The
968:6–2
963:5–3
958:5–2
948:4–4
938:3–4
921:4–3
791:Spy
528:Out
518:Hot
513:Fly
79:at
71:at
31:or
1049::
953:46
217:^
87:.
828:A
823:I
813:T
340:e
333:t
326:v
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