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AFM Magazine


The Double Gun System A Unique Combination of the Double Wing and Shotgun Formations

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By Jay Stolfi • Youth Coach

Introduction


This article introduces an offensive system that is intended for use by high school teams and older youth football teams. It describes the merging of two existing offensive systems into one system. The result is an offense that presents diversity and complexity to the defense while maintaining the simplicity of one set of rules for the offense to learn.


I have been a big fan of the double wing offense since I began coaching youth football several years ago. It has proven to be an easy-to-teach yet potent offense that is used at many levels of football. Specifically, I have come to appreciate the excellent GOOD-GOD blocking system developed by Coach Steve Calande. It is simple yet thorough, and can be effectively taught to 8 year olds or Junior College players.


The fraternity of double wing coaches is a great source of knowledge. The many books, articles and online forum posts describe the very fine points of running a double wing offense. Coaches commonly morph, add and tinker with the various plays originally developed by Coach Don Markham in the 1970s.


As defenses become more aware of the potent running plays, double wing coaches are increasingly looking for other formations to compliment the double-tight, run-heavy offense. Online forum posts are filled with requests for an alternate/complimentary offensive scheme to supplement the double wing. Moreover, modern pass-intensive offenses are now popular with high school coaches looking to show college recruiters that their players are “ready” for prime time, even though many of those offenses don’t have the player or coaching talent to reliably move the ball against tough opponents or in inclement weather.


In my search for an offensive formation which provides the proven consistency and power of the double wing but with a modern twist (which is sometimes frowned upon by double wing purists), I came upon Steve Popovich's and Ted Seay's “SST formation” shotgun-based playbook. Popovich and Seay developed a formation that presents a different look to the defense, one that stays within general double wing parameters, yet "can destroy the tidy program devised by the opponent" to stop the traditional double wing1.


Other coaches have done the same, including Coach Rich Hargitt in Mt. Holly, NC. Hargitt uses multiple shotgun formations and various blocking adjustments as a “curveball” to throw at defenses “so they do not become too comfortable facing the traditional under-center power game of the double wing.”2


The offense introduced in this article is a unique combination of the double wing and shotgun formations. It is unique because it combines a specific double wing system with a useful shotgun formation without needing new rules or multiple adjustments to run either formation. The resulting Double Gun Offense allows coaches to instantly go from playing smashmouth football to a wider shotgun-based formation, while using the same set of blocking rules and using the same personnel. Coaches can spend less time teaching new blocking rules and adjustments and more time installing and repping a wider variety of plays.


The Offense


The Double Gun offense is a system that is based on Calande's “GOOD-GOD” based blocking rules with both the double wing offense and an SST-like shotgun formation. The offense successfully preserves the core plays (off-tackle power, wedge, counter, sweep and trap) of the double wing and expands their use into the shotgun formation. Once in shotgun, both the double wing core plays and shotgun-specific plays can be run without changing personnel and without the many adjustments normally associated with switching formations.


The best use of this offense assumes a few things, namely: 1.) the age group is capable of executing a simple shotgun snap and short passes (perhaps an experienced 5th-6th grade team and up), and; 2.) you are familiar with Calande’s GOOD-GOD blocking rules (see explanation inset) and the double wing offense in general. Also, please note that the descriptions in this article are intended as an introduction to the system and not as a complete explanation of every detail.


The Formations


The “base”  double wing formation consists of two tightends, two wings (I prefer them angled inwards 45o), a fullback very close to the quarterback, and virtually zero line splits.

We choose an odd number left/even number right approach, with backs numbered as shown in the diagram. Note that (as described in the GOOD-GOD explanation) the linemen are numbered, not the gaps or “holes” between the linemen. The numbering method can vary for the backs and line, but it is important to keep the linemen (not holes) numbered.

The shotgun formation is a seamless change since it can use the same personnel as the base double wing. The RW simply moves out about 10-15 yards in a wide receiver position, the FB moves to the RW position, and the QB backs up into a shotgun depth. The numbering system for backs and linemen remains intact. It is recommended that the tight line splits normally used in the double wing formation are kept in the shotgun formation. As you will see, this allows the core double wing plays to be run from this formation (as well as the more wide-open plays) without tipping-off the defense as to which type of play will be selected.


The Plays


As with any double wing offense, the heart and soul of the offense starts with the off-tackle power play. The play diagrammed here shows a power play in the base double wing formation. We use a deep, slow pre-snap motion and pull our backside G and T. The keys to success are the FB’s kick-out block and the cut-off block by the TE. The example here shows an even defensive front, but the GOOD-GOD blocking rules will dictate the blocking assignments on any defense presented.

Now let’s take a look at how we can run the “same” off-tackle power play from the shotgun formation. Our offensive line has the same splits, assignments, techniques, and blocking rules (which are, as seen above, backside G and T pull to playside location on plays labeled “power”).



The FB has the same kick-out responsibility, and the RW still gets out to block a second-level defender. The LW goes in pre-snap motion (shallow, quick motion) and becomes the lead blocker in the hole for the running QB.


As you can see, the shotgun version of the off-tackle power play would be easy to install for a team that already knew the original double wing power play. It is still a play tagged “Power”, so (in our rule system) the same linemen can use the same blocking rules/techniques with zero adjustments (namely, “Power” means both backside G and T pull to the called location). A shotgun-based trap, counter, sweep, and even a shotgun-based wedge can be installed in a quarter of the time it took to install the original double wing version of these plays because the blocking rules remain the same.


Our experience has been that the change to a shotgun formation alone has been enough to give us more space to run. The widening of our RW out to a WR position forces the defense to widen their CB, and frequently their outside LB (and sometimes cover-2 safety) spread a little wider to that side as well. This makes the off-tackle powers, middle traps and wedge plays a bit easier to run now that the defense is less stacked between our TEs.


Of course, this shotgun formation allows for new passing opportunities. As with the double wing plays, we choose to run our shotgun-based plays in a “series” (plays are grouped together to compliment each other).


For example, we run a wide receiver screen play that is effective on its own, but also helps to setup another pass play later in the game.

For the screen, the LW runs his Rocket motion (as if running the off-tackle power play) but instead sprints to shield the CB at the snap of the ball. The FB helps to seal-in the edge defender giving the RW receiver an alley to run between on the quick screen.


At some point in the game, the CB (and sometimes an OLB or SS) may “read” the wide receiver screen play and begin to jump the pass. The offensive coordinator should be keen to observe the defense and anticipate this action to be ready to call the complimentary “Go Route” play.


The play starts exactly as the screen (or the off-tackle play, for that matter) except that the LW breaks on a go route as the RW fakes his screen route. The objective is to catch the defender(s) flat-footed and unable to catch the receiver (LW) running at full speed.


As can be seen, we can continually put the edge defenders (at least the playside DE and CB, and perhaps the OLB and SS) in conflict with just a few plays. For example, the DE doesn’t know if he’ll be kicked-out on an off-tackle run or pinned inside on a screen (or sweep). The CB doesn’t know if he needs to advance (to defend screen or flat), cover, or play run support. Like other offenses, we have a series of plays for each formation that can put pressure on the middle of the field (with traps, wedge, TE passes), pressure the flats (sweeps, flood pass patterns, etc.), or go for the occasional deep pass.


Many offenses can also put pressure on various defensive areas, but we can achieve this pressure by seamlessly running two formations with virtually no adjustments or rules changes to the basic blocking scheme. We can run a power running play equally well from both formations, put multiple receivers in pass patterns with both formations, and do so without hoping the offensive line masters new rules and multiple adjustments. We can even mix formations within an offensive series of plays without compromising the advantages of our powerful run blocking schemes.


Further, as the defense adjusts its formations to meet our formations, or adjusts to down-and-distance situations, our blockers can confidently stick with the same set of rules regardless of the defensive front presented. The result is an offense that can run a reasonably large variation of plays and attacking all areas of the field using one basic set of blocking rules.


Summary


The Double Gun Offense provides a unique combination of proven chain-moving plays with more modern passing option to high schools or youth systems that have constraints on practice time and/or talent (such as a minimum-play requirement for all players, limited practice time, everybody-makes-the-team organization, etc.).


The offense can consistently move the ball on the ground while allowing a coach to “open up” the game with little fear of assignment breakdown from confusing adjustments. Coaches can use players in their same roles for both formations if your talent or overall numbers are limited, but can also use the different formations as a chance to swap players better suited to one formation or the other. For example, smaller-sized teams can replace their double wing fullback with a smaller, quicker player when in the shotgun formation for running passes and sweeps.


The Double Gun Offense can even be used as a base offense for more advanced teams since it can more quickly give them a starting offense, yet allow “extra” practice time to implement advances and adjustments needed to play against sophisticated, high-level defenses.


Either way, the Double Gun Offense is a system that offers a method to maximize the variety of ways to move the ball for a minimum amount of complexity. It is an offense that is within easy reach of most older youth football teams and even the most basic of high school programs.



Inset


Steve Calande designed the GOOD-GOD blocking system for the double wing offense. It is excellent. GOOD-GOD is an acronym for the blocking rules used by the offensive line for certain core plays (such as powers and counters). Briefly, the GOOD-GOD system is a way of assigning blocking rules by numbering/labeling blockers and then going through a blocking progression based on the named “hole” in the play. First, it is important to note that Calande labels his players on the line, not the gaps/holes between the players. This is because the player that is “being run at” has blocking rules that are different from his neighbors. For example (using a common odd-numbers-left/even-numbers-right of center approach), the right guard can be labeled “2” and the right tackle can be labeled “4”. If the play is called to go to the “4 hole” (or in this case, the 4 “man”), that blocker (the right tackle in this example), is GOOD. This means he follows the GOOD blocking progression (inside Gap, man On, man Outside, Down). Other non-pulling blockers can block GOD (inside Gap, man On, Down). This is a brief explanation. For a more complete description of GOOD-GOD blocking, see Steve Calande’s Double Wing Illustrated, Issue 4, p. 18.


References

1.     Steve Popovich and Ted Seay, “The SST Formation: A Direct-Snap Supplement to the Double Wing Offense”, p. 2

2.     Rich Hargitt, American Football Monthly, Vol. 16, No. 9, p. 22


Author

Jay Stolfi is the coach of the Canton/Burlington Warriors Junior High (7th-8th grade) youth football team. A 48 year old resident of Burlington, CT, Coach Stolfi has been coaching youth football for nine years in the Farmington Valley area of Connecticut.

Warriors Youth Football is a travel football program serving football players up to 8th grade. They participate in the Connecticut Youth Football League, a Central CT based league (an area which has produced a number of professional football players, including Aaron Hernandez [Bristol, CT], Dwight Freeney [Bloomfield, CT], Bill Romanowski [Vernon, CT] and Tebucky Jones [New Britain, CT]). Coach Stolfi also sits on the Board of Warriors Youth Football.


Jay Stolfi

jstolfi2@comcast.net

860-830-9380 M








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