Shotgun Snapping in a Run-First Offense - Teaching proper techniques and practicing as many reps as possible will improve the performance of your shotgun snapper.

Shotgun and pistol snapping have become more commonplace in today’s game. It is also common for some high school and college teams to operate out of the shotgun for the majority of their offensive snaps. We are a run heavy team (75 %/25 %) and we operate out of the shotgun nearly 100% of the time.
    A few years ago, I researched as much as I could about the shotgun snap. I read from multiple sources and emailed, called, and met with various coaches. I wanted to understand the mechanics thoroughly and I wanted to be able to communicate, at a high level, how to shotgun snap effectively. I was then able to narrow the snap down to a few basic principles and coaching points. We have had tremendous success in teaching the snap to a wide range of linemen. All coaching points in this article are for a right-handed snapper.
 
Targeting the Snap
 
    The center may be responsible for identifying certain things pre-snap like the identity of the Mike linebacker or a general front call. After he has done that, it is important for him to find a spot or select a focal point where he wants the snap to go. We want him to use mental imagery and put a picture in his head before he actually has to snap the football. 
A peek in between his legs is essential to get the mental picture and determine the focal point. The focal point for the snap should be about six inches above the belly button on the mid-section of the QB. This is a good focal point for us because we use so much mesh with the QB and RB. (We have used the ride and decide and point method). We feel that using this focal point for the snap gives the QB maximum efficiency when he has to seat the football in the RB’s pocket.

We also, with a more veteran center, will have him practice directional snapping. It is good for the center to direct the snap on plays that are fast-flow in either direction, such as the speed option. The center can also direct the snap with A gap runs like tight zone, giving the QB and RB a good chance at an efficient and quick mesh. The center should adjust the focal point on plays like this and direct the snap about six inches above either hip of the QB. We are essentially telling the center to lead the QB in the direction of the play or assignment.
 
Stance
 
The stance is the key to everything an offensive lineman does. We have a base stance for the interior linemen. Since we are a shotgun triple option team we will utilize stance principles that may be different than a pro style offense. We want our centers to put their snap hand down under the corresponding eye (e.g., right hand under right eye).

We also have the center use a balanced stance that has positive vertical alignments in the ankles, knees and hips. We want high hips and weight on the toes and insteps. Without the football, we have the linemen put 60 % on the down hand and 40% on the toes/insteps and try to create a forward lean. We also want to make sure their eyes and head are up, looking through the eyebrows. The center should have a slight flex in his arm at the elbow area.  We don’t want him to lock his arm out or bend at the elbow too much. 
 
Cadence
 
We have a few different types of cadences. Our base cadence is traditional, initiated verbally by the QB. The QB goes through a series of “code words” on the line of scrimmage that will communicate different things to the offensive line. Our silent cadence has been a successful portion of our offense for a few years. The QB will alert the center that he is ready for the snap by giving him an indicator.

At this point the center is on his own, snapping the ball on his own rhythm. He can use three rhythms: quick, normal, or long. The center will give a “go” call for the rest of the linemen on the snap. We also make the center aware of different “tell signs” that the defensive line is looking for such as helmet and hip movements. The QB can then use a few different types of indicators (hand or foot). 

We also use a lot of motion and, at times, this is tricky to time properly. Since we are in no-huddle, we have built into the indicators certain signals that tell the center motion or no motion. For example, if the center sees the QB’s hand reach toward the ground in a fist, he knows that the QB is ready and we have motion. The center knows that with motion he has to snap the football in a certain rhythm ( if no motion, the center can still control his rhythm). An efficient way to drill the silent cadence for us has been to work on it in a mesh or two-ball period. These periods consist of the centers and the backfield. One of the biggest things we like about using the silent count is that it eliminates false starts by our offensive linemen. We are able to use a “quick count” and a “long count” and have drastically reduced false start penalties.  
 
Grip
 
We have the center grip the football just like he is going to throw a pass. If he has smaller hands, we want him to move his grip up toward the tip of the football. We use the laces and tell the center that the ball should peel off his hand. We want the ball to rotate like a pass and spiral as it travels back to the QB. Overall, we want a smooth, controlled, catchable snap for the QB.
 
Motion and Mechanics
 
The actual motion of the snap is like a pendulum swing from ground to follow through. We talk about three things with the center about the snap mechanics: stiff wrist, pinky to crack and, when going hard, left forearm contacts thigh. When referring to keeping the wrist stiff, we use imagery and phrases for the center. We like to say “throw darts” and/or “give a firm handshake”. As the wrist breaks, the snap begins to get erratic. Also, by coaching the center’s pinky to hit his crack, it gives him a consistent point to self-correct. We want the side of the pinky (surface) to make contact with the crack of his butt. This ensures a stiff wrist and gives us good direction, resulting in a consistent snap.

Also, when the center has to move hard to the left, the right inner thigh comes into play. We tell them not to necessarily adjust any of the mechanics and let the wrist contact the thigh. When the center gets into a pass set or moves to the right, he typically will not have an issue getting pinky to crack. It is when he has to move hard to his left that this becomes a problem. We also tell the center to release the football a little below the kneecap area. As they rep this and see and feel high snaps and low snaps, they can begin to self-correct release-point problems.
 
Step and Snap / Hands
 
Stepping and snapping is huge for us. We want the center to be able to snap, step and fire his off-hand all in one motion. If the center has a block assignment to his left, we coach him to snap, step with the left foot and get his left hand in a good fit position, all simultaneously. If he has a block assignment to the right, we want him to do all the same things but we wouldn’t want him to cross his left hand past the sternum area of his body. We also work with him on getting the snap hand into a fit as quickly as possible.

We do run across some scenarios where we will tell the center not to use the step and snap method. For example, this would be the case if we were in a man protection scheme vs. an odd defense. By snapping and stepping, the center will potentially put himself in a bad position. That is, if he steps left and the nose slants right. We will have him then reset his feet and let the nose declare before we use our angle kick in this situation.
 
Drill Work for the Centers
Mastering the shotgun snap is all about reps and practice. We will have the center straddle a line and use it as a guide for his wrist and pinky. We have also used a medicine ball for concentrating on the snap hand fit. The center’s partner stands in a loose shade with the medicine ball as the center snaps and shoots off with his snap hand. We also have the center snap periodically during mesh and two ball periods. These periods are timing periods with the centers and backfield members. Reps are the best teacher when coaching the snap. It is important to make sure the center is put in realistic situations. He must snap with specific plays in mind and have a defender over him at all times.
 
About the Author: Jeff DiSandro returned to Greenville College this fall for the second time, having previously coached there from 2006-2009. He served as the running game coordinator and became offensive coordinator in 2009. DiSandro is now the assistant head coach, offensive line coach, and special teams coordinator. He also coached at both Malone University and Beloit College. DiSandro was a four-year starter in the offensive line for Olivet Nazarene University.