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Also keep in mind, the goal isn't to score a Touch Down on every play. In the first play, all they needed was a couple yards to a 1st down. So even though the running back didn't gain a large amount of yardage, he gained enough yards to keep possession of the ball and it was a successful play, even though it seemed like a hot mess with very little gain. Occasionally on these plays, someone breaks free and gets massive yardage. But just because the play only results in a few yards doesn't mean it didn't work. It's all based on the situation. How many yards needed for a first down so you maintain possession of the ball. That's until you get to the end of a game and you're team is down and desperate. Then you will try more extreme plays for more yardage. But if all you need is 2 yards for a 1st down early on, gaining 3 is more than enough and you keep the ball for at least 3 more plays. Which is a win on that drive.
Props to you guys for trying to understand and learn concepts most American fans don't. The NFL is often criticized by soccer/rugby fans as boring because of stoppage between plays, but that's because they don't really understand how incredibly complicated it is. Also, we like to analyze the previous plays as the game unfolds because it gets us more involved.
I have been watching NFL games since 1968 and am still learning. When John Madden entered the booth my education was accelerated tremendously! Hang in there fellas 👍🏾
Thanks Jeffrey. We didn’t realise how in-depth this was going to be. We picked up the suggestion from an earlier video we did on basic rules. Appreciate the comment.
I have heard football described as high speed chess(The play calling) followed by high speed poker (Each side trying to read the other side's play and making adjustments or calling an audible as needed) then a bit of violence (The play itself). Then the whole process repeats every 45 seconds.
Don't feel too overwhelmed with stuff like this. The majority of American football fans don't understand how all of this works either. What's mind blowing are the videos of the quarterbacks calling the plays. You should check those out. Especially Payton Mannings play calls.
Unless you didn't play football in at least high school, then it's pretty easy to understand tbh. But the game is evolving fast and I'm even having to take a moment to understand some new schemes. Either way, this is fun to watch, a great idea and obviously I'm subbed - not missing any vids.
@@mattc2824 one of the new mic'd up videos has a player saying what play he thinks should be/ have been ran and realized the other player didn't understand what he said, he responded, "what, you don't play Madden?"
This is honestly eye opening for me. This is stuff as a kid I grew up having stuffed into my head and feels natural to me. But when I watch rugby I feel like I'm grasping for straws as I slowly learn it. This also explains why a lot of my friends who didn't get into sports as kids feel lost. This is really cool to see how it is different for you guys and what your perspective is.
I find it interesting that many, who do not understand the game, think that people are just randomly running around hitting people. I applaud the fact that you care about actually trying to understand what is happening. Football is a very complex game and takes a very long time to understand it fully. I laugh when I hear people say Soccer or Rugby, unlike American Football, actually have game plans. Each play is different and there are hundreds of different plays that can be called during a game. Each player must know all of them without thinking.
I can tell you 99% what's gonna happen during Rugby match: toss it left, toss it left, toss it left, ima try to run upfield now. then it's toss it right, toss it right, toss it right, ima try to run it upfield now. that is the whole game. soccer has a little more nuance, but it's nowhere as complex as a single NFL play.
I coached my little brother’s youth football team a few years ago. We ran a similar counter play with pulling lineman and it paved the way for our undefeated season. The team was all 8 and 9 year old kids and we even had a game where we had to change our playbook at halftime to exploit a weakness in the opposing defense and the kids adjusted beautifully, pulling off a 2 touchdown come from behind win to stay unbeaten.
I was disappointed when I got to it was 8 and 9 year olds. I was expecting that horror story where you are coaching 6 year olds and you only have 1 who can listen and it's just chaos every play lol
Many times in college the football players miss classes because learning the playbook is almost like taking another class which is why for a long time they felt cheated by not being legally allowed to get paid (until this year that officially changed). Imagine having to learn hundreds of plays and the language to go along with it, while also having to take Chemistry, Macro-Economics, etc. You get blamed for not doing well in classes but if you dont know the plays you get blamed on game day when you get embarrassed infront of 100,000 people
I think the main takeaway for a noob would be just the fact that while watching American football may look like chaos on each play, it's a very organized chaos. A team can have dozens or even over 100 distinct offensive plays wherein each player has a very specific role or responsibility, on top of which there are adjustments to made against the many defensive formations they may face. Conversely, the defense also can have many variations of attacks/defenses/strategies that are coordinated before each play and then adjusted based on the offensive formation and personnel.
Hey guys, big fan of what you got going on here. Been watching since your second video. I have a small TH-cam football podcast channel so i know it can be hard to interact with all the comments. Great job keeping up with it! I’ve watched several British reaction channels on American football and you guys are already the best imo. In regards to this video, you guys might get a kick out of listening to NFL play calls if you can find something on it. It’s insane the level of chess that goes on in American football. Every detail and decision is so precisely calculated - multiplied to the millionth degree because every chess piece is a world class athlete. You’ll also find that front office moves take an equal amount of strategy. This video is pretty advanced for people new to the sport. Lol.
@@DNReacts This video is WAAAAAY too advanced for newbies. Football is a whole Universe of its own. You guys need a basic history of the game first. Then go to positions, names and some basic ideas of offense and defense.
@@DNReacts American Football is like chess . The offense tries to catch the defense off-guard by deceptive movements and blocks to make openings for ball carriers. In the play you are watching, the play appears to go one way when it is actually going to the other side with two blockers leading the play.
Defense always has a numbers advantage when it comes to hat on hat. Offenses will use schemes to isolate out defenders. Sometimes they'll use "play action" or "run pass option" which is a fake. A "play action run" is when the O fakes a pass play. This means the receivers will run their routes downfield. This will pull the secondary defenders out of run support range (if they didnt, the QB would just throw it). This opens up the field a little more to help even up the ability tlof blockers.
The quarterback is the one who gets the snap, either from directly under center or from what is called a shotgun formation(where he stands a few yards behind the center, who is the one to snap the ball to the QB), the other guy(24) in several of those clips is the running back. They used to be called a halfback. In some formations you also have a fullback(typically an extra blocker for the running back. The QB either hands the bal to the running back, fakes to the RB then either runs it themself or passes the ball, usually downfield but sometimes behind the line of scrimmage. There is so much more, it would take thousands of words to explain every nuance of the game. It helps just to watch it and learn as you watch. Once you get the main gist, then you could get into more advanced stuff like they were diagramming in this video.
These football videos have been a blast to watch. Keep in mind this is a highly technical video and is probably a bit much for casual fans, let alone folks new to the sport. Appreciate the open mind and willingness to branch out. Keep em coming!
The fact that you try to understand the actual plays and concepts is way more then most fans do. It’s the major reason people who played the game see the game very differently then just fans of the game. Also explains why we value players who may not be house hold names and a fan will be quick to call that same player a scrub or something. I suppose it’s similar to explaining the importance of a holding mid to a simple “soccer fan”. keep it up you guys!!
You’re definitely trying to start on the deep end of the pool. It may be easier to start with offensive/defensive line concepts first and move out from there. I’d personally recommend looking at videos on introducing zone blocking.
Thanks Bill. We didn’t realise how in-depth this was going to be. We picked up the suggestion from an earlier video we did on basic rules. Appreciate the comment and added the suggestion to our list!
Counter is basically a play concept where the offensive line runs “counter” to the runner, and a tight end or gaurd runs the other way to block. This creates a big open hole for the runner to go through
You guys did a pretty good job!! My brother played major college footbal and he lives and breathes this stuff. He'll sit there and say "this is the play they're running and this is what the defense is going to do..." It's all foreign to most of us🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Creating a gap is usually for the running back. Not many quarterbacks run the ball because you don't want your QB taking a lot of hits. Some QBs do run, but their career tends to be shorter ;) (In many of those plays the QB was handing the ball off behind the scrimmage line, you might not have caught the hand off)
Remember these players have to memorize far more plays than just this and be able to recall them between plays when the coach/coordinator calls for them via the radio. Sounds like a completely different language when you actually hear the call.
Another thing to understand is that most runs are designed for 4 or 5 yards. If you can average 4 or 5 yards a run you're having a solid run game that day. In the first example it looked like they were blocked up but in reality that was a couple yards further down than they started.
I believe they requested you watch this video because most people don’t understand how complicated American football actually is and don’t understand the stopping between plays. It is like someone else said. A game of high speed chess. Violent chess with poker. That was the best description. Both teams trying to bluff and read the other at high speeds. I can’t imagine being a coach in these games. It’s crazy to watch the different coaches. It’s intense.
Guys, as an American who played football and enjoys watching it at every level (especially college) it is so intriguing and quite funny to see your reactions. Please keep these vids coming. You will blow up eventually and there is endless content to create in this field. Good Luck and great channel idea!
I’ve been a football fan for 40 years and this is mostly Greek to me. Don’t need to get hung up in the nerdiest details. The key takeaway is that it’s not just about meatheads and fat guys pummeling each other, it’s quite intricate stuff. It requires skills you don’t even imagine to master it. This is why it’s common that players who are great in college and who seem to have all the physical attributes wind up not being able to get a job in the NFL. Quarterbacks above all, but also even offensive linemen. And btw I’ve never heard of a “sniffer” either!
a sniffer is just either an athletic fullback or a blocking tight end, take Juice from San Fran or Nick Boyle from the 2019 Ravens for example, usually just someone who's quick enough to block across field but also strong enough to be able to make blocks against bigger linebackers
Totally agree. I watch NFL and college football w husband, sons and friends who have either played and or coached. They watch on a whole other level. Knowing the basic rules and penalties is enough for me! 😊
Also, as many people are saying here, it takes years to learn all of this stuff. While the game is itself constantly changing, as well. Actual fans of the game learn new things all the time, which adds to the interest. Even after watching the game for 10, 20, 30 years, there is always something new to learn. Us old folks had to learn it the hard way, either playing or watching it on TV. There were no youtube tutorials for us to partake in.
As a kid, I did most of my learning from John Madden on Sundays. He focus on the overall concepts of these plays and simplify it for you. Gave me a foundation to build on
For a little help on who is who out there. On the defense, C are the cornerbacks. E are defensive ends. T is a tackle. N is a nose guard, but you will hear people call them nose tackles as well. Behind the defensive line, three linebackers, marked S, M, W. S stands for Sam, M for Mike, W for Will. Sometimes in a game, you will hear a QB when calling the signals say something like, "58 is the Mike" or something like that, which I assume means he is trying to identify for his line who is who, because each LB has a certain responsibility on the play. The dollar sign is the strong safety I think, and the F is the free safety. Essentially, all the motion you see, even with the linemen at the snap is about creating an illusion in many respects. Step one direction and get the defense flowing away from where you want to go, then attack where they are not. And I also think the linemen taking that step to the right provides what appears to be a seam or the DL to get up the field, but that is by design to allow the linemen to then snap back the other direction and seal them. It is a beautiful thing when all the coordination comes together.
American football games are basically like a soccer game that consists entirely of corner kicks using different strategies. Each "set play" as they say in soccer is simply called a "play," and offensive players have to learn the team's "playbook."
This is an overwhelming video. I would recommend "A Fan's Guide to American Football Defense" as a beginners guide to defensive tactics. It is much easier to understand. The "Sports Explained" channel has other videos you may enjoy as well.
yeah i agree, not that this is difficult to understand, whats more important to understand why this play can work by showing the plays that set this up.
In college we ran a counter, we called it Power 34. The play side blocked down guard, tackle, and tight end. We ran a blocking wall, if you will. The other tackle would pull and kick out end man on line. We ran it great, 5+ yards almost every time!!!
watching a video that explains all of the positions on the field and what they typically do would be helping before diving into more advanced strategy. if there's terminology that you don't know it can get confusing very quickly
Thanks Darnell. We didn’t realise how in-depth this was going to be. We picked up the suggestion from an earlier video we did on basic rules. Appreciate the comment and added the suggestion to our list!
"You can never stop everyone." This is true. There's 11 players on both sides of the ball. Offense is at a disadvantage from the get-go because they have a Quarterback that USUALLY isn't good at running the ball. This, in theory, means that the defense can always send one more man than the offensive line can block on any given play.
@@chonzen1764 of course, and I'm not saying you're wrong. But these fellers are just getting into the sport. I'm not expecting them to understand complex blocking schemes.
Fun Fact: This first type of play is the first "tricky" play we learned at age 10. Except ours had a the Quarterback fake like he was he was dropping back to pass.
These are good examples of offensive lineman needing to know what they are doing and who their assignments will be on a running play like this. The receivers are mainly just blocking whoever is in front of them but not as involved. For pass plays, the receivers will be doing lots of variations of their routes, so they have lots to learn also. An NFL team will have a playbook of hundreds of plays that they will practice, and depending on their matchup for the coming week, they'll select a smaller amount specifically to go against the other team's weaknesses. By "smaller amount" that is still ~75-100 passing plays and maybe 20 or so running plays.
This is a designed running play--called a "counter" (which can take a number of forms/variations)--the QB hands the ball off the running back (RB) who is number 24 here (he is Nick Chubb--a very strong and fast RB--(Cleveland Browns in dark shirt--team with dark shirt typically means they are playing at home --the "home team", BTW. Team in white shirts are Washington Commanders "visiting team"). Apologies if you know this already! The defense of course is familiar with this kind of play and will try to stop it by, if they guess correctly, their initial pre-snap defensive call/alignment--but it all in the end depends upon defeating you man on either side of the ball. You will hear coaches talk about "poor execution" of the plays when they fail--this is about everyone doing their job as planned and timed. Offensive teams may often try to fool the defense and have the O-lineman do these movements (tackles "pulling" and running "across the formation"--down the line, and the right side of the line blocking the other way so that the defensive players on the line and behind the line move quickly up to stop the running back after he has the ball, but instead of handing it off the QB will fake the handoff and look to pass it to a now wide open receiver who (also recognizing the QB has faked the handoff) gone to the now open area vacated by a defensive player who, having been fooled, has rushed up to stop the running back. Lots of within-play strategy/faking, etc.
The subtlety here involves what the offensive line's blockers are doing. It's not that they're simply going up head-to-head with the defensive line. They're actually trying to move the defenders left or right to create a pre-planned gap for the ball-runner to exploit. They'll even switch off to pick up other defenders, and double-team (two men on one) to expand or preserve the gap for the runner. It may only result in a few yards, but that's forward progress.
I watched football for many years before delving into learning about in-depth minutiae like this. You can still enjoy the game without concerning yourselves about this.
I'm sure you've read in the comments that all these plays were to running backs except the one Lamar Jackson kept. Blocking is very valued in football. In the NFL it's at such a high level and synchronized as much as ballet. To see these large men set and disguise if it's a run or pass then fire off in the blink of an eye and to create space or stop pass rushers is just another beautiful part of the game we love.
The "Trap" is very similar to the counter. Difference is the offensive line allows a defensive lineman through the line. Then an O lineman will "pull", go left side to right side or right side to left side behind the line of scrimmage, to block the D lineman. Giving the back a "hole" to run through the line of scrimmage.
Ya this is some deep stuff 😆 I played(in my younger years) and watched American football all my life and i love seeing people trying to learn the depth of game
One thing I like about this video is it shows how complex the job of an NFL offensive lineman is. Someone new to the sport might get the impression that all a lineman does is simply run into the guy in front of him. But there's a lot more to it than that. This shows how linemen often have to change positions and sometimes even run to the opposite side of the field to reach their blocking spots. You should do a reaction to the video "Anthony Munoz ultimate career highlights". It's about Anthony Munoz, one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history, and really shows the kind of work a lineman has to perform.
Just picked up the channel and I'm enjoying it, keep it up. HOWEVER - this is a HIGHLY complex play to start with, especially when the examples are showing run (true counter) and pass (Run/Pass Option) versions. As I'm watching I'll def recommend vids with easier play concepts. I'd say start with position names and responsibilities first. I'll see if i can find one.
The play names are usually a reference to where the ball is intended to go based on the formation. "Counter" means that the ball is going to go the opposite way from the direction where the offensive line is appearing to concentrate their blocking ( the ball is going right, which is "counter" to the movement of the majority of the other offensive players going left). It's intended to fool the defense into committing the bulk of their players in the direction the play appears to be going so that the offense can attack the "weak" side (less players on that side than the "strong" side) of the defense and have a better probability of gaining more yards on the play. "Dive" means the play is usually going somewhere up the middle of the offensive line. "Screen" means a short pass in the backfield where linemen are pulling out to get in front of the receiver before he runs downfield. "Toss" means the quarterback is going to underhand toss the ball to a running back on either side. "Option" means the QB has the option of handing off or tossing the ball to a running back or running it himself, depending on how the defense plays. "Reverse" means that the QB will toss to a player on one side who then hands it off to another player running the opposite direction. If that player then tosses it to another player running the opposite direction, it's a "double reverse"; if instead that player tosses it back the QB, who then tries to throw it downfield, it's called a "flea flicker". A "Draw" is a play where the offense fakes like they're going to pass the ball, but they run it instead after the defensive players have been "drawn away" from an area where the quarterback or a running back will run with the ball. "Play action" is any play that starts off looking like a running play, but is really a fake run intended to be a pass play. You guys should start by learning formations and then the gaps (2-3 ft distance between the offensive linemen). There are 8 gaps on the O-line--1,3,5,7 or A, C, E, G on the left and 2,4,6,8 or B, D, F, H on the right. The number of the gap tells everyone on the offense where the ball will be going (b/w center and right guard (2/B) or between left guard and left tackle (3/C)) so they can clear that space. Then you can start hearing called plays like Split I Wide Right 23 Jumbo and know what supposed to happen vs. what happens.
Oh man, I played American football for years and even I laughed at the first schematic - if you guys can manage to catch any of this with how new you guys are to the sport I'll be super impressed 😂 but I guess one thing to take away from this is just how chess-like the game is. When we would get playbooks on the first day even in high school, the first words out of our mouths were often "ah shit" as we flipped through it
I play American football, in highschool as an o-line men and trust me the play only get more complex as you go but it's difficult for some players to even understand
This is definitely an advance video and isn't required to learn if you're just trying to enjoy and watch American football. Alot of Football fans don't even know about alot of this stuff and how it works. So don't feel overwhelmed as this is not required to learn if you want to get into American football. This is more so for people who want to take their football knowledge to the next level. Just know in the back of your head as you're watching a game that these players aren't just running around. They're following a precise and detailed game plan and are trying to execute that game plan.
So right about the language. I’ll hear announcers talk about the receiver having inside leverage and wonder what they’re talking about, then realize it’s a concept I understood as a child playing street football with my friends.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the “language”. The same thing is called by many different names by both offensive and defensive coaches. You hear a lot from players that the schemes are the same or similar to others they have run before but it takes months to get the terminology down. sometimes a whole season, before they’ve internalized it. This is also why, especially in college, they talk about coaching trees, where an important coach like Nick Saban has taught many assistant coaches, who then take his language to other universities when they become OCs, DCs, or head coaches.
(p.s. In the browns game - the team with brown and orange - the QB is #6 who is handing it off the the running back #24 who is then driving up the field.)
One tip for keeping track of the ball: at the snap, the guards (the 2 players on either side of the center) will tend to fire foreward or sideways if the play is going to be a running play, and will maintain or back up if its a pass play. There are exceptions of course, but the guards can give you a good idea of where the ball will be going
Dont have to understand totally. This is good just to show you whats involved in the run game . Especially the offensive linemen. They get no credit with new fans of the game . Or shows you that the RB doesn't just pick his own path unless its a zone run or busted play .
The 2 offensive players at the bottom of the play are the running back and quarter back. In the browns examples the ball is going from Center > QB > RB. In the ravens example the ball is just going from Center > QB because the QB read how the defense was reacting and decided that him running with the ball would be a better play than handing it off to the RB
The one example with the Ravens was an option play with a QB run, but all the Browns examples were handoffs from the QB (#6) to the Running Back (#24). Also it wasn't clear if you got it, but the reason it's called a counter is because the play is designed to appear to be a run in the other direction, which is why the outside of the player who are pulling the line blocks down, away from the play side, and why the running back will recieve the handoff initially heading towards the opposite side and then cuttingback towards the play side.
When talking about the run game, it all comes down to line play. The offense want to "open" holes, the defense wants to "fill" those holes... that is the basics.
This play is usually used as a secondary play off the offensive teams best power run play. This "counter"acts the defensive team's aggressiveness and familiarity with the offensive team's best and most effective run plays. These plays often initially have similar movements to get the other team out of position, and create more advantageous blocking angels and matchups for your players.
I would recommend watching a film review of a game where they explain the play as well as why it either worked or didn’t work out. This was more of the super technical side of the play being ran
This is chess but both sides move 11 pieces at the same exact time. It’s extremely complicated. It is definitely one of, if not the most, complex sports ever created.
Notice these on the defensive side: S, M, W, F, $. These are five particular positions: S = String Side Linebacker (Sam) usually lines up on the side where the offense has a Tight End if there is one M = Middle Linebacker (Mike) W = Weak Side Linebacker (Will) usually lines up on the side without a Tight End F = Free safety $ = Strong Safety. They used a $ to differentiate from the Sam, lines up on Tight End side
6:02 that guy back there (24) is not the Quaterback. The Quaterback is number 6 "under center" (means he is right behind the center). 2 of the 3 plays you had was a QB giving the ball away (which usually is the case) only the middle play had the Quaterback on a designed run. Not sure if you are video games guys, but when I started with watching football playing Madden helped me a bunch to understand all kind of formations & plays
The counter run is like the pick-and-roll in basketball -- a basic play that's been around forever and used by everyone because it works well as long as you don't over rely on it. It fools the defense into thinking the play is going one way and then the running back and two lead blockers go in the opposite direction. Very effective if you have two linemen athletic enough to pull and lead block.
American football is a chess game, but each of the 11 prices can move a dozen different ways all at the same time. Every coach has a style, scheme, and limitations based on their players. I would suggest that you watch full games, and listen the announcers break down plays. Try not to get overwhelmed with X's and O's, and try and see the beauty in the game.
Counter is when the offense has players on one side of the line run to the other side. Unless the defense sees this & pursues to the other side of the line, they get overwhelmed with more offense than they have over there. A good runner can make quite a bit of yardage out of what is normally a short gainer. Don't worry that it isn't immediately apparent what is going on. Many in the US don't know what it is or the strategy. Football can be very complicated.
In run blocking every gap between two players has a number, that number is a potential hole that the blockers can open for the running back. Linemen are the best blockers on the team, so if you can use them at the point of attack you can get the best results, hence pulling from their starting position and crossing to the side the ball is going to. I played this game in highschool, but I didn't really understand it until I was in my 40s. In school I just knew what I was supposed to do.
The counter play you’re watching is for a running play, the O-Line men from the left move towards the right to create a window for the Runing back to go through and get the first down and possibly more out of that play, number 6 is the QB he’s lined up right behind the center linemen, the center linemen and the others to the right of the QB push left to so the two linemen on the left can go to their spot to create the opening for the RB
in that first example, some of the offensive line is pushing to the left, while 2 linemen from the left swing to the right side to push other defensive players to the right. this opens up a lane (gap in the defense) on the right side of the offense for the running back (the offensive player carrying the ball) to run through. (plays can get much, much more complicated than this. our playbooks -- which must be memorized -- could run as many as 300 pages.)
There is a video released by the channel “NFL Throwback” that talks about the various teams in the league’s history and how the team's got their names if it interests you guys. It can give more into the variety of culture in parts of the US. The video is titled "How EVERY Team Got Its Name & Identity!"
The purpose of the counter play is to make the defense think you are going to run one way by having part of the line block the players directly in front of them or to the opposite side that the counter is flowing, while pulling the other part of the line to the side the run is trying to get to. This creates a gap for the Quarterback (QB) or Running Back (RB). Who actually runs the ball is usually pre-determined, but sometimes, depending on what the QB sees the defense doing (like a linebacker moving in the opposite direction of the counter), the QB will make a split second decision to run the ball themselves as this will make the play faster than taking the extra couple of seconds to hand the ball off. It will also depend on if the QB themself is a good runner (not all QBs are). The reason you are seeing the extra player in the backfield in the last diagram is that they are running this play from a "Shotgun" formation. This is where the QB doesn't line up directly behind the center, but from a few yards back. This provides the QB with a better view of the field so they can decide if they are going to run themselves or hand it off. Hope this helps!
I grew up playing and watching American football, so it's simple to me but remember first time looking at a playbook in forst year of football and being overwhelmed
Football defenses have three parts, the line, the linebackers, and the secondary. The line typically contains 3 or 4 players, the ones on the edge called “edge rushers” or “defensive ends” (Sticklers will nitpick my wording there but I’m trying to be simple). The ones in the middle are tackles or nose tackles (N and T in that first diagram). Linemen are the first line of defense. Behind them are 3 or 4 linebackers. They have a hybrid role. They are called strong, middle, and weak linebackers, depending on whether they line up on the side of the formation that has more players or not. They step up to make tackles and defend passes in the middle of the field, for the most part. Lastly are the secondary, consisting of 2 or more corners and 2 or more safeties. The corners engage directly with receivers the moment the play starts. The safeties hang back and provide support or engage when the play develops. The safeties are strong safety and free safety. Their role is complex and nuanced. They call the strong safety $ to distinguish it from strong linebacker. Compare strong and weak linebackers to the 6 and 7 in rugby.
#24 is a RUNNING BACK, not quarterback. So the first play... it is a run (with the running back) to the right. The arrows show which lineman is responsible to block which defender. It seems like a lot of movement just to attain a 3 yard gain... but the game is all about real estate and if you can average 3.4 yards per play... then you can never be stopped (3.4 yards x 3 attempts = a first down)
Thank you F Google. We did miss the hand off to the running back in this. Starting to make more sense to us. But being honest, this one was a bit out of our depth as this stage
Regarding that play, don't forget that every play isn't necessarily designed to result in a touchdown, though that's always nice of course. There are many times when you only need short yardage to get a first down. But ALSO, that play can be setting up the defense for another time, when the offense lines up the same way, fakes the handoff to the running back (that's called play action) but then throws the ball to the other side to an open receiver. It's a fun game to watch when you get it, and you guys ARE getting it!
For a knowing fan , watching the intricacies of the line play is far more interesting than seeing some guy running all alone and catching a 50 yard pass . That stuff appeals to the know nothing fan . I played linebacker ,so I love to watch the blocking , running ,and tackling parts of the game .
Also really looking forward to that ray lewis mic’d up video I know it’s like 50/50 whether it’ll actually get copyrighted or not so wishing for the best. Another video you guys should add to your list is ray lewis 52 cards. It’s a motivational video about him there’s absolutely no way you could walk over from it thinking it was a waste of your time to watch or react to
One thing to keep in mind is that if an offense can consistently make 4 yards on a run play, they're doing good. 3 of those is a first down. It's not always about the big gain. Sometimes its about hammering the defensive line and secondary and establishing dominance on the run game. The value of dominance on the run play is then the defense starts stacking heavy to stop the run, then the offense can switch to passing game to just go over the defensive line and secondary because they're sucked up into the run defense, or go "play action pass" that looks like a run play in the beginning, but is a pass play, and sucks the defense out of position to stop it.
Absolutely love these videos. I actually work as a journalist covering (american) football, it's amazing to see it through the lens of people who appreciate it but didn't grow up around it or play it. I'll try not to overload with terminology, because who wants that, but I think there is an important rule that I think would help in understanding the game a little better. When the ball is passed forward in american football, only certain players are allowed to catch it (exactly five on a given play are allowed, and exactly five are not), otherwise it is a penalty. 99 percent of the time, the offensive linemen are among the players who are not allowed to catch the football. If you aren't familiar, the five offensive linemen are the center (man who snaps the ball to the quarterback) the guards (the two players with a hand in the dirt next to the center) and the tackles (the two players next to/outside the guards). So when they are shown to be going into space, it isn't to catch a ball thrown by the quarterback, it's to block defensive players so other people can run the ball forward. Any players who aren't allowed to catch passes are also not allowed to be more than 1 yard downfield at the time of the pass. So any time you see offensive linemen firing out to attack defensive players at the start of a play, rest assured it's almost definitely a run play. Any time they start by retreating, it's almost certainly a pass. The only time that's not the case is in a type of play you'll only see a few times a game that is called a "screen" pass, where the ball is completed behind the line of scrimmage. But that's a topic best saved for another day lol
I'll simplify: If the counter play is designed to go right, the right sided linemen will block down and to their left. The left sided linemen will turn right. The nearest (the left guard, who begins immediately left of the offensive center), blocks the left defensive end. The furthest left (left offensive tackle) turns up through the hole and blocks defenders supporting from the defenders' back side - in this case, the defensive right side. For clarification, an offensive llineman who crosses from right to left or left to right in order to block a defender on the opposite side of the formation, is said to be "pulling". At the snap of the ball, the running back takes a jab step in the opposite direction of the play design, and then COUNTER-steps (hence, the name of the play) toward the intended direction of offensive attack. The counter is one of the most basic plays in football. It's been around for decades, and it's one of the few aspects of the game that resists trends and changes in philosophy or style of play. It's one of the first types of plays taught to kids. Don't feel bad if it goes past you a bit. A legendary coach named Vince Lombardi had a favorite play, called the Packer Sweep (also known as "Student Body Left/Right", or simply a power sweep). It is perhaps even more basic than the counter. Lombardi once gave a lecture to young coaches on his philosophy of football. One of the coaches in attendance was John Madden (the namesake of the video game, and a legend in his own right). Madden said that Lombardi spent 4 hours talking about the intricacies of this basic play. He said, "I knew, at that moment, I really knew nothing about football". It's a very simple game, which gets extremely complicated in a hurry.
Honestly, the best way to learn as a newcomer to the game is to either play with others with experience or simply play MADDEN football games on whatever console of choice. The MADDEN games are a treasure to anyone interested in learning. The game will breakdown everything in the game. seriously recommend if you play videogames. Otherwise try watching more games and listen to the commentary. Cheers from Philly
It took my (very hazy) high-school memory of football diagrams a few to decipher this. The offensive (circles) play call is a run with the back feigning right, then running left thru the left guard hole. This buys the pulling (right-side) guard and tackle time to step back and run left in front of the rushing back. The (left-side) guard and tackle are slant-blocking right. The 4-3 defense (letters) is placed and routed per their expected rush lines for a given line-up read. The receiver's diagrams show them blocking, not running a pass route. It's a pretty basic play that all teams run. Watch out for the bootleg.
You counter the direction, start the running back in one direction to create movement on the defense. Then you counter back the opposite direction with your pulling lineman and hopefully have a wall or wedge depending on coach terminology. This create running lanes.
Just FYI the XFL begins this Saturday (February 18th) and the USFL begins April 15th. These were the Spring football leagues that I mentioned during your Superbowl live stream.
As a former player and coach I can tell you that our game has It's own languages. Lol. The Linemen have their own coded language as well as the Backs and Receivers. The codes are unique to the team to try and keep the opponent from knowing the play to be run. It can be complicated or simple as a one word play call. The Linemen use a code to tell each other who they have to block or if they need to have another Linemen help with a combo block. Teams have playbooks for their players to study and it explains the coded languages of the offense and defense with the plays diagramed against common defenses and offenses.
You went from the horsy piece for two spaces and then to the side one to the knight alternate color so by change the timing of your move you can change what color your opponent's knigh is on.
@@DNReacts Here’s a video where a little play calling is discussed and it’s very entertaining and a little informative. I’m hoping (Fingers Crossed ) it’s not blocked. It’s not NFL sponsored so hopefully it won’t be…”Cam Newton simulates play calling. Imitates Peyton Manning “.
BTW. I’m a person that loves American football for the high level strategy and tactics of it. More than any other game it really is a chess match. The very start stop nature of it allows teams offenses to make an almost infinite number of formation/ play combinations. And the defense to come up with schemes to counter them. I’m thrilled you guys are exploring this because every other you tuber from abroad I see only reacts to the physicality of the game and totally ignores this aspect.
The importance of schemes/plays are most important in football. Many NFL players get cut for not having ability to learn plays/schemes and executing them quickly. It is not just athleticism.
It’s the running back that is usually next to or behind the quarterback if it’s a run play for the running back the ball will be handed off to the running back or the QB can keep the ball and either pass or run it themselves but this all depends on the play call, or play call at the line of scrimmage. For example the QB can recognize the defensive formation and change the play at the line.
I played in the 1st British American football league for a team based in Manchester, we had some American players and coaches who created our playbooks both for defense and offense. we had to memorize the entire playbook so that at the line of scrimmage audibles could be called and plays switched before the ball was snapped, our playbook was maybe 40-50 plays so nothing too complex but the playbook for teams at the NFL level is at a different level, they have to study hours of game video from the last game to highlight mistakes, improve positioning, routes, etc then they have to study hours of film for their next opponent, to identify trends, habits, weakness, on game day you may have seen quarterbacks and coaches on portable screens analyzing plays in real-time which are being filmed from high vantage points in the stadium, and they also have assistant coaches looking down from a booth relaying information to the designated coaches on the sideline. Both teams are doing this to try and predict each other's plays to gain an on-field advantage or take advantage of a mistake.
Fluidjazz, when you were taught the 40-50 plays, did the plays have adjusted routes by wide receivers? IMO, that's the biggest change between college and NFL. In high school and most college offenses, the pass routes were fixed. Example - the wide receiver (WR) would run downfield ten yards, then turn hard to the left and look for the ball. The WR would run this route no matter what. In the NFL, almost no teams run fixed routes. In the NFL, the WR is taught to run downfield for 10 yrds, then turn hard left if the defense is playing man to man. But if the defense is playing a zone coverage, then he's taught to alter his route and find the gaps between the zones. But if the defense blitzes, the WR is to run 3 quick yards and slant to the right because the QB doesn't have time to wait for the WR to run 10 yds and will have to throw the ball very quickly. The WR needs to know this. But the QB also has to know this and they both have to be on the same page. So that means both of them have to read the defensive coverage in the same way. This is the hardest thing between college and NFL.
One of my favorite parts about football is the strategy it's more important than anything and games are like a chess match sometimes running 1 play out of a look a couple time just to set up a different play out of that look later in the game. QB Peyton Manning is a great example of game intelligence and strategy. He studied other teams so much that when he got to the line of scrimmage pre-snap he already knew what everyone on the defense was doing and would call "audibles" (Changing the play or parts of a play at the scrimmage) and expose the defenses weakness. It was really impressive to watch. That's also why they say he has a huge head 😂😂
what's similar in the language with counter is the line moves typically counter to the movement of the play. The 2 other linemen pull and creates a lane. And yes this is one of the most basic plays you will see and one of the earliest taught, It plays with the defenses eyes and makes the see movement one way with the 2 other linemen coming across to create a cutback lane.
Remember, the Quarterback usually has one of two guys back there with him. The running backs and the full backs. Fullbacks are usually blockers for the QB and the RB. But can be given the ball or thrown to by any legal passer. Most of the time the QB, but anyone behind the line of scrimmage can throw forward. The running back, like Barry sanders, is there to block as well but mostly is given the ball by the QB they can also be passed to if need be. See, all these plays are designed. They aren’t just made up on the fly, and most of the time the only real options are who the QB throws to down field or which way the running back decides to maneuver around defenders. Each offensive player has an assignment. Who to block and when if you’re a lineman. when to grab the ball if it’s a run for running backs, what pass route to run if it’s a pass play for recievers. The first designed play was called a counter. It’s designed to make the defenders think you’re going the other way. The quarterback gets the ball first. The running back starts to go left but then cuts to the right and is handed the ball by the QB. And as you saw the lineman blocked their assigned defenders and created a running lane (we like to call it a hole) for the running back to gain as many yards as possible. I hope this helps!! Love you guys! I don’t think I understand all of soccers rules either so don’t beat yourself up.
I currently play College football and this was just a demonstration of a single play run a few different ways. My team, and I’m assuming most others, has 50+ formations, and over 100 different plays that have multiple variations and can be run out of almost all the formations. During the season coaches will create new plays that are designed to specifically beat the oppositions defense. I play on offense but I’m also pretty sure that the defense has about 100 different plays as well. Not to mention all the trick plays and special teams variations. Probably the most cognitively challenging game outside of like chess.
So to basically explain the counter, you're basically faking running left, and actually running to the right. The center, right guard, right tackle and tight end are blocking to the left to make the defensive linemen and linebackers think that they're running to the left or at least freeze the linebackers so that they're a step behind. To help sell this, the running back cuts to the left first before heading right. While the the right side of the line blocks, the left side of the offensive line swing over to the right side and blocks the linebacker or defensive back that's in the way, creating a lane for the running back. Ideally, it leaves the running back one-on-one with a defender and if he can make them miss, they're able to get a big gain out of it. It's used to take advantage of defenses that are overaggressive and undisciplined by catching them out of position. It's also handy for short distance situations, because if the defense goes all out to try and stop an inside run, they can get hit with a devastatingly long run. Don't be discouraged about not knowing it, some of us grew up around football, so it's almost second nature. Even if many of us can't really read or draw up the Xs and Os.
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Also keep in mind, the goal isn't to score a Touch Down on every play. In the first play, all they needed was a couple yards to a 1st down. So even though the running back didn't gain a large amount of yardage, he gained enough yards to keep possession of the ball and it was a successful play, even though it seemed like a hot mess with very little gain. Occasionally on these plays, someone breaks free and gets massive yardage. But just because the play only results in a few yards doesn't mean it didn't work. It's all based on the situation. How many yards needed for a first down so you maintain possession of the ball. That's until you get to the end of a game and you're team is down and desperate. Then you will try more extreme plays for more yardage. But if all you need is 2 yards for a 1st down early on, gaining 3 is more than enough and you keep the ball for at least 3 more plays. Which is a win on that drive.
Props to you guys for trying to understand and learn concepts most American fans don't.
The NFL is often criticized by soccer/rugby fans as boring because of stoppage between plays, but that's because they don't really understand how incredibly complicated it is.
Also, we like to analyze the previous plays as the game unfolds because it gets us more involved.
True, a good color commentator discussing the play is a great part of the show
I have been watching NFL games since 1968 and am still learning. When John Madden entered the booth my education was accelerated tremendously! Hang in there fellas 👍🏾
Thanks Jeffrey. We didn’t realise how in-depth this was going to be. We picked up the suggestion from an earlier video we did on basic rules. Appreciate the comment.
I have heard football described as high speed chess(The play calling) followed by high speed poker (Each side trying to read the other side's play and making adjustments or calling an audible as needed) then a bit of violence (The play itself). Then the whole process repeats every 45 seconds.
American Football = Chess
Rugby = Checkers
Don't feel too overwhelmed with stuff like this. The majority of American football fans don't understand how all of this works either. What's mind blowing are the videos of the quarterbacks calling the plays. You should check those out. Especially Payton Mannings play calls.
Omaha 😁
Thanks Chuck, they sound great, have added the suggestion to our list too!
Playing madden helps you figure this stuff out if you've never actually played lol
Unless you didn't play football in at least high school, then it's pretty easy to understand tbh. But the game is evolving fast and I'm even having to take a moment to understand some new schemes. Either way, this is fun to watch, a great idea and obviously I'm subbed - not missing any vids.
@@mattc2824 one of the new mic'd up videos has a player saying what play he thinks should be/ have been ran and realized the other player didn't understand what he said, he responded, "what, you don't play Madden?"
This is honestly eye opening for me. This is stuff as a kid I grew up having stuffed into my head and feels natural to me. But when I watch rugby I feel like I'm grasping for straws as I slowly learn it.
This also explains why a lot of my friends who didn't get into sports as kids feel lost. This is really cool to see how it is different for you guys and what your perspective is.
Thank you! Appreciate the comment!
Yeah it's a lot better to have a live demonstration along with the chart for the play.
I find it interesting that many, who do not understand the game, think that people are just randomly running around hitting people. I applaud the fact that you care about actually trying to understand what is happening. Football is a very complex game and takes a very long time to understand it fully. I laugh when I hear people say Soccer or Rugby, unlike American Football, actually have game plans. Each play is different and there are hundreds of different plays that can be called during a game. Each player must know all of them without thinking.
I can tell you 99% what's gonna happen during Rugby match: toss it left, toss it left, toss it left, ima try to run upfield now. then it's toss it right, toss it right, toss it right, ima try to run it upfield now. that is the whole game. soccer has a little more nuance, but it's nowhere as complex as a single NFL play.
Thank you Gregory. Appreciate the comment! We’re going to get there, we maybe need a few lighter videos along the way 😅
I coached my little brother’s youth football team a few years ago. We ran a similar counter play with pulling lineman and it paved the way for our undefeated season. The team was all 8 and 9 year old kids and we even had a game where we had to change our playbook at halftime to exploit a weakness in the opposing defense and the kids adjusted beautifully, pulling off a 2 touchdown come from behind win to stay unbeaten.
I was disappointed when I got to it was 8 and 9 year olds. I was expecting that horror story where you are coaching 6 year olds and you only have 1 who can listen and it's just chaos every play lol
Many times in college the football players miss classes because learning the playbook is almost like taking another class which is why for a long time they felt cheated by not being legally allowed to get paid (until this year that officially changed). Imagine having to learn hundreds of plays and the language to go along with it, while also having to take Chemistry, Macro-Economics, etc. You get blamed for not doing well in classes but if you dont know the plays you get blamed on game day when you get embarrassed infront of 100,000 people
I think the main takeaway for a noob would be just the fact that while watching American football may look like chaos on each play, it's a very organized chaos. A team can have dozens or even over 100 distinct offensive plays wherein each player has a very specific role or responsibility, on top of which there are adjustments to made against the many defensive formations they may face. Conversely, the defense also can have many variations of attacks/defenses/strategies that are coordinated before each play and then adjusted based on the offensive formation and personnel.
As an American and lifetime football fan this is complicated lol. I give you guys props for trying.
Thanks Bill, we thought we’d take a plunge into deep end 😂 Next one we’re hoping won’t be as advanced
Hey guys, big fan of what you got going on here. Been watching since your second video. I have a small TH-cam football podcast channel so i know it can be hard to interact with all the comments. Great job keeping up with it! I’ve watched several British reaction channels on American football and you guys are already the best imo. In regards to this video, you guys might get a kick out of listening to NFL play calls if you can find something on it. It’s insane the level of chess that goes on in American football. Every detail and decision is so precisely calculated - multiplied to the millionth degree because every chess piece is a world class athlete. You’ll also find that front office moves take an equal amount of strategy. This video is pretty advanced for people new to the sport. Lol.
Thank you Dave, really appreciate the support! Also noted that video for our list 👍
@@DNReacts This video is WAAAAAY too advanced for newbies. Football is a whole Universe of its own. You guys need a basic history of the game first. Then go to positions, names and some basic ideas of offense and defense.
@@DNReacts American Football is like chess . The offense tries to catch the defense off-guard by deceptive movements and blocks to make openings for ball carriers.
In the play you are watching, the play appears to go one way when it is actually going to the other side with two blockers leading the play.
Defense always has a numbers advantage when it comes to hat on hat. Offenses will use schemes to isolate out defenders. Sometimes they'll use "play action" or "run pass option" which is a fake. A "play action run" is when the O fakes a pass play. This means the receivers will run their routes downfield. This will pull the secondary defenders out of run support range (if they didnt, the QB would just throw it). This opens up the field a little more to help even up the ability tlof blockers.
Thank you for the comment, great information for us
The quarterback is the one who gets the snap, either from directly under center or from what is called a shotgun formation(where he stands a few yards behind the center, who is the one to snap the ball to the QB), the other guy(24) in several of those clips is the running back. They used to be called a halfback. In some formations you also have a fullback(typically an extra blocker for the running back. The QB either hands the bal to the running back, fakes to the RB then either runs it themself or passes the ball, usually downfield but sometimes behind the line of scrimmage. There is so much more, it would take thousands of words to explain every nuance of the game. It helps just to watch it and learn as you watch. Once you get the main gist, then you could get into more advanced stuff like they were diagramming in this video.
These football videos have been a blast to watch. Keep in mind this is a highly technical video and is probably a bit much for casual fans, let alone folks new to the sport. Appreciate the open mind and willingness to branch out. Keep em coming!
Thank you BTZ
The fact that you try to understand the actual plays and concepts is way more then most fans do. It’s the major reason people who played the game see the game very differently then just fans of the game. Also explains why we value players who may not be house hold names and a fan will be quick to call that same player a scrub or something. I suppose it’s similar to explaining the importance of a holding mid to a simple “soccer fan”. keep it up you guys!!
You’re definitely trying to start on the deep end of the pool. It may be easier to start with offensive/defensive line concepts first and move out from there. I’d personally recommend looking at videos on introducing zone blocking.
Thanks Bill. We didn’t realise how in-depth this was going to be. We picked up the suggestion from an earlier video we did on basic rules. Appreciate the comment and added the suggestion to our list!
Zone blocking!? Hell no, that's no beginner concept!
Counter is basically a play concept where the offensive line runs “counter” to the runner, and a tight end or gaurd runs the other way to block. This creates a big open hole for the runner to go through
You guys did a pretty good job!! My brother played major college footbal and he lives and breathes this stuff. He'll sit there and say "this is the play they're running and this is what the defense is going to do..." It's all foreign to most of us🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thanks G Mac, appreciate the comment!
Creating a gap is usually for the running back. Not many quarterbacks run the ball because you don't want your QB taking a lot of hits. Some QBs do run, but their career tends to be shorter ;) (In many of those plays the QB was handing the ball off behind the scrimmage line, you might not have caught the hand off)
Thank you Joe. You’re right, we did miss the handoff in the plays. This makes perfect sense
Remember these players have to memorize far more plays than just this and be able to recall them between plays when the coach/coordinator calls for them via the radio. Sounds like a completely different language when you actually hear the call.
Another thing to understand is that most runs are designed for 4 or 5 yards. If you can average 4 or 5 yards a run you're having a solid run game that day. In the first example it looked like they were blocked up but in reality that was a couple yards further down than they started.
I believe they requested you watch this video because most people don’t understand how complicated American football actually is and don’t understand the stopping between plays. It is like someone else said. A game of high speed chess. Violent chess with poker. That was the best description. Both teams trying to bluff and read the other at high speeds. I can’t imagine being a coach in these games. It’s crazy to watch the different coaches. It’s intense.
I completely agree!
Guys, as an American who played football and enjoys watching it at every level (especially college) it is so intriguing and quite funny to see your reactions. Please keep these vids coming. You will blow up eventually and there is endless content to create in this field. Good Luck and great channel idea!
Thank you for the comment XXX. Appreciate the support!
I’ve been a football fan for 40 years and this is mostly Greek to me. Don’t need to get hung up in the nerdiest details. The key takeaway is that it’s not just about meatheads and fat guys pummeling each other, it’s quite intricate stuff. It requires skills you don’t even imagine to master it. This is why it’s common that players who are great in college and who seem to have all the physical attributes wind up not being able to get a job in the NFL. Quarterbacks above all, but also even offensive linemen. And btw I’ve never heard of a “sniffer” either!
a sniffer is just either an athletic fullback or a blocking tight end, take Juice from San Fran or Nick Boyle from the 2019 Ravens for example, usually just someone who's quick enough to block across field but also strong enough to be able to make blocks against bigger linebackers
@@cgn1k Ehh, never heard of Juice or Nick Boyle. Please provide college or high school football examples. Only cuckboy pansies watch the NFL in 2023.
Totally agree. I watch NFL and college football w husband, sons and friends who have either played and or coached. They watch on a whole other level. Knowing the basic rules and penalties is enough for me! 😊
Thanks Big Tex, appreciate the comment!
@@cgn1k True, but really a sniffer is offset from the line of scrimmage usually only a yard or two, and starts within the tackles.
I love that you guys are willing to think out loud regardless of whether you are right or not. It just feels more real. Thanks!
Thank you, really appreciate your support! Every now and again one of us gets something right too 😅
Also, as many people are saying here, it takes years to learn all of this stuff. While the game is itself constantly changing, as well.
Actual fans of the game learn new things all the time, which adds to the interest. Even after watching the game for 10, 20, 30 years, there is always something new to learn. Us old folks had to learn it the hard way, either playing or watching it on TV. There were no youtube tutorials for us to partake in.
As a kid, I did most of my learning from John Madden on Sundays. He focus on the overall concepts of these plays and simplify it for you. Gave me a foundation to build on
For a little help on who is who out there. On the defense, C are the cornerbacks. E are defensive ends. T is a tackle. N is a nose guard, but you will hear people call them nose tackles as well. Behind the defensive line, three linebackers, marked S, M, W. S stands for Sam, M for Mike, W for Will. Sometimes in a game, you will hear a QB when calling the signals say something like, "58 is the Mike" or something like that, which I assume means he is trying to identify for his line who is who, because each LB has a certain responsibility on the play. The dollar sign is the strong safety I think, and the F is the free safety. Essentially, all the motion you see, even with the linemen at the snap is about creating an illusion in many respects. Step one direction and get the defense flowing away from where you want to go, then attack where they are not. And I also think the linemen taking that step to the right provides what appears to be a seam or the DL to get up the field, but that is by design to allow the linemen to then snap back the other direction and seal them. It is a beautiful thing when all the coordination comes together.
Amazing! Thank you so much for the info Jeff.
American football games are basically like a soccer game that consists entirely of corner kicks using different strategies. Each "set play" as they say in soccer is simply called a "play," and offensive players have to learn the team's "playbook."
This is an overwhelming video. I would recommend "A Fan's Guide to American Football Defense" as a beginners guide to defensive tactics. It is much easier to understand. The "Sports Explained" channel has other videos you may enjoy as well.
Definitely took us by surprise. Thanks for the suggestion Joe, added to the list!
@@DNReacts You guys are doing fine grasping this stuff. No need to go back to "See spot run" level. Ignore the lame comments from the snarky doucebags
This is a very detailed take on a very specific type of play. It is not for beginners.
yeah i agree, not that this is difficult to understand, whats more important to understand why this play can work by showing the plays that set this up.
In college we ran a counter, we called it Power 34. The play side blocked down guard, tackle, and tight end. We ran a blocking wall, if you will. The other tackle would pull and kick out end man on line. We ran it great, 5+ yards almost every time!!!
watching a video that explains all of the positions on the field and what they typically do would be helping before diving into more advanced strategy. if there's terminology that you don't know it can get confusing very quickly
Thanks Darnell. We didn’t realise how in-depth this was going to be. We picked up the suggestion from an earlier video we did on basic rules. Appreciate the comment and added the suggestion to our list!
"You can never stop everyone." This is true. There's 11 players on both sides of the ball. Offense is at a disadvantage from the get-go because they have a Quarterback that USUALLY isn't good at running the ball. This, in theory, means that the defense can always send one more man than the offensive line can block on any given play.
Lots of ways around that. Thats the point of GT counter. The QB rollout holds the backside while the two pulling OL create a man advantage playside.
@@chonzen1764 of course, and I'm not saying you're wrong. But these fellers are just getting into the sport. I'm not expecting them to understand complex blocking schemes.
Fun Fact: This first type of play is the first "tricky" play we learned at age 10. Except ours had a the Quarterback fake like he was he was dropping back to pass.
These are good examples of offensive lineman needing to know what they are doing and who their assignments will be on a running play like this. The receivers are mainly just blocking whoever is in front of them but not as involved. For pass plays, the receivers will be doing lots of variations of their routes, so they have lots to learn also.
An NFL team will have a playbook of hundreds of plays that they will practice, and depending on their matchup for the coming week, they'll select a smaller amount specifically to go against the other team's weaknesses. By "smaller amount" that is still ~75-100 passing plays and maybe 20 or so running plays.
This is a designed running play--called a "counter" (which can take a number of forms/variations)--the QB hands the ball off the running back (RB) who is number 24 here (he is Nick Chubb--a very strong and fast RB--(Cleveland Browns in dark shirt--team with dark shirt typically means they are playing at home --the "home team", BTW. Team in white shirts are Washington Commanders "visiting team"). Apologies if you know this already! The defense of course is familiar with this kind of play and will try to stop it by, if they guess correctly, their initial pre-snap defensive call/alignment--but it all in the end depends upon defeating you man on either side of the ball. You will hear coaches talk about "poor execution" of the plays when they fail--this is about everyone doing their job as planned and timed. Offensive teams may often try to fool the defense and have the O-lineman do these movements (tackles "pulling" and running "across the formation"--down the line, and the right side of the line blocking the other way so that the defensive players on the line and behind the line move quickly up to stop the running back after he has the ball, but instead of handing it off the QB will fake the handoff and look to pass it to a now wide open receiver who (also recognizing the QB has faked the handoff) gone to the now open area vacated by a defensive player who, having been fooled, has rushed up to stop the running back. Lots of within-play strategy/faking, etc.
The subtlety here involves what the offensive line's blockers are doing. It's not that they're simply going up head-to-head with the defensive line. They're actually trying to move the defenders left or right to create a pre-planned gap for the ball-runner to exploit. They'll even switch off to pick up other defenders, and double-team (two men on one) to expand or preserve the gap for the runner. It may only result in a few yards, but that's forward progress.
I watched football for many years before delving into learning about in-depth minutiae like this. You can still enjoy the game without concerning yourselves about this.
I'm sure you've read in the comments that all these plays were to running backs except the one Lamar Jackson kept. Blocking is very valued in football. In the NFL it's at such a high level and synchronized as much as ballet. To see these large men set and disguise if it's a run or pass then fire off in the blink of an eye and to create space or stop pass rushers is just another beautiful part of the game we love.
The "Trap" is very similar to the counter. Difference is the offensive line allows a defensive lineman through the line. Then an O lineman will "pull", go left side to right side or right side to left side behind the line of scrimmage, to block the D lineman. Giving the back a "hole" to run through the line of scrimmage.
Ya this is some deep stuff 😆
I played(in my younger years) and watched American football all my life and i love seeing people trying to learn the depth of game
Thank you for the comment, we really appreciate it 🙏
One thing I like about this video is it shows how complex the job of an NFL offensive lineman is. Someone new to the sport might get the impression that all a lineman does is simply run into the guy in front of him. But there's a lot more to it than that. This shows how linemen often have to change positions and sometimes even run to the opposite side of the field to reach their blocking spots.
You should do a reaction to the video "Anthony Munoz ultimate career highlights". It's about Anthony Munoz, one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history, and really shows the kind of work a lineman has to perform.
O and D line play is the coolest part of football that the casual fan doesn't notice. Stunts and shifts on the D and all the O line stuff.
Just picked up the channel and I'm enjoying it, keep it up. HOWEVER - this is a HIGHLY complex play to start with, especially when the examples are showing run (true counter) and pass (Run/Pass Option) versions. As I'm watching I'll def recommend vids with easier play concepts. I'd say start with position names and responsibilities first. I'll see if i can find one.
Thank you!! We have just recorded a video explaining positions and what they do 😊
The play names are usually a reference to where the ball is intended to go based on the formation. "Counter" means that the ball is going to go the opposite way from the direction where the offensive line is appearing to concentrate their blocking ( the ball is going right, which is "counter" to the movement of the majority of the other offensive players going left). It's intended to fool the defense into committing the bulk of their players in the direction the play appears to be going so that the offense can attack the "weak" side (less players on that side than the "strong" side) of the defense and have a better probability of gaining more yards on the play. "Dive" means the play is usually going somewhere up the middle of the offensive line. "Screen" means a short pass in the backfield where linemen are pulling out to get in front of the receiver before he runs downfield. "Toss" means the quarterback is going to underhand toss the ball to a running back on either side. "Option" means the QB has the option of handing off or tossing the ball to a running back or running it himself, depending on how the defense plays. "Reverse" means that the QB will toss to a player on one side who then hands it off to another player running the opposite direction. If that player then tosses it to another player running the opposite direction, it's a "double reverse"; if instead that player tosses it back the QB, who then tries to throw it downfield, it's called a "flea flicker". A "Draw" is a play where the offense fakes like they're going to pass the ball, but they run it instead after the defensive players have been "drawn away" from an area where the quarterback or a running back will run with the ball. "Play action" is any play that starts off looking like a running play, but is really a fake run intended to be a pass play.
You guys should start by learning formations and then the gaps (2-3 ft distance between the offensive linemen). There are 8 gaps on the O-line--1,3,5,7 or A, C, E, G on the left and 2,4,6,8 or B, D, F, H on the right. The number of the gap tells everyone on the offense where the ball will be going (b/w center and right guard (2/B) or between left guard and left tackle (3/C)) so they can clear that space.
Then you can start hearing called plays like Split I Wide Right 23 Jumbo and know what supposed to happen vs. what happens.
Oh man, I played American football for years and even I laughed at the first schematic - if you guys can manage to catch any of this with how new you guys are to the sport I'll be super impressed 😂 but I guess one thing to take away from this is just how chess-like the game is. When we would get playbooks on the first day even in high school, the first words out of our mouths were often "ah shit" as we flipped through it
😂😂 we were so ready to learn some stuff and then soon realised we had no chance haha!
I play American football, in highschool as an o-line men and trust me the play only get more complex as you go but it's difficult for some players to even understand
This is definitely an advance video and isn't required to learn if you're just trying to enjoy and watch American football. Alot of Football fans don't even know about alot of this stuff and how it works. So don't feel overwhelmed as this is not required to learn if you want to get into American football. This is more so for people who want to take their football knowledge to the next level. Just know in the back of your head as you're watching a game that these players aren't just running around. They're following a precise and detailed game plan and are trying to execute that game plan.
So right about the language. I’ll hear announcers talk about the receiver having inside leverage and wonder what they’re talking about, then realize it’s a concept I understood as a child playing street football with my friends.
This was an absolutely EVIL reaction request 😂
You are NOT the intended demographic for this video 💀
I wouldn’t worry too much about the “language”. The same thing is called by many different names by both offensive and defensive coaches. You hear a lot from players that the schemes are the same or similar to others they have run before but it takes months to get the terminology down. sometimes a whole season, before they’ve internalized it. This is also why, especially in college, they talk about coaching trees, where an important coach like Nick Saban has taught many assistant coaches, who then take his language to other universities when they become OCs, DCs, or head coaches.
(p.s. In the browns game - the team with brown and orange - the QB is #6 who is handing it off the the running back #24 who is then driving up the field.)
One tip for keeping track of the ball: at the snap, the guards (the 2 players on either side of the center) will tend to fire foreward or sideways if the play is going to be a running play, and will maintain or back up if its a pass play. There are exceptions of course, but the guards can give you a good idea of where the ball will be going
Dont have to understand totally. This is good just to show you whats involved in the run game . Especially the offensive linemen. They get no credit with new fans of the game . Or shows you that the RB doesn't just pick his own path unless its a zone run or busted play .
The 2 offensive players at the bottom of the play are the running back and quarter back. In the browns examples the ball is going from Center > QB > RB. In the ravens example the ball is just going from Center > QB because the QB read how the defense was reacting and decided that him running with the ball would be a better play than handing it off to the RB
The one example with the Ravens was an option play with a QB run, but all the Browns examples were handoffs from the QB (#6) to the Running Back (#24). Also it wasn't clear if you got it, but the reason it's called a counter is because the play is designed to appear to be a run in the other direction, which is why the outside of the player who are pulling the line blocks down, away from the play side, and why the running back will recieve the handoff initially heading towards the opposite side and then cuttingback towards the play side.
When talking about the run game, it all comes down to line play. The offense want to "open" holes, the defense wants to "fill" those holes... that is the basics.
Thank you!
This play is usually used as a secondary play off the offensive teams best power run play. This "counter"acts the defensive team's aggressiveness and familiarity with the offensive team's best and most effective run plays. These plays often initially have similar movements to get the other team out of position, and create more advantageous blocking angels and matchups for your players.
I would recommend watching a film review of a game where they explain the play as well as why it either worked or didn’t work out. This was more of the super technical side of the play being ran
This is chess but both sides move 11 pieces at the same exact time. It’s extremely complicated. It is definitely one of, if not the most, complex sports ever created.
Notice these on the defensive side: S, M, W, F, $. These are five particular positions:
S = String Side Linebacker (Sam) usually lines up on the side where the offense has a Tight End if there is one
M = Middle Linebacker (Mike)
W = Weak Side Linebacker (Will) usually lines up on the side without a Tight End
F = Free safety
$ = Strong Safety. They used a $ to differentiate from the Sam, lines up on Tight End side
6:02 that guy back there (24) is not the Quaterback. The Quaterback is number 6 "under center" (means he is right behind the center). 2 of the 3 plays you had was a QB giving the ball away (which usually is the case) only the middle play had the Quaterback on a designed run.
Not sure if you are video games guys, but when I started with watching football playing Madden helped me a bunch to understand all kind of formations & plays
The counter run is like the pick-and-roll in basketball -- a basic play that's been around forever and used by everyone because it works well as long as you don't over rely on it. It fools the defense into thinking the play is going one way and then the running back and two lead blockers go in the opposite direction. Very effective if you have two linemen athletic enough to pull and lead block.
American football is a chess game, but each of the 11 prices can move a dozen different ways all at the same time. Every coach has a style, scheme, and limitations based on their players. I would suggest that you watch full games, and listen the announcers break down plays. Try not to get overwhelmed with X's and O's, and try and see the beauty in the game.
Counter is when the offense has players on one side of the line run to the other side. Unless the defense sees this & pursues to the other side of the line, they get overwhelmed with more offense than they have over there. A good runner can make quite a bit of yardage out of what is normally a short gainer. Don't worry that it isn't immediately apparent what is going on. Many in the US don't know what it is or the strategy. Football can be very complicated.
I love that you guys do this and it makes me wanna learn *soccer, actual football. Keep up the great content.
Thank you, really appreciate it!
In run blocking every gap between two players has a number, that number is a potential hole that the blockers can open for the running back.
Linemen are the best blockers on the team, so if you can use them at the point of attack you can get the best results, hence pulling from their starting position and crossing to the side the ball is going to.
I played this game in highschool, but I didn't really understand it until I was in my 40s. In school I just knew what I was supposed to do.
The counter play you’re watching is for a running play, the O-Line men from the left move towards the right to create a window for the Runing back to go through and get the first down and possibly more out of that play, number 6 is the QB he’s lined up right behind the center linemen, the center linemen and the others to the right of the QB push left to so the two linemen on the left can go to their spot to create the opening for the RB
in that first example, some of the offensive line is pushing to the left, while 2 linemen from the left swing to the right side to push other defensive players to the right. this opens up a lane (gap in the defense) on the right side of the offense for the running back (the offensive player carrying the ball) to run through.
(plays can get much, much more complicated than this. our playbooks -- which must be memorized -- could run as many as 300 pages.)
The genuine interest makes it entertaining
Thank you, we really appreciate this 🤝
There is a video released by the channel “NFL Throwback” that talks about the various teams in the league’s history and how the team's got their names if it interests you guys. It can give more into the variety of culture in parts of the US. The video is titled "How EVERY Team Got Its Name & Identity!"
Thank you for the suggestion Tai. Added to our list!
The purpose of the counter play is to make the defense think you are going to run one way by having part of the line block the players directly in front of them or to the opposite side that the counter is flowing, while pulling the other part of the line to the side the run is trying to get to. This creates a gap for the Quarterback (QB) or Running Back (RB). Who actually runs the ball is usually pre-determined, but sometimes, depending on what the QB sees the defense doing (like a linebacker moving in the opposite direction of the counter), the QB will make a split second decision to run the ball themselves as this will make the play faster than taking the extra couple of seconds to hand the ball off. It will also depend on if the QB themself is a good runner (not all QBs are). The reason you are seeing the extra player in the backfield in the last diagram is that they are running this play from a "Shotgun" formation. This is where the QB doesn't line up directly behind the center, but from a few yards back. This provides the QB with a better view of the field so they can decide if they are going to run themselves or hand it off. Hope this helps!
I grew up playing and watching American football, so it's simple to me but remember first time looking at a playbook in forst year of football and being overwhelmed
Football defenses have three parts, the line, the linebackers, and the secondary. The line typically contains 3 or 4 players, the ones on the edge called “edge rushers” or “defensive ends” (Sticklers will nitpick my wording there but I’m trying to be simple). The ones in the middle are tackles or nose tackles (N and T in that first diagram). Linemen are the first line of defense. Behind them are 3 or 4 linebackers. They have a hybrid role. They are called strong, middle, and weak linebackers, depending on whether they line up on the side of the formation that has more players or not. They step up to make tackles and defend passes in the middle of the field, for the most part. Lastly are the secondary, consisting of 2 or more corners and 2 or more safeties. The corners engage directly with receivers the moment the play starts. The safeties hang back and provide support or engage when the play develops. The safeties are strong safety and free safety. Their role is complex and nuanced. They call the strong safety $ to distinguish it from strong linebacker. Compare strong and weak linebackers to the 6 and 7 in rugby.
This is more like a entry level for a head coach video!🤣
#24 is a RUNNING BACK, not quarterback. So the first play... it is a run (with the running back) to the right. The arrows show which lineman is responsible to block which defender. It seems like a lot of movement just to attain a 3 yard gain... but the game is all about real estate and if you can average 3.4 yards per play... then you can never be stopped (3.4 yards x 3 attempts = a first down)
Thank you F Google. We did miss the hand off to the running back in this. Starting to make more sense to us. But being honest, this one was a bit out of our depth as this stage
Regarding that play, don't forget that every play isn't necessarily designed to result in a touchdown, though that's always nice of course. There are many times when you only need short yardage to get a first down. But ALSO, that play can be setting up the defense for another time, when the offense lines up the same way, fakes the handoff to the running back (that's called play action) but then throws the ball to the other side to an open receiver. It's a fun game to watch when you get it, and you guys ARE getting it!
For a knowing fan , watching the intricacies of the line play is far more interesting than seeing some guy running all alone and catching a 50 yard pass . That stuff appeals to the know nothing fan . I played linebacker ,so I love to watch the blocking , running ,and tackling parts of the game .
Also really looking forward to that ray lewis mic’d up video I know it’s like 50/50 whether it’ll actually get copyrighted or not so wishing for the best. Another video you guys should add to your list is ray lewis 52 cards. It’s a motivational video about him there’s absolutely no way you could walk over from it thinking it was a waste of your time to watch or react to
One thing to keep in mind is that if an offense can consistently make 4 yards on a run play, they're doing good. 3 of those is a first down. It's not always about the big gain. Sometimes its about hammering the defensive line and secondary and establishing dominance on the run game.
The value of dominance on the run play is then the defense starts stacking heavy to stop the run, then the offense can switch to passing game to just go over the defensive line and secondary because they're sucked up into the run defense, or go "play action pass" that looks like a run play in the beginning, but is a pass play, and sucks the defense out of position to stop it.
Absolutely love these videos. I actually work as a journalist covering (american) football, it's amazing to see it through the lens of people who appreciate it but didn't grow up around it or play it.
I'll try not to overload with terminology, because who wants that, but I think there is an important rule that I think would help in understanding the game a little better.
When the ball is passed forward in american football, only certain players are allowed to catch it (exactly five on a given play are allowed, and exactly five are not), otherwise it is a penalty. 99 percent of the time, the offensive linemen are among the players who are not allowed to catch the football. If you aren't familiar, the five offensive linemen are the center (man who snaps the ball to the quarterback) the guards (the two players with a hand in the dirt next to the center) and the tackles (the two players next to/outside the guards). So when they are shown to be going into space, it isn't to catch a ball thrown by the quarterback, it's to block defensive players so other people can run the ball forward.
Any players who aren't allowed to catch passes are also not allowed to be more than 1 yard downfield at the time of the pass. So any time you see offensive linemen firing out to attack defensive players at the start of a play, rest assured it's almost definitely a run play. Any time they start by retreating, it's almost certainly a pass.
The only time that's not the case is in a type of play you'll only see a few times a game that is called a "screen" pass, where the ball is completed behind the line of scrimmage. But that's a topic best saved for another day lol
The first and the third videos were of the running back, Nick Chubb, carrying the ball while the second was for the QB Lamar Jackson.
I'll simplify:
If the counter play is designed to go right, the right sided linemen will block down and to their left. The left sided linemen will turn right. The nearest (the left guard, who begins immediately left of the offensive center), blocks the left defensive end. The furthest left (left offensive tackle) turns up through the hole and blocks defenders supporting from the defenders' back side - in this case, the defensive right side.
For clarification, an offensive llineman who crosses from right to left or left to right in order to block a defender on the opposite side of the formation, is said to be "pulling".
At the snap of the ball, the running back takes a jab step in the opposite direction of the play design, and then COUNTER-steps (hence, the name of the play) toward the intended direction of offensive attack.
The counter is one of the most basic plays in football. It's been around for decades, and it's one of the few aspects of the game that resists trends and changes in philosophy or style of play. It's one of the first types of plays taught to kids.
Don't feel bad if it goes past you a bit. A legendary coach named Vince Lombardi had a favorite play, called the Packer Sweep (also known as "Student Body Left/Right", or simply a power sweep). It is perhaps even more basic than the counter.
Lombardi once gave a lecture to young coaches on his philosophy of football. One of the coaches in attendance was John Madden (the namesake of the video game, and a legend in his own right). Madden said that Lombardi spent 4 hours talking about the intricacies of this basic play. He said, "I knew, at that moment, I really knew nothing about football".
It's a very simple game, which gets extremely complicated in a hurry.
Honestly, the best way to learn as a newcomer to the game is to either play with others with experience or simply play MADDEN football games on whatever console of choice. The MADDEN games are a treasure to anyone interested in learning. The game will breakdown everything in the game. seriously recommend if you play videogames. Otherwise try watching more games and listen to the commentary. Cheers from Philly
It took my (very hazy) high-school memory of football diagrams a few to decipher this. The offensive (circles) play call is a run with the back feigning right, then running left thru the left guard hole. This buys the pulling (right-side) guard and tackle time to step back and run left in front of the rushing back. The (left-side) guard and tackle are slant-blocking right. The 4-3 defense (letters) is placed and routed per their expected rush lines for a given line-up read. The receiver's diagrams show them blocking, not running a pass route. It's a pretty basic play that all teams run. Watch out for the bootleg.
You counter the direction, start the running back in one direction to create movement on the defense. Then you counter back the opposite direction with your pulling lineman and hopefully have a wall or wedge depending on coach terminology. This create running lanes.
Just FYI the XFL begins this Saturday (February 18th) and the USFL begins April 15th. These were the Spring football leagues that I mentioned during your Superbowl live stream.
As a former player and coach I can tell you that our game has It's own languages. Lol.
The Linemen have their own coded language as well as the Backs and Receivers. The codes are unique to the team to try and keep the opponent from knowing the play to be run. It can be complicated or simple as a one word play call. The Linemen use a code to tell each other who they have to block or if they need to have another Linemen help with a combo block. Teams have playbooks for their players to study and it explains the coded languages of the offense and defense with the plays diagramed against common defenses and offenses.
You went from the horsy piece for two spaces and then to the side one to the knight alternate color so by change the timing of your move you can change what color your opponent's knigh is on.
😂😂😂 This is way over most fans heads but I love this kinda stuff.
It flew over mine 😂😂
@@DNReacts Here’s a video where a little play calling is discussed and it’s very entertaining and a little informative. I’m hoping (Fingers Crossed ) it’s not blocked. It’s not NFL sponsored so hopefully it won’t be…”Cam Newton simulates play calling. Imitates Peyton Manning “.
BTW. I’m a person that loves American football for the high level strategy and tactics of it. More than any other game it really is a chess match. The very start stop nature of it allows teams offenses to make an almost infinite number of formation/ play combinations. And the defense to come up with schemes to counter them. I’m thrilled you guys are exploring this because every other you tuber from abroad I see only reacts to the physicality of the game and totally ignores this aspect.
The importance of schemes/plays are most important in football. Many NFL players get cut for not having ability to learn plays/schemes and executing them quickly. It is not just athleticism.
It’s the running back that is usually next to or behind the quarterback if it’s a run play for the running back the ball will be handed off to the running back or the QB can keep the ball and either pass or run it themselves but this all depends on the play call, or play call at the line of scrimmage. For example the QB can recognize the defensive formation and change the play at the line.
I played in the 1st British American football league for a team based in Manchester, we had some American players and coaches who created our playbooks both for defense and offense. we had to memorize the entire playbook so that at the line of scrimmage audibles could be called and plays switched before the ball was snapped, our playbook was maybe 40-50 plays so nothing too complex but the playbook for teams at the NFL level is at a different level, they have to study hours of game video from the last game to highlight mistakes, improve positioning, routes, etc then they have to study hours of film for their next opponent, to identify trends, habits, weakness, on game day you may have seen quarterbacks and coaches on portable screens analyzing plays in real-time which are being filmed from high vantage points in the stadium, and they also have assistant coaches looking down from a booth relaying information to the designated coaches on the sideline. Both teams are doing this to try and predict each other's plays to gain an on-field advantage or take advantage of a mistake.
Fluidjazz, when you were taught the 40-50 plays, did the plays have adjusted routes by wide receivers? IMO, that's the biggest change between college and NFL. In high school and most college offenses, the pass routes were fixed. Example - the wide receiver (WR) would run downfield ten yards, then turn hard to the left and look for the ball. The WR would run this route no matter what.
In the NFL, almost no teams run fixed routes. In the NFL, the WR is taught to run downfield for 10 yrds, then turn hard left if the defense is playing man to man. But if the defense is playing a zone coverage, then he's taught to alter his route and find the gaps between the zones. But if the defense blitzes, the WR is to run 3 quick yards and slant to the right because the QB doesn't have time to wait for the WR to run 10 yds and will have to throw the ball very quickly.
The WR needs to know this. But the QB also has to know this and they both have to be on the same page. So that means both of them have to read the defensive coverage in the same way.
This is the hardest thing between college and NFL.
This is typically for the running back. Although you could run a version with the QB as the runner.
One of my favorite parts about football is the strategy it's more important than anything and games are like a chess match sometimes running 1 play out of a look a couple time just to set up a different play out of that look later in the game. QB Peyton Manning is a great example of game intelligence and strategy. He studied other teams so much that when he got to the line of scrimmage pre-snap he already knew what everyone on the defense was doing and would call "audibles" (Changing the play or parts of a play at the scrimmage) and expose the defenses weakness. It was really impressive to watch. That's also why they say he has a huge head 😂😂
Also keep it up. It's not an easy game to learn so don't feel like you're alone when confused. There's ALOT of rules and strategies.
I've seen American football described as "chess with 300 pound pawns" and I think it is quite an apt description.
Yeah that’s a great analogy!
what's similar in the language with counter is the line moves typically counter to the movement of the play. The 2 other linemen pull and creates a lane. And yes this is one of the most basic plays you will see and one of the earliest taught, It plays with the defenses eyes and makes the see movement one way with the 2 other linemen coming across to create a cutback lane.
Hell yeah ray Lewis was a MLB. I can't believe something as simple as watching two guys learn a sport can be so nice. This was cool
Remember, the Quarterback usually has one of two guys back there with him. The running backs and the full backs. Fullbacks are usually blockers for the QB and the RB. But can be given the ball or thrown to by any legal passer. Most of the time the QB, but anyone behind the line of scrimmage can throw forward. The running back, like Barry sanders, is there to block as well but mostly is given the ball by the QB they can also be passed to if need be. See, all these plays are designed. They aren’t just made up on the fly, and most of the time the only real options are who the QB throws to down field or which way the running back decides to maneuver around defenders. Each offensive player has an assignment. Who to block and when if you’re a lineman. when to grab the ball if it’s a run for running backs, what pass route to run if it’s a pass play for recievers. The first designed play was called a counter. It’s designed to make the defenders think you’re going the other way. The quarterback gets the ball first. The running back starts to go left but then cuts to the right and is handed the ball by the QB. And as you saw the lineman blocked their assigned defenders and created a running lane (we like to call it a hole) for the running back to gain as many yards as possible. I hope this helps!! Love you guys! I don’t think I understand all of soccers rules either so don’t beat yourself up.
I currently play College football and this was just a demonstration of a single play run a few different ways. My team, and I’m assuming most others, has 50+ formations, and over 100 different plays that have multiple variations and can be run out of almost all the formations. During the season coaches will create new plays that are designed to specifically beat the oppositions defense. I play on offense but I’m also pretty sure that the defense has about 100 different plays as well. Not to mention all the trick plays and special teams variations. Probably the most cognitively challenging game outside of like chess.
So to basically explain the counter, you're basically faking running left, and actually running to the right. The center, right guard, right tackle and tight end are blocking to the left to make the defensive linemen and linebackers think that they're running to the left or at least freeze the linebackers so that they're a step behind. To help sell this, the running back cuts to the left first before heading right.
While the the right side of the line blocks, the left side of the offensive line swing over to the right side and blocks the linebacker or defensive back that's in the way, creating a lane for the running back. Ideally, it leaves the running back one-on-one with a defender and if he can make them miss, they're able to get a big gain out of it. It's used to take advantage of defenses that are overaggressive and undisciplined by catching them out of position. It's also handy for short distance situations, because if the defense goes all out to try and stop an inside run, they can get hit with a devastatingly long run.
Don't be discouraged about not knowing it, some of us grew up around football, so it's almost second nature. Even if many of us can't really read or draw up the Xs and Os.