An offense more bizarre than anything in Belichick's book.

[Kingdom]

ESPN Page 2 - Weinreb: The next big thing?

In the midst of all this planning, Humphries thought: Why not play two quarterbacks at the same time?

And so the A-11 offense was born.

I am the farthest thing from an expert on football strategy, but here is what I can tell you about the A-11: It is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. What's weird about it is that it violates all of our basic instincts about the game, those noble truths we gleaned from John Facenda about the game being won in the trenches by men the size of water buffaloes. It shouldn't work, and yet it does. The A-11 is the spread offense, evolved to its most advanced stage. On film, the A-11 often resembles a hybrid of the spread and an elementary-school fire drill gone wrong.

Here's how it works: On every play in the A-11, there are two quarterbacks in the backfield at one time, both set up seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. Every man on the field wears a number that potentially makes him an eligible receiver. Potential receivers set up in "pods" at each end of the field. The line, in the base set, consists of two tight ends and a center. Once the ball is snapped, up to six players (including both quarterbacks) become eligible receivers. All of this is legal because technically, according to the rules of high-school football, the Piedmont players are lined up in what is known as a "scrimmage kick" formation (hence, the quarterbacks placed seven yards behind the line, so as to comply with the rules), and therefore, normal eligibility issues do not apply.

In this diagram, let's say (X, R, U, C, Y, E, Z) step onto the line of scrimmage. This gives you seven players on the line of scrimmage, making it a legal formation.
On every play, the possibilities are virtually limitless. Draws, wedge plays, screen passes, the run-and-shoot, the option -- all of them can be employed, depending on how the defense reacts and on how your own players execute blocks in the open field. Of course, this also means that the field is spread precariously thin, and you'd think this would allow several extremely angry linemen and linebackers to respond to such cuteness by blowing through and decapitating one or both quarterbacks. But when Piedmont implemented the A-11 last season, that didn't happen.

[DirtyKash]

It's a good offense for high school if you have a QB who makes good decisions and can get rid of the ball quickly. Obvious weakness is a lack of protection for the QB in case of a blitz but at the same time the defense doesn't know which guys to cover.

[Kingdom]

You do it on madden all of the time, only you call it the DK-99er

[Banter]

just as weird as my shitty high school offensive play book

[Foster]

I read the article there today, and I'am still in shock. I wish I had the EA Football Coach game, cause I am pretty sure you could draw something like this up in it, and than unleash it to see how it workd in the NFL.

[DirtyKash]

I read the article there today, and I'am still in shock. I wish I had the EA Football Coach game, cause I am pretty sure you could draw something like this up in it, and than unleash it to see how it workd in the NFL.

[Foster]

There are so many possibilities with this system that its ridiculous. There are 30 different formations.

The though of it being used in college games this year is exciting.

Among those who have contacted him was "an extremely well-known coach in Texas," which I'm assuming was either Texas Tech's mad genius, Mike Leach, or Eric Taylor from "Friday Night Lights."

[Saber]

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Football analysis and NFL stats for the Moneyball era - Authors of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

This won't be in the pros for the same reason the triple option isn't.