The Shotgun Package

The Shotgun package is one of the most well known formations in all of football. It is quickly becoming one of the premiere systems in all of levels of play due to it's ability to diversify in the wide variety of what you can do from it. The shotgun, also known as the spread, consists of a quarterback approximately 5 yards behind the center and a variety of different personnel spread out to his left and right. There can also be anywhere from zero backs (known as empty) to three backs (known as a full house) in the backfield with the quarterback. Primarily a passing formation teams are beginning to utilize more option style play calling as quarterbacks are becoming more and more athletic. The most well known option from this formation is the simple, yet effective, read option. This is where the quarterback and one running back stand side by side and the quarterback reads the outermost man on the line of scrimmage. If he goes down the line to tackle the running back, the quarterback will keep it and run it to the outside. If the man sits and stays on the end of the line, then he will give the ball to the running back who makes whatever cut he sees to the opposite side of where he began. As I said before, the main reason for the shotgun is for passing downs, it gives the quarterback a better view of the defense than if he were under center. There are numerous routes and passing plays that can be drawn up from shotgun. Due to the threat of the pass, the defense is left vulnerable because of the amount of men in coverage to draw plays ,where the back will wait a second and then take a hand off, as well as screens, where blockers will slip out with a running back or receiver to the side of a formation and catch a delayed pass and go. The Shotgun  is the first formation that I will put into the playbook.