Forward pass

“ Have it clearly worked out on every pass play where each eligible man is to go. This is equally true in fact for every man on the team, for every man on the team has something to do on a forward pass. It is just as important on a forward pass play that each eligible man know where, when and how he is to go as it is on running plays for the interference to know whom they are to take. ”

“ Consequently the passer was instinctively creeping up closer and closer, being hurried in his passes and often failing. The spiral pass back from center is an absolutely fundamental requisite for a successful forward passing game. ”

“ The forward pass has now been a part of offensive football for fifteen years. In spite of that fact few teams have developed anything like a consistently successful ground gaining forward pass attack. Apparently many regard the forward pass simply as a valuable threat, something for occasional use, something to take a chance with, something the possibility of which makes the real game still workable. ”

“ Suffice it here to say that the writer regards a good fast, accurate, true spiral pass from the snapper-back, that can be shot back speedily and accurately to a distance of at least fifteen yards, as absolutely indispensable to a successful forward passing game. Ability to get such a pass is not possessed by every center, nor by every team even among the better colleges. ”

“ If in addition to this a kick is occasionally worked on something besides the fourth down, the game becomes a real test of wits.
Naturally not every forward pass will be “pulled” from an ideal formation. Many splendid forward pass plays can be built up from ordinary close running, bucking formations.
All Eligible Men Open—“Choice” vs. “Mechanical” Method.
An occasional forward pass play is developed where only a single eligible man is open to receive the pass. ”

“ Thus far most teams have trusted to luck against the forward passing game. The inefficiency and mechanical errors of its offense, aided by the restrictive legal measures adopted, have conspired to make this possible. Signs are not lacking, however, to indicate a greatly increased use of the passing game, an improved understanding and appreciation of its fundamental principles and a much greater degree of success for it. The defense for the forward pass will need to be studied with great care in the immediate future. ”

“ A few such plays should of course be included in the team’s attack, but they are the exception and when successful are so because of that fact. They the more strongly emphasize the fact that as a general principle a regular forward pass play should aim to get as many eligible men as possible open to receive the pass. These men should be so spread that they cannot all be covered by the defense. The passer then selects an open man or the best open man to whom to pass. ”

“ Taught in this way many men acquired the idea of the spiral pass from center with great ease. Extended and constant practice, however, is necessary to insure a consistent and accurate performance that can be depended upon under fire—the accomplishment fundamental to the forward pass. ”

“ The usual thing is for the passer to hurl the ball into the air and yell “ball.” Let any coach actually insist once on his passer calling his man before he passes to him and see what happens. And yet this is exactly the thing that will change the forward pass game from a happy-go-lucky chance into a mathematical probability. When the passer calls his man before he passes he knows what he is trying to do, the team knows, the receiver is given more time to get into position, he is then given a better chance to catch the pass and the rest of the team are given a chance to form interference. ”

“ Some man or men, not the entire line, should go through and force the pass at the earliest possible moment, downing the passer, blocking the pass or forcing it to be made before the eligible men are ready or the passer has been able to locate them. ”

“ There is the usual fake to the right as for a ‘bunch’ pass. The ball goes to left half, who starts to run to the right, too, but doesn’t turn in. As the ball leaves center, left end leaves his place and runs back as though to get into the ‘bunch.’ Instead of that, though, he gets a position farther out and receives the pass from left half after the ‘bunch’ is formed. It might work, but it probably wouldn’t.” He looked up and his eyes [278] met Dan’s. “Here, Vinton, what do you think? You’ve got a head for strategy.”
PAYSON’S DELAYED FORWARD PASS
“It would be mighty risky, sir, I should think. ”

“ Two kinds of forward passes were illustrated on the blackboard, the “bunch” pass with three backs and one end going down and forming a group to receive the ball, and the “one man” pass in which the backfield fakes to one side and the ball is thrown to an end who has gone through unnoticed at the other side. Next Payson showed how poorly prepared a team would be to cope with either of these plays from ordinary defense formation. In ordinary formation Yardley played her quarter some thirty yards up the field, the rest of the backs reinforcing the line some three yards behind it. ”

“ The best you can do is work out some better way of making an old one. Now and then, though, they change the rules a bit and you get a new line of thought. This year the forward-pass offers a chap the best chance for hitting on new stuff. There’s one play there—just let me see it a minute, will you? Yes, here it is. I’d like to see that tried some time. It’s a fake run around the short side with the ball going from fullback to end, who has come around behind, and then on a forward-pass over the long side to the other end. ”

“ There is no defense for the forward pass. In reality the pass cannot be prevented, particularly in the center of the field. Yet from the unwillingness of some of the great football leaders to adopt this style of game one would infer that it is a worthless game, difficult to succeed with and easy of defense. ”

“ The toss must be made quickly to avoid a forward pass. The ball should be passed low, a little lower than the waist. No player can buck the line low if the ball comes to him high. The runner must straighten up to get a high pass and before he can get down he will be in the line. The quarter should look at the runner in making the pass. ”

“ The eligible man should seldom go directly to the spot where he will receive the pass if it comes to him. At the proper instant, which should be pretty definitely timed for everybody on each play, and always at the call of the passer, the receiver should turn and race to the spot where he knows the ball will be thrown. ”

“ Your side has the ball ten yards from the opponent’s goal line and on the fourth down makes a forward pass over the line. You receive the pass. You stand with one foot on the end line, but the ball reaches you a yard inside the zone and you complete the pass. ”

“ But as the passer develops ability he should be allowed when the pass signalled is covered to select second, third and even fourth choices, and the order of looking for the choices should be so arranged that a quick sweep of the field in front of him will give the passer his open men. ”

“ Half the value of the forward pass is in keeping the opponent scared. If you have a passing game and he knows it, he’s looking for it more than half the time. But you’ve got to really have something. If you haven’t, he soon discovers it and pulls his backfield in. Just as long as you’ve got the goods, even if you don’t deliver them, he will play a fifth man back and weaken his line by just so much. That fifth man is almost invariably the center, and a quick plunge at the center position will usually gain. ”

“ What proportion of the running plays are successful in the modern game? No statistics exist. If the forward pass were tried anything like as persistently as the running game, unquestionably its percentage of success would greatly increase. ”

“ Full-back covers about ten yards to the right and then, instead of throwing toward the bunch, turns and passes across the field to left half and left half passes to left end. Full-back has got to watch the opposing left end and make the throw before he reaches him.”
VINTON’S DOUBLE FORWARD PASS
“I see,” said Payson thoughtfully. “Now let us see what the enemy would do. First of all, expecting a kick or a forward pass, they’d hold our line at first instead of breaking through. ”

“ Insist that every man is in every pass play. There is great temptation for linemen to “take a day off” when a long pass is called in [Pg 18] which they are not likely to figure. But they should either be protecting the passer, making it possible for him to better choose his open man, or down with the eligible men in the shorter zones ready for immediate interference in case that pass should be elected. This should be definitely mapped out with each formation and the receiver should know where to find interference behind which he can dodge the instant he has received the pass.
Interception. ”

“ Although lines are more wary and experienced today than formerly, this single piece of strategy is still very valuable. Many teams are failing with their passes simply because their passer is not more than seven to ten yards back. The greater distance gives a short but vital length of time for receivers to get free and for the passer to pick out the open man. It also gives a longer time for running sideward and forward, helping to confuse the defense as to whether a run or pass is really intended. ”

“ Supposing you face it again; imagine that it’s up to you to find a way of pulling off forward passes that will beat [131] anything Broadwood can show; make believe, if you like, that you’re captain and coach all rolled into one and that everything depends on you. I’m not talking to every fellow this way, for some of them can’t use their brains. But I’ve spoken to Colton and Loring and Hill and Capes and one or two others and they’ve agreed to tackle the problem. ”

“ This is infrequent in actual play, because if, after two unsuccessful attempts, or partly successful, it becomes evident that the chances of completing the obligatory 10-yd. gain on the remaining attempt are unfavourable, a forward pass or a kick is resorted to, rather than risk losing the ball on the spot. ”

“ To Coach J. H. McCurdy of the Springfield team goes the honor, in the writer’s judgment, of the early recognition and development of the strategy of the forward pass, for in this respect at least, Springfield excelled even the wonderful Indian teams produced by Glen Warner. No one team can longer claim a leadership in this or any other department of the game, [Pg 12] but it is fair to say that the Springfield team has continuously demonstrated an unusual aptitude for the forward pass and a high degree of leadership at least among the Eastern teams. ”

“ One would imagine that it is the simple duty of the inside right to pass the ball to his outside man or on occasions to the centre forward, but this is far from being correct, and one of the most effective passes is from inside right to outside left or vice versa, from inside left to outside right. ”

“ The ability also to make long passes is fundamental. With the secondary defense playing ten yards back and possibly covering twenty yards more, with the passer fifteen yards behind his own offensive line, the pass going outward at an angle must often travel fifty-five yards to clear the secondary defense. Although such long passes need not often be used, the knowledge that the offense possesses the ability to make them is necessary to keep the secondary defense back so that short, sharp passes may succeed for the disconcerting gains of the regular ground gaining attack. ”

“ A forward player, nine times out of ten, or even oftener, will try to pass the cover-point by first feinting to the left, then dodging to the right. If this be remembered, the cover-point will not bother about that feint to the left, which is to his right, but will almost invariably expect to be passed on his left, or the forward’s right, and will act accordingly. ”

“ It requires a passer of special mental type, and one of considerable basketball ability who can dodge and get his pass off accurately even when apparently covered. The ease of choice can be much facilitated by having an order for each play in which the passer is to look for possibilities. The first choice should always be the signal called. That play should always be made if it is at all possible ”

“ It is far easier, though less effective as a spectacle, to pass a ball back to a fellow-back than to kick it over your own head. It should always be their object to place the ball to the forward who is in the best position for receiving it as conveniently for him to take as possible, that is, where feasible along the ground. To ensure accuracy, all passing by backs and half-backs to forwards should be done with the side of the foot ”

“ The actual catching of the pass is not essentially different from catching a punt or any ordinary pass. One hand should be used to guide the ball into the body, one hand should be kept well under the ball, the elbows should be kept close and the ball always be brought in against the body and held securely against any possible attack. ”

“ Position to hold the ball just before making under-hand pass. For the under-hand pass, place the ball in the hand as above, fingers well over the end; swing the arm forward and, as the ball leaves the hand, cause it to turn end over end rapidly, as it can be controlled much better. As in every pass, learn to make the ball go just where you wish it. ”