Football 101: 7 Men on the Line Of Scrimmage

[Hostile]

This rule is one of the easiest and yet most complex rules in the game. For every play there must be 7 men on the LOS There cannot be 6 and there cannot be 8. This includes FGs, PATs, and Punts. Only kickoffs differ.

This means that there must also always be 4 men off the LOS.

Also the OTs must always be "covered." That means that someone is outside of them and on the LOS. So if you have a WR out wide left he MUST be on the LOS and he cannot go in motion unless someone else comes in motion and sets up wide of the LT on the LOS. At that point the WR comes off the LOS and can go in motion if there is still time.

Usually the WR out wide left is called the X receiver. The WR out wide right is the Z receiver. The TE is commonly called the Y, but in 4 or 5 WR sets it can be someone else. The TE is the most common formation holding the designation Y.

So there are 5 O-linemen and then 2 more players, usually an X, Y, or Z receiver who are also on the LOS wide of the OTs and "covering" them.

Here's a quick look at a few formations showing how you always have 7 on the LOS and 4 who are designated as "in the backfield."



WR.....................LT...LG...C...RG...RT...TE
......................................QB....................................................WR

..................................RB.....RB

Here the "X" WR out wide left and the "Y" receiver (the TE) are covering the OTs and make the 6th and 7th men on the LOS. The QB, RBs, and "Z" WR out wide right are considered "in the backfield. In this set the Z or the RBs can go in Motion. The Y or TE can go in Motion too, but when he does he has to step back one step and the Z receiver moves up to the LOS to "cover" the OT.

It would look like this.



WR.....................LT...LG...C...RG...RT.........................................WR
......................................QB...............TE

..................................RB.....RB

Once again there are 7 on the LOS and now the TE can legally go in motion.

Let's move the TE from the normal "strong side" to the left which is normally designated the "weak side." The only difference between "strong" and "weak" are defined by if there is a TE in the game and which side he is lined up on. So we're going to move the TE from the right side to the left side.



.............TE..........LT...LG...C...RG...RT.........................................WR
WR..................................QB

..................................RB.....RB

Now the X receiver is "in the backfield" and the Y receiver is left, meaning the Z receiver must be on the LOS "covering" the RT.


Here's what it would like like if you were using a 2 TE, 1 RB set with the TEs both lined up in what is called "double strong," in other words one on both sides of the OTs.


.............TE..........LT...LG...C...RG...RT.......TE
WR..................................QB..............................................WR

.......................................RB


In this formation you can have the WRs on the LOS and the TEs "in the backfield" or as shown above with the TEs on the LOS and the WRs "in the backfield." You can have one of each on either side as long as the OTs are "covered" by someone on the LOS wider than they are and there are 7 men on the LOS.

This is relatively the same when using 4 and 5 WR sets. 2 of them are on the LOS, the rest are off the LOS or "in the backfield." This is why in "Hail Mary" situations at the end of games or halves when an Offense loads up one side with multiple WRs there is always one WR on the other side by himself. He has to be on the LOS and "covering" the OT.

 

[Hypnotoad]

Damn, there goes my 15 tight end theory...

Btw, like your Football 101 series. Informative.

 

[casmith07]

Great post, Hos.

But what about when a receiver points over to the line judge, like we used to in school to see if you're "good." Do the LJ's tell the truth, or do they just say "whatever, bro."

Once again great post. Looking forward to more of them.

 

[jazzcat22]

Damn, there goes my 15 tight end theory...

Btw, like your Football 101 series. Informative.

FLAG........too many men on the field.

 

[tomson75]

Liking the series Hostile. I imagine there are numerous people on this forum that can learn a great deal from what your sharing....including myself.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I'm liking this HoS. Maybe sticky the threads?

 

[jrumann59]

I thought you could have more on the line but if a wideout covers up another receiver they can't catch the ball, in essence making the covered up receiver another OL. Of course I may be remembering back to HS ball.

 

[Hostile]

Great post, Hos.

But what about when a receiver points over to the line judge, like we used to in school to see if you're "good." Do the LJ's tell the truth, or do they just say "whatever, bro."

Once again great post. Looking forward to more of them.

Everywhere that I have ever been in football the Refs want to assist the teams and so they still do motion to the Ref that they are on the LOS and the Refs still do give you a yes or no on legal formation.

 

[texbumthelife]

Great post, Hos.

But what about when a receiver points over to the line judge, like we used to in school to see if you're "good." Do the LJ's tell the truth, or do they just say "whatever, bro."

Once again great post. Looking forward to more of them.

I love watching a receiver do this and he isn't even looking at or listening to the ref. Crayton does this all the time. He will point while he is looking at Romo making calls.

 

[Hostile]

I thought you could have more on the line but if a wideout covers up another receiver they can't catch the ball, in essence making the covered up receiver another OL. Of course I may be remembering back to HS ball.

To the best of my knowledge it is always 7, never 8. If someone knows differently and can post a rule I would be open minded to it, but I don't think so.

 

[peplaw06]

To the best of my knowledge it is always 7, never 8. If someone knows differently and can post a rule I would be open minded to it, but I don't think so.

Pretty sure it's always 7. The only formation that comes close to 8 would be goalline. But you almost always have three TEs, and one of them on the strong side is off the line. Then typically you have a FB and a RB in the backfield. 7 on the line, 4 off.

Some teams actually use 3 TEs, then again some use 2 TEs and an OL, which is when the OL have to declare themselves as eligible receivers.

 

[Hostile]

Pretty sure it's always 7. The only formation that comes close to 8 would be goalline. But you almost always have three TEs, and one of them on the strong side is off the line. Then typically you have a FB and a RB in the backfield. 7 on the line, 4 off.

Some teams actually use 3 TEs, then again some use 2 TEs and an OL, which is when the OL have to declare themselves as eligible receivers.

I think so too. Even in the Jumbo there are people flexed off the LOS.

 

[Phoenix]

Regarding the WR's, you mentioned they are the X & Z receivers...but they have other names as well, Split End and Flanker. If I remember right, the Split End is wide left and Flanker is wide right, is that correct...? I seem to remember that Drew Pearson was Flanker and normally on the strong (right) side, but I'm old and addled now, so I could be mis-remembering

 

[Hostile]

Regarding the WR's, you mentioned they are the X & Z receivers...but they have other names as well, Split End and Flanker. If I remember right, the Split End is wide left and Flanker is wide right, is that correct...? I seem to remember that Drew Pearson was Flanker and normally on the strong (right) side, but I'm old and addled now, so I could be mis-remembering

You are correct, the X is also called the Split End. The Z is the Flanker. The Y is the Slot Receiver.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Someone forward this thread to #76 on the Titans.

 

[justbob]

Dang Hos --you have even impressed and educated me

 

[JBond]

Can you go over the 30 yard slant again?

 

[Beast_from_East]

Someone forward this thread to #76 on the Titans.

:laugh2:

 

[starfrombirth]

Someone forward this thread to #76 on the Titans.

or our own #76

 

[THUMPER]

Dang Hos --you have even impressed and educated me

I'm not impressed, he didn't cover the "tackle-eligible" formation.



Just kidding, Hos does an awesome job with these "101" things.