Unfortunately we don’t see the Wing-T Formation in the upper levels of football anymore. In many ways the game has simply passed by the formation. But the Wing-T is still being run effectively in some football programs. This is good because watching Wing-T football plays unfold is a beautiful thing.
The Wing-T formation is different than most other formations because it utilizes three backs instead of two. The Wing-T has a halfback, a fullback, and a wing back. The purpose of this formation is to use team speed and deception to fool the defense. There are many plays that can be run out of the Wing-T and most of them build on each other.
By building the plays on each other, the offense can trick the defense into guessing one play is being run. Then the offense can run a different play and the entire defense will be out of position.
For example, an offense may run a fullback dive a few times in a row. This is when the fullback is given the ball and he simply runs straight ahead. Off of this play, the offense can run a trap play to the halfback. The quarterback will fake to the fullback, the defense will think he has the ball, and then the halfback will get the ball running around the other side of the offensive line. It should be easy for the offense to block the defense because most of them will be “trapped” by thinking the play is a dive.
Watching all the moving parts of Wing-T football plays is a thing of beauty. Of course, you first have to be a football fan to appreciate it this. Just like you need to be a sports fan to see the beauty in watching a hockey game live. But all the players work so well together during Wing-T football plays that’s it’s very cool to watch.
It’s also interesting to watch how the coaches call a football game. The coaches need to use each play to make the next plays effective. If run correctly, just as the defense begins to get good at shutting down one type of play, a counter type play will be run. This will keep the defense off-balance for an entire game.
Eventually if the Wing-T football plays are called well, the defense will get frustrated and they’ll begin to hesitate before they move. They’ll want to know exactly where the play is going before they begin to move to the ball. And once they begin to hesitate then they are really in trouble.
When they’re run correctly and to perfection, Wing-T football plays are a thing of beauty for both fans and the offense that’s running the Wing-T. Because this style relies so much on deception and the plays take a little more time to develop, the offense doesn’t work any longer in professional football. Defenses are just too well-coached and too fast. The defense will blow-up a play before it has a chance to unfold.
But at certain levels of football, the Wing-T football plays are still run and they’re still very effective. And when they are run effectively, they are truly beautiful to watch.
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