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. To a large degree this has been the attitude of the larger colleges. In general they have frowned on the forward pass; opposed it, sneered at it, called it basketball and done what they could to retard its adoption. It has taken away from them the advantage of numbers, weight and power, made the game one of brains, speed and strategy—even if you please like baseball, luck,—rendered the outcome of their practice games with smaller colleges uncertain. Why should they have hastened its development? Rather it has been the smaller colleges that have found in the forward pass their opportunity, which have developed its possibilities until now the larger ones as well are turning to it as the final means of winning their big game.
It is doubtless fair to say that the early development of the forward pass was largely due to two teams, Springfield College of the Y. M. C. A. and the Carlisle Indians. Their game in 1912 at Springfield is said by competent experts to have been probably the greatest exhibition of open football ever staged. It is doubtful if two such finished exponents of the open game have ever met before or since. 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, 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.
It is not strange, in view of the fact that the great leaders of football have not taken more kindly to the forward pass, that its underlying principles have not been more thoroughly worked out and organized. It is the chief purpose of this work to state if possible some of these principles and fundamentals to the end that the open game of football, always in the past and still to some extent opposed by certain groups, may be better understood, more successfully coached and more firmly and thoroughly established.
Regular Ground Gaining Play.
The first fundamental of a successful forward passing game is that the forward pass should be used as a regular ground gaining play and not simply, as so many teams seem still to do, as a sort of last desperate chance. With many teams the attack may be summarized practically in this manner: first and second down, runs; third down, forward pass; fourth down, kick. And then they wonder that the forward pass doesn’t succeed and stigmatize it as a dangerous, treacherous and unsuccessful play! Rather a team must have the confidence to use it often on first and second downs, and even on special, occasions on a fourth down. Not only that, but it must be used frequently, persistently and continuously. Nothing more disturbs the morale of defense than a series of forward passes, some of which succeed even though a considerable proportion of them are incompleted. There is always the danger that one may succeed and get away! 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.
On this basis the pass should be used for short as well as long gains. A running play that gains two and a half to three yards is regarded as successful. Why should not the pass be used in the same way? Passes that give little or no gain in themselves, but put the receiver in position for open field running, and at least a few yards gain, disorganize the defense, eventually make the long passes successful, spread the defense so bucking becomes possible, and contribute generally to making the forward pass a regular ground gaining play—a part of the regular attack.
Passer Well Back.
The early successes of the forward pass were secured almost solely upon the principle of putting the passer a distance of fifteen yards back, then letting the opposing line come charging through absolutely without resistance. Practically the whole offensive team was sent down to receive (apparently) the pass, thus confusing the defense as to who was eligible and furnishing interference as soon as the pass was completed. By actual experiment it was found that a distance of thirteen to fifteen yards was necessary. 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. Add to this the fact that with the greater distance back little or no protection need be given the passer, it becomes clear that though many plays can and will be built with the passer up close and running back only the necessary legal distance, a big distance back is an important fundamental.
This at once brings out the importance of the spiral pass back from center, and the ability to make, when desired, a long forward pass of from fifty to sixty yards. Unless the snapper-back can make a consistent, accurate, speedy pass to a distance of fifteen or more yards and can accurately lead his passer, no advantage is gained by this distance back. Many teams have failed to put their passer the necessary distance back because, though they did not recognize the real difficulty, their center was not adequately getting the ball back to him. 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 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.