Andy
: ?I love this story (leaving aside the bizarre and strained reference to a Ouija board in the first sentence of the article). I especially appreciate the potential for reducing injuries in high school players and for making football even more fun to watch. Sport by definition carries an element of physical risk, but anything that minimizes it, at the high school level especially, is a good thing. And it would be fascinating if, thanks to subtle differences in rules, the high school game became more interesting than college- and pro-level football, much as college hockey is widely considered a much better game to watch than pro hockey.?To its proponents, the A-11 [offense] represents the logical and inevitable evolution of a game that is becoming faster and more spread out at all levels. The alignment diminishes, or eliminates, the need for a traditional offensive line, where players can weigh 300 pounds even in high school. And, coaches say, it reduces injury because it involves glancing blows more than smash-mouth collisions.
To its detractors, the A-11 is a gimmick that cleverly but unfairly takes advantage of a loophole in the rules. To these critics, the offense places an inequitable burden on defenses to determine who is eligible for passes and makes the sport nearly impossible to referee.
Whatever one thinks of the offense, it complies with the current statutes of the National Federation of State High School Associations. And it is as entertaining to watch as it is radical in design.
“My wife says it looks like basketball on grass,” said Coach Johnny Poynter, who has installed the A-11 at Trimble High in Bedford, Ky., fearing injuries would leave his team unable to finish the season in a more conventional offense.