The ANCHORS have Become a NEW Position in Football
AT the Dawn of Football history more than 130-years ago, today’s zany plays, super-spread formations and hyper-fast athletes were unimaginable to most of our pigskin-loving ancestors respectable mode of thinking.
After Two complete football seasons operating in the new dimensions of the A-11 Offense at Piedmont, as other teams have done nationwide and in Germany and Japan – a Brand New Position in Football has been Created, and it’s called the ANCHOR.
In our own experience for two years, and in receiving communication from many A-11 coaches & players around the world, the one constant message is how the A-11 teams have permanently CHANGED THE JOB DESCRIPTION of the Traditional Offensive Tackle position, now they have replaced them with Anchors.
Respectfully, and by design in the bedrock of its offensive principles, the A-11 replaces BOTH of the Traditional Offensive Tackles with much faster and more athletic ‘Game Breaker’ type players and spreads them out wide beyond the hash marks quite often – those new players are called the ANCHORS.
At Piedmont, and with many other football teams heading into the 2009 season, our Coaching Staff now has a permanent new Coach assigned to teaching, watching & instructing this new position – and he is called the “Anchors Coach.”
An overview of the Anchors job description, and it’s only a matter of time before the Antiquated "jersey-numbering requirement rule" is abolished, now that many A-11 teams, players, coaches and Referees have proven beyond a doubt that A-11 football games can be properly officiated, etc.
ANCHORS:
1. Anchors are Not eligible to catch a Forward Pass when they are aligned on the LOS and covered by outside receivers on the LOS
2. Anchors are NOT traditional Offensive Lineman. Anchors are a caliber of a much faster, more nimble and athletic ‘Game Breaker’ type of football player. Anchors must be able to block well, but they the have the ability to score a touchdown from anywhere on the field, once the football is in their hands. Anchors are a threat to advance the ball and score, and therefore the defense must respect the Anchors as an offensive weapon
3. Anchors Can catch a forward pass beyond the LOS when they are Aligned as the last man on the LOS, or if they are Off the LOS when the football is snapped. Anchors can also do the Following with the Football:
a) Receive a backward pass or pitch behind the LOS – the pass (like a Bubble Screen or Negative Hitch) or the pitch (Option or Reverse) only has to be less than one-inch backwards to be legal, etc.
b) Take a handoff behind the LOS
c) Throw a forward pass from behind the LOS once the football is in their hands legally
d) Receive a Pitch down field beyond the LOS once the football has crossed the Neutral Zone, as a pitch back during an Option play or the Hook and Ladder, for example
4. Often by formation, the Anchors are spread out wide beyond the Hash Marks, and they have excellent pre-snap Leverage outside of the Defensive Ends or Outside Linebackers. This enables the Anchors to execute the HUNT Block in a variety of ways working from the outside – in. The Hunt block can be a bone-crushing “Blind Side” type of block when the Defender does not see the Anchor coming – such as during a Sprint Out pass play or sweep action. Or, the Hunt block can be a slower more methodical block, where the Anchor will simply be patient and execute his assignment, looking for work and picking out a defender to screen off from the ball carrier.
5. Anchors can legally go down field beyond the LOS during all running plays and Screen passes completed to other backs behind the LOS
These are some of the job descriptions of the new Anchor position in American tackle football.
AT the Dawn of Football history more than 130-years ago, today’s zany plays, super-spread formations and hyper-fast athletes were unimaginable to most of our pigskin-loving ancestors respectable mode of thinking.
After Two complete football seasons operating in the new dimensions of the A-11 Offense at Piedmont, as other teams have done nationwide and in Germany and Japan – a Brand New Position in Football has been Created, and it’s called the ANCHOR.
In our own experience for two years, and in receiving communication from many A-11 coaches & players around the world, the one constant message is how the A-11 teams have permanently CHANGED THE JOB DESCRIPTION of the Traditional Offensive Tackle position, now they have replaced them with Anchors.
Respectfully, and by design in the bedrock of its offensive principles, the A-11 replaces BOTH of the Traditional Offensive Tackles with much faster and more athletic ‘Game Breaker’ type players and spreads them out wide beyond the hash marks quite often – those new players are called the ANCHORS.
At Piedmont, and with many other football teams heading into the 2009 season, our Coaching Staff now has a permanent new Coach assigned to teaching, watching & instructing this new position – and he is called the “Anchors Coach.”
An overview of the Anchors job description, and it’s only a matter of time before the Antiquated "jersey-numbering requirement rule" is abolished, now that many A-11 teams, players, coaches and Referees have proven beyond a doubt that A-11 football games can be properly officiated, etc.
ANCHORS:
1. Anchors are Not eligible to catch a Forward Pass when they are aligned on the LOS and covered by outside receivers on the LOS
2. Anchors are NOT traditional Offensive Lineman. Anchors are a caliber of a much faster, more nimble and athletic ‘Game Breaker’ type of football player. Anchors must be able to block well, but they the have the ability to score a touchdown from anywhere on the field, once the football is in their hands. Anchors are a threat to advance the ball and score, and therefore the defense must respect the Anchors as an offensive weapon
3. Anchors Can catch a forward pass beyond the LOS when they are Aligned as the last man on the LOS, or if they are Off the LOS when the football is snapped. Anchors can also do the Following with the Football:
a) Receive a backward pass or pitch behind the LOS – the pass (like a Bubble Screen or Negative Hitch) or the pitch (Option or Reverse) only has to be less than one-inch backwards to be legal, etc.
b) Take a handoff behind the LOS
c) Throw a forward pass from behind the LOS once the football is in their hands legally
d) Receive a Pitch down field beyond the LOS once the football has crossed the Neutral Zone, as a pitch back during an Option play or the Hook and Ladder, for example
4. Often by formation, the Anchors are spread out wide beyond the Hash Marks, and they have excellent pre-snap Leverage outside of the Defensive Ends or Outside Linebackers. This enables the Anchors to execute the HUNT Block in a variety of ways working from the outside – in. The Hunt block can be a bone-crushing “Blind Side” type of block when the Defender does not see the Anchor coming – such as during a Sprint Out pass play or sweep action. Or, the Hunt block can be a slower more methodical block, where the Anchor will simply be patient and execute his assignment, looking for work and picking out a defender to screen off from the ball carrier.
5. Anchors can legally go down field beyond the LOS during all running plays and Screen passes completed to other backs behind the LOS
These are some of the job descriptions of the new Anchor position in American tackle football.
