Shotgun formation

Common card · No. 216570

The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in gridiron football mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. Instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage, in the shotgun he stands further back, often five to seven yards off the line. Sometimes the quarterback will have a back on one or both sides before the snap, while other times he will be the lone player in the backfield with everyone spread out as receivers. The shotgun formation can offer certain advantages. The offensive linemen have more room to maneuver behind the scrimmage line and form a tighter, more cohesive oval “pocket” in which the quarterback is protected from “blitzing” by the defense. The quarterback also has a better view of the defense from the shotgun formation. If the quarterback has speed, mobility or both, he can use this formation to scramble before his pass, or to run to an open field position in the defensive secondary...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Randy Levine from New York, NY, CC BY 2.0