Football: A-11 offense appears endangered

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Buried amid the mumbo jumbo of its release today on high school football rules changes to be enacted in 2009 is a passage that appears to reflect the National Federation of High School Assns.’ attempt to ban the A-11 offense, the wacky formation in which all 11 players are potentially eligible:

‘Changes in Rules 7-2-5 and 2-14-2 clarify the numbering-exception rule from when it was originally approved in 1982,’ the release states.

Bob Colgate, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Football Rules Committee, goes on to say ‘the definition of a scrimmage-kick formation was clarified to differentiate formations that have been used traditionally for attempting a field goal or kick try from those used for a punt. In addition, the circumstances under which the numbering exception can be utilized have been changed to clarify what can be used on first, second, third and fourth downs.’

This seems to indicate that teams that used the scrimmage-kick formation as a loophole to run the A-11 offense will no longer be allowed to do so.

Steve Humphries, one of the coaches at Piedmont High who conceptualized the A-11 offense prior to the 2007 season, issued his own release saying proponents of the formation would lobby California Interscholastic Federation and NFHS officials for the formation of a ‘sub-federation’ in which teams running the offense would be able to compete.

‘It is our first hope that the NFHS is able to change with the times and will be most willing to help create an A-11 Football sub-federation within the framework of their existing organization,’ Humphries wrote in the release. ‘If yes, then everybody wins, especially the schools like ours nationwide.’

Saddleback Valley Christian is the only school in Southern California that ran the A-11 in 2008.

--Ben Bolch