Choosing a Youth Football Offense Part 4 Proven Top Offenses / I, WB, T & Power I

BySteve Parker
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youth football offense part 4

In Choosing a Youth Football Offense Part 4 I will review the following popular, proven, and top youth football Offenses / formations:

  1. I Formation
  2. Wishbone Formation
  3. T Formation
  4. Power I Formation

I am reviewing these Offenses from the perspective of a Rookie first time tackle youth football coach.

In Part 3 of this series, Choosing a Youth Football Offense, we looked at the Double Wing Offense, the Wing-T Offense and the Beast Yale Single Wing Offense. See the past Part’s links below.

Read or Listen to the Series on Choosing a Youth Football Offense

This is a great cousin article to the Best Youth Football Plays.

Many of these Offenses above you can find a playbook for on the Selected Youth Playbooks page.

I Formation / Off-set I

The I Formation Classic backfield alignment; the fullback and tailback are behind the QB; balanced runs, passes, versatile plays.

  • What is it? A 3 back vertically aligned formation
  • Strength – Downhill Power Running with Passing Capabilities
  • Weakness – Need a great Tailback to make this Offense shine

Almost every football team in America has an I formation package in their system. Coach John McKay at USC popularized the I Formation in the 1960s. I personally like the Off-set I over the traditional vertical I but that’s because I played FB in HS and in the I and it is tough to seal a DE from the vertical I formation.  There are many different variations of the I formation. 

Below is a main play from the I formation Offense. You do not need to motion the WB. You can also split out the WB and one of the TEs.

I use the I formation to help install my offense packages to learn back numbers, holes, positions etc. I am a heavy Beast Offense coach but even I run the Off-set I Wing formation which I call Angl.  

  1. Snap – Under Cetner
  2. Blocking – Simple GOD / GOLD
  3. Pulling – Yes and No
  4. Power or Speed – Both but more Power
  5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – Simple if needed
  6. Passing – Possible but minimal
  7. OLM Size – Need average OLM
  8. QB Skills – Manager
  9. Running Backs – Need top TB
  10. Team Speed – Average to Fast
  11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Simple Dives
  12. Easy to Install – One of the easiest
  13. Time – Quick to Install
  14. Age / Team Experience – All Ages
  15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Tons

Below is a main play from the Offset-I formation Offense.

The I one of the simplest Offenses to install. Like I stated earlier I use the I Formation to teach Offense to my new players each season. Highly recommended for all ages and experience levels, especially if you have a stud TB.

Wishbone

The Wishbone is a triple-option threat; QB, fullback, halfbacks form triangle; ground control, misdirection runs, pitch options. Most youth teams do not use the option threat.

  • What is it? A double tight 4 back triple option offense.
  • Strength – Power Running
  • Weakness – Need 4 good RBs / Triple Option at Youth Level

The Wishbone Offense is a triple option offense invented back in the late 1950’s. It became popular at the University of Texas with Emory Bellard and Darrell Royal. The WB was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Growing up in Texas, the Wishbone was king both in Texas and Oklahoma football. I grew up on the Wishbone watching and playing in the option offenses. 

Below is a main play from the Wishbone formation Offense.

The Wishbone is a modified T formation. The modern WB is the Flexbone, a DW looking Offense which is based off the Wishbone Offense. For youth football many teams will run the non-option Wishbone and just break the option down into its parts to hand off and pitch. It is a very effective youth football Offense and I prefer it over the T Formation.

  1. Snap – Under Center
  2. Blocking – Simple GOD or GOLD
  3. Pulling – None
  4. Power or Speed – Power
  5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – None
  6. Passing – Minimal
  7. OLM Size – Average to Big
  8. QB Skills – Average
  9. Running Backs – Average
  10. Team Speed – Average
  11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Average
  12. Easy to Install – Average since 3 backs in backfield
  13. Time – Average
  14. Age / Team Experience – 8U and up
  15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Tons

I do not run the Wishbone much since I run more Power I. They are both very similar Offenses.  I know many youth football coaches that run the Wishbone Offense and are very successful.  If you have 4 pretty good running backs, then I would consider the Wishbone. 

Be careful trying to run the triple option at the youth level. Option football is not recommended from 5u to 12u due to the amount of time to perfect the option. 

T Formation

The T formation is a traditional football formation that is designed to run the ball. It is characterized by three backs lined up behind the quarterback, with a fullback lined up directly behind him and two halfbacks lined up to either side of the fullback.

  • What is it? Double tight balanced 4 back power formation
  • Strength – Quick unpredictable power
  • Weakness – Need 4 good RBs / unpopular in this era

The T Formation Is the oldest or one of the oldest formations in football. It was invented at Yale by Walter Camp in 1888. The T is pre–Single Wing and Double Wing and was called the Regular formation by many early football coaches at the time, even Pop Warner. Clark Shaughnessy from the Chicago Bears and Stanford is the Father of Modern T Formation and Don Faurot of Missouri is the Father of Split T with Veer Blocking.

Below is a main play from the T formation Offense.

For many youth football coaches, they are just running the straight power Belly series out of the Full House T Formation without running option or huge gap splits with smart gap spacing.  The T Formation fell out of favor because teams started passing more and spreading the field.

The T Formation in its youth form is simple but you usually need 4 experienced or pretty good running backs since they are all in the backfield. All these players must be coordinated to get all the timing down.

  1. Snap – UC
  2. Blocking – GOD or GOLD
  3. Pulling – Minimal
  4. Power or Speed – Power
  5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – None
  6. Passing – Minimal
  7. OLM Size – Avg to big
  8. QB Skills – Average
  9. Running Backs – Average
  10. Team Speed – Average
  11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Above Average
  12. Easy to Install – Average
  13. Time – Average
  14. Age / Team Experience – 8U and above
  15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Some hard to find

We ran the Full House T 4 games in 2006 and had to switch to the Beast because our 4 backs were Rookie 8U players and 2 were below average.  Once we switched to a simpler Offense, we were able to win our last 4 games and almost beat the Division Champion in the playoffs if not for our top running back getting hurt in the 2nd half and out the rest of the game.

I personally am not a fan of the T Formation for youth football. In my opinion, The Wishbone or Diamond formation are an upgrade to the T Formation. But I know many that love the T Formation and it has some interesting motioning and option football variations for older more experienced teams.

Power I Formation

The Power I formation is a power running football formation. It is characterized by two backs lined up behind the quarterback, FB & TB, like the classic I formation but with an offset HB next to the Fullback, with two tight ends on the line of scrimmage.

  • What is it? A balanced double tight 4 back power offense.
  • Strength – Power Running
  • Weakness – Needs a tough TB and 2 above average blocking backs

Below is a main play from the Power I formation Offense.

I grew up playing football from Pee Wee to High School running the Power I Offense. I run a version of it called PIE. It is like the power running offense the Wishbone.

  1. Snap – Under Center
  2. Blocking – GOD or GOLD
  3. Pulling – Some if needed
  4. Power or Speed – Power
  5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – None
  6. Passing – Minimal
  7. OLM Size – Avg to big
  8. QB Skills – Average
  9. Running Backs – Average
  10. Team Speed – Average
  11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Average
  12. Easy to Install – Easy
  13. Time – Average
  14. Age / Team Experience – 8U and above
  15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Not much but I have an PI eBook

I personally love the Power I Formation since it puts many players / blockers at the point of attack. Youth Football coaches should not run the option version of the Power I.  It’s a similar to the Wishbone but does not need 2 great deep backs just one. 

More Top Youth Football Offenses Coming in Part 5

In Part 5 will finish out the review of the Spread Offense, Gun-T, Pistol Offense and Split Backs formation. In Part 6 I will go into my choices of Offenses by Age Group.

Read or Listen to the Series on Choosing a Youth Football Offense

Do you agree with my assessment of the Wishbone, Power I, T and I Formations? Which Offense out of the 4 that I have reviewed to you think is the easiest youth football offense?

For the next part of the Choosing a Youth Football Offense article, what Offense or youth football formation do you think will be easy? Let me know in the comments. 

Please leave me a comment below or contact me anytime. I love talking youth football.

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

Coach Parker
Fort Worth, Texas