The T Formation Offense: Why the Oldest Offense in Football is Still King of Power & Misdirection!

The T Formation Offense: Why the Oldest Offense in Football is Still King of Power & Misdirection!

Are you ready for the T Formation Offense? Welcome back, coaches! I’m Coach Parker, youth coach of thirty-plus seasons, and I love digging into the foundations of football,. Recently, I had my high school football coach guru, Zach Davis—host of The Mind of the Football Coach podcast—join me to geek out on an offense that often gets overlooked: the T Formation.

You heard that right. We’re talking about the T Formation Offense. It’s the oldest formation in football, dating way back, and believe me when I tell you, everything seems to flow out of the T into all these other offenses we run today. When I looked into it for my Tiger T Formation eBook, I saw just how true that was.

If you’re a coach looking for a foundational power offense that still works at the youth level (I recommend it around 8U, non-option level) all the way up through high school—and even college short yardage packages, like Penn State was running a couple weeks ago—you need to listen up.

Why We Still Love the T Formation

Zach and I agree: the T Formation Offense is just cool. It’s that old-school style that appeals to us, but schematically, it’s just solid football.

Here’s why the T is effective:

1. It’s Balanced: The formation is naturally balanced with double tight ends and three backs. This prevents the defense from overloading one side easily. If they try to overload, you just run the other way.
2. Power and Misdirection: The T can run equally well as a power-based offense or one focused on misdirection. This versatility keeps the defensive coordinator up late at night.
3. Putting Pressure on Linebackers: When you run downhill out of the T, you put significant pressure on linebackers at the youth level, forcing them to be gap sound. We all know that weak linebackers can get crushed by downhill power.
4. Great Package: Even if you don’t run it full-time, the T is an exceptional short-yardage package. We’ve seen teams win state championships basing out of the T Formation.

The T has so many variations—from the Tight T, Split T, Modern T, Belly T, and the Michigan T —that you can adapt it to almost any personnel. Zach runs a lot of the Michigan T stuff, which is a cousin to the Dead T. And hey, if you need ideas, my Tiger T Formation eBook has over 200 play diagrams in different series.

The Core T Series: Trap, Power, and Keep

What makes the Michigan T / Power T so dangerous is that the core plays in the series look identical during the first couple of steps. This delay in recognition is killer for the defense.

Zach walked us through the foundational four plays:

1. The Trap Play The trap play is easy to install and a fantastic play to start with,. The fullback takes the handoff and needs to hit that funnel tight, cutting off the tackle’s butt. We tell the back to “run into darkness” because they have to trust the daylight is coming after they cut up inside the center’s position. Meanwhile, the quarterback and the left halfback are faking like they are running power or sweep, forcing the defense to commit.

2. The Power Play This is your bread and butter old-school power football. Out of the T, the power play reverses the backfield action slightly: the play side halfback executes the kick out block, and the fullback performs the trap fake. The backside guard wraps through the hole to lead the main ball carrier (the other halfback). The fake by the fullback is critical—remember, one good fake is worth two blocks, maybe three. You want those linebackers chasing the ghost of the fullback.

3. The Keep (QB Sweep) The Keep is the quarterback sweep, using the same initial action as the trap and power. The key block here is the goo hinge on the backside. This hinge is vital to prevent backside defenders from running down and tackling your quarterback as he sprints to the edge. The right halfback logs the defensive end, and the left guard works for the D-gap player.

T Formation Highlights High School Game

Play Action and Misdirection in the T

The T Formation Offense might not have a massive air attack, but the passing game it does have is deadly because the run action is so convincing.

• Keep Pass: This is a play-action pass set up perfectly off the Keep/Sweep run fake. The left halfback runs a corner route, and the tight end executes a quick block down, then leaks out to the flat. Those halfbacks coming out on routes are often wide open, especially against youth defenses focused entirely on the run.
• Michigan Pass: This is the basic drop-back pass out of the formation. It features two corner routes (run by the tight ends) and the right halfback running down the middle. If you face a two-high safety team, that middle seam route can hit early for a big gain.

And if you want a great counter, look at the Cross Buck play (which Zach sometimes calls “Dog”). All the action goes one way—the quarterback reverses out 180 degrees, the fullback fakes, and then the ball hits the backside halfback. This is an incredibly hard play to defend on short yardage from the T Formation Offense.

A Note on Youth Depth

Coaches, if you decide to run the T Formation Offense, you must adjust your backfield depth based on your roster. Zach noted that at the high school level, they typically place the backs’ toes four yards from the ball.

At the youth level, you need to adjust that down. Why? Because your guys aren’t as big and their steps aren’t as big. You should probably be at three yards from the ball. The deeper your backs are, the longer it takes for the play to hit the line of scrimmage, meaning your youth linemen have to hold their blocks longer. You want that ball breaking the line quick, about half a second to a second, so the blocking doesn’t have to sustain forever.

Also, remember that you need skilled backs! The T requires a minimum of three quality backs who know what they’re doing because they are all involved in carrying, faking, or blocking.

T Formation Offense Resources

1. A Course in Football for Players & Coaches – Pop Warner – 1912
2. Football Technique and Tactics – Robert C. Zuppke – Bailey & Himes – 1924
3. The Modern T Formation with Man-in-Motion – Shaughnessy/Jones/Halas – 1946
4. Championship Football – Dana X Bible – Prentice-Hall 1947
5. Modern Football: Fundamentals and Strategy – Crisler – 1949
6. Notre Dame Football – The T Formation – Leahy – Prentice-Hall 1949
7. Football: Secrets of the Split T Formation – Faurot – Prentice-Hall 1950
8. Oklahoma Split T Football – Wilkinson – Prentice-Hall 1952
9. Coaching Football and the Split T Formation – Tatum/Giese – WMC Brown 1953
10. Michigan State Multiple Offense – Munn – Prentice-Hall 1953
11. Bobby Dodd on Football – Dodd – Prentice-Hall 1954
12. The T Formation from A to Z – FW England – School Aid Co – 1955
13. The History of American Football – Danzig – Prentice-Hall 1956
14. Football at Ohio State – Woody Hayes – Ohio State – 1957
15. The Split T in High School – George – Prentice-Hall 1958
16. Offensive football: The “Belly series“ – Olivar – 1958
17. Football Principles & Play – Nelson – Ronald 1962
18. Winning Football Plays: By America’s Foremost Coaches – Camerer – 1962
19. The Explosive Short-T – Homer Rice – Prentice-Hall 1963
20. The Unbalanced Line Open End T Offense – Teague – Pr.-Hall – 1964
21. Power T Football – Smith / Andros – Parker Publishing 1971
22. Complete Guide to FB’s Opt Attacks – Tallman – Parker Publ– 1977
23. Football’s True Smash Mouth Offense! Robust Football – Smith – 2005
24. Coaching Football’s Modern T Offense Paperback –- Hand – 2008
25. American Football How the Game Evolved – Herget – 2013
26. Evolution of the Game – Chronicle of American Football – Francisco – 2016
27. Power T Football Website
28. Dumcoach.com Forums – BigNose
29. Facebook SW and Wing T Forums
30. Bay City T Plays Presentation
31. Jerry Campbell Football Forums
32. Olivet College Plays Presentation
33. Power T Football – Gus Kapolka – Youtube
34. Various T Formation Playbooks
35. The T Offense – Kyle McElvany – 12/18/2009
36. Carl Brumbaugh: A Darned Good Quarterback – Carl M Becker The Coffin Corner 1995
37. americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com
38. A Study of the T Formation – William Ekron Bowman – William and Mary 1953
39. Football of Tomorrow – Stub Harrison – Pittsburgh Huddle – 1947
40. Wikipedia

T Formation Variations

1. Tight T / Old T / Gap T – Yale T – Camp / Pop Warner T pre-1930; has 2 Tight Ends & tight OLM gaps, Gap T at Iowa
2. Regular Formation – Tight T / Yale T 1888; Early T, Traditional T
3. Harvard T – More like a Shotgun Diamond T 1880s
4. Split T – Don Farout at Missouri- Option, QB @ LOS, Veer Blocking, Wide OLM IQ Splits, Seahawk T, Sliding T, Missouri T, Broad T – Duke’s Split T
5. Option T – Belly and Veer T Series / Split T
6. Sliding T – Another name for Split T; Similar to Split T run in Georgia by Coach Butts
7. Modern T w/ Motion – 1930’s Bear’s Halas / Jones / Shaughnessy T – HB Motion and Wide Flankers
8. Bear’s T / New T – Modern T, George Halas / Jones / Shaughnessy
9. Robust T – Woody Hayes Ohio State type T Offense – FB Off Tack Belly QB Reverse out, Power Series
10. Standing T – T Formation no motion
11. Belly T – Bobby Dodd Georgia Tech – Inside Belly Double Dive Plays; Jordan Olivar at Yale
12. Full House T – T Formation with FB and 2 HBs in Backfield behind QB
13. Straight T – T Formation FB and HBs in straight line, Ole Miss
14. Double Split T – Paul Brown T Formation at Cleveland with 2 Split Ends
15. Slot T – One HB becomes a Slot Receiver
16. Short T – Homer Rice University of Kentucky; HB = Sniffer Back
17. Power T – Andross at AZ State – Double Lead Off Tackle and Power Sweeps also Bay City T, Dead T, Michigan T
18. Dead T – Michigan T – Heavy Misdirection – non-Option Split T, Maybe from Munn’s Michigan State or Zuppke
19. Michigan T – Bay City T or Wing T, Dead T, Power T – Elmer Engle / Irv Sigler , maybe Zuppke SWish T or Munn
20. Arkansas T – aka Diamond T – FW England Arkansas State
21. Diamond T – Old Harvard T similar to Pistol, QB in Shotgun; Arkansas State FW England
22. Side Saddle T – QB moves over to guard from behind the Center – Munn, Zuppke Shaughnessy all had plays, Minnesota Formation
23. Shotgun T / Gun T – Pistol / Diamond T
24. Spread T – Single or Double Slot HBs with Split Ends , Loose T, Adaptable T – Sinko & Deluca Duquesne, Iowa
25. Pro T – 1 TE and 1 Wide Receiver
26. Wide T – HBs move outside OTs to Tes
27. Shifted T – 3 RBs moving right or Left of QB
28. Flanker T – Bears T and Don Faurot’s Split T splitting out a HB or FB
29. Punt T / Deep T – Faurot, Munn , Chaucey Simpson at Missouri 1943 and Tatum at Maryland 1949, Yost did something similar
30. Spin T – Might be snap through QB legs to FB spinner
31. Fly T – Motion T out of Slot T and Wing T type formations
32. Flex T – Multiple T similar to Wing T
33. Open T – Unbalanced T Formation w/ Split End – Eddie Teague The Citadel
34. Dual T – 2 QBs under Center
35. Slanted T – 3 T backs slanted toward an OT R or L
36. Unbalanced T – Biggie Munn Michigan State with Minnesota T Formation
37. Double Winged T – Pop Warner Invention Double Wing Formation, Munn and Zuppke ran a very Tight DW HBs behind TEs
38. Winged T – Lou Little at Columbia, Dave Nelson at Delaware Winged T Formation
39. Hybrid Wing T / Multi T / Flexible T – Multiple T Offense, getting close to a Delaware Wing T Offense, Combined T, Composite T,
40. Tilted T – Pigeon Toed T – Tight T HBs shoulder to shoulder with FB behind QB, Munn at Michigan State tilted HBs
41. I Formation – Ted Nugent 1949 and Northwestern Tandem 1890s
42. Wishbone – University of Texas and Oklahoma Inverted T Option Formation

If you love the T Formation Offense, look at what the Beast Offense does too; they are kind of step cousins, since the Beast has its roots in the Yale Single Wing and the Yale T formation.

That’s all for today, coaches. Thanks for stopping by to check out my site and helping us review the T Formation Offense?

Remember: Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

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P.S. If you guys liked this deep dive into the T Formation Offense, let us know in the comments! We love to talk football. You can check out my T Formation plays in the Selected Youth Football Plays eBooks series.