The Best Football Strategy I Have Never Seen

by Coachcarpenter

I must admit that I heard this idea on local sports radio today, so this is not an original idea. It is, however, one I have never seen attempted at the end of a football game.

Here is the scenario (which actually played out at the end of the Tennessee-Kentucky game last Saturday night) - an offensive team is down 3 points with the ball and enough time to run one offensive play before trying a field goal.

Here is the strategy - the defense puts 13 players on the field and tackles every receiver as soon as the ball is snapped.

Why? The penalties will move the ball closer to the goal (though only one can be enforced) and the game cannot end with a defensive penalty. What good does this do?

Here you go - you have now forced the opposing coach to kick the field goal and go to overtime. Even with the yardage, the coach is rarely going to risk losing the game when a field goal forces overtime. If he tries to run another offensive play, the clock might expire (since time ran off the clock during the penalized play). You have forced his hand - he will have to kick the field goal for the tie.

Let's go back to the UT/UK game. Kentucky had 8 seconds (which, by the way, is an excellent Luke Perry movie) to run one quick play from the two-yard line before having to attempt a field goal. What if the Vols had put 13 guys out there to defend it and tackled everyone? The penalty would be half the distance to the goal, so now it is on the one-yard line. Is Rich Brooks going to try another play from the one or settle for the field goal?

With the exception of a few coaches, most are going to take overtime in that situation. Fulmer could have forced Brooks' hand by purposefully committing a penalty to prevent a score on that last offensive play. It is similar to fouling in basketball before a three-point attempt and forcing the team to make a free throw, miss the next, rebound it and score it to tie.

There is not much honor in bending/cheating the rules this way, but wins are wins.

Is there a problem with this strategy I'm missing?

Bobbyjim45Draft Pick

736 days ago

Score 2

Well, it certainly goes against all honor (so don't put it past Belichick), but would it work? I don't really see why not if you the offense is near the goal line, like the 2 or 3 yard line. However, you definitely wouldn't want to try it from farther out and give the kicker a shorter try.

Permalink | Reply

CoachcarpenterJV Squad

736 days ago

Score 0

Agreed, though you could easily take it back to the 15-yard line pretty easily (the penalty would move the ball to the 7.5). It is an easier field goal, but it sure beats losing the game on a touchdown.

Permalink

AfraidofedhochuliDraft Pick

736 days ago

Score 0

I think it is really interesting, and would be fun to see, but I think it goes against the fun and the sportsmanship.

Permalink | Reply

ChachiOSUDraft Pick

736 days ago

Score 1

I think it's an interesting idea, but I almost didn't vote for your article because you used "excellent" and "Luke Perry" in the same sentence.

Permalink | Reply

AfraidofedhochuliDraft Pick

736 days ago

Score 1

I was gonna say it...

Permalink

CoachcarpenterJV Squad

736 days ago

Score 0

I have great memories of that movie - we were snowed in at college and rented it for a laugh. By the end, half of us were in tears. I don't know if it was the snow, the alcohol or the rodeo scenes, but Luke Perry touched my heart that evening. Feel free to unvote at this point...

Permalink

1MountaineerWaterboy

736 days ago

Score 1

I agree that it is something "Not Seen" in college football but definitely in basketball and yes it is not honorable but with that said, what does a college coach get paid for?.... He gets paid to win and believe me as we all know that coaches that don't win lose their jobs so who could say much to doing such a deed. If it happened, I would have to say it was not honorable but at the same time I would think that it was clever and an intelligent Idea.

Permalink | Reply