The Power-T Offense
How football's oldest formation thrives in today's modern game.
Introduction
I recently did some self-education on the Power-T offense. This past season, I witnessed a high school game between Grand Rapids Christian High School (MI) vs Northview High School (MI). Both offenses ran pretty cookie-cutter versions of modern 11-personnel, shotgun, RPO offenses (what you see in most college games today). During the first half, both teams struggled to move the ball, and it was 7-0 at half in Northview’s favor.
It turned out to be a tale of two halves. GRC made pretty much no changes on offense and tried to press on. Northview was a different story. The entire second half, they ran only a double-tight T formation, and about 3 to 4 plays from it. Northview possessed the ball almost the entire second half and soundly won the game 22-14. The score seemed a little close, but it was obvious Northview had the momentum all second half, and CRC couldn’t do anything to slow down their T-formation.
This game reinvigorated my interest in the formation, and the offensive system that many high schools still use as their base formation.
What is the Power-T?
The “T” formation is technically the oldest formation in American Football, but the way offensive football worked back in the 1800’s is drastically different from now due to significant rule changes. The original “T-formation” from the late 1800’s would have looked something like this:
Here is what most T-formations today look like:
The formation typically features very tight O-line splits, usually six inches to one feet. Most Power-T offenses operate solely from a double tight formation as well (1 TE to each side). Some teams also back the O-line off the ball as much as they can while still being legally on the line of scrimmage.
O-line off the ball: This means the tackles’, guards’, and ends’ helmets are level with the center’s hips. This is to force defensive linemen to declare their gaps before the O-line engages them to find blocks easier. It can also make it quicker for pulling linemen to get into their pulls without having to take an extra or deeper bucket step.
O-line on the ball: This means the tackles’, guards’, and ends’ helmets are more level with the center’s shoulders or helmet. The advantage here allows your line to get off the ball and engage in their blocks quicker, and reduce the changes of getting pushed back into the backfield.
The backfield features a Quarterback under center, a Fullback behind them, usually between 3-5 yards behind the ball, and two Halfbacks to each side of the fullback. Teams will often have the Halfbacks align behind the B-gaps (between guard and tackles), over the tackles, or all three backs will extend their arms, touch finger-tips, and where their feet are at that contact point is how far apart they align. Traditionally, all three backs are in a 3-point stance as well.
Overview and Philosophy
As a Michigander, the T and Wing-T formations are very popular here, and I’ve been fortunate to know and witness many T-formation coaches at work. There are a lot of ways one could use a T-formation, but here are some of the most common strategies and philosophies I have heard behind why teams use the T-formation and the “Power-T” offense.
Force defenses out of their comfort zone by bringing everyone into a phone booth, and making defensive backs play out of their regular roles.
Threaten the defense’s gap integrity immediately by putting ball carriers very close to the line to threaten all the gaps, and so that they can quickly run out to the perimeter.
By compacting the field into close-quarters combat, it creates a ton of space on the perimeter for a fast back to break a long run, or to create tons of deep space for a play action pass.
Allows double teams to set up quickly and easily against potentially bigger and stronger defensive linemen.
Use series-based plays (packages of plays that look the same) and send backs in multiple directions to stretch the defense and threaten the whole field on every snap.
Alternatively, send all the backs in one direction as a means to overload the point of attack and over-power the defense.
The compact formation and multiple fakes across the series make it very difficult for the defense to identify where the ball is going.
Use lots of gap schemes (traps, pulls, down blocks) to avoid making O-linemen drive/push defenders vertically on long, sustained drive blocks.
Tight splits allow pulling linemen and blocking backs to get to their blocks quickly.
Keep the defense’s secondary frustrated and bored by not allowing them to utilize their techniques, drops, and coverages they are used to using against more conventional and spread formations.
In today’s game, this formation almost completely negates or strains pattern-match coverages.
I am a big fan of simplicity and limited play calls. Many Power-T teams excel in this area, often running about 6-8 different plays per game, and sometimes even less. The two most popular series or packages you see in this offense are the buck series, and the power series.
Core Schemes
Power (Power Series)
Off-Tackle / Overpower the defense
“Power” is often the base play in the offense. It can be ran like traditional power schemes with a back-side guard pulling, or it can be ran just with the two lead backs. The series is pretty simple: All three backs go in one direction, with the core plays being Power, Counter, and Boot Pass.
Fullback Trap (Buck Series)
Attack the middle / Deceive the defense
The Buck Series is a Wing-T staple, and also popular with T-formation teams. “Buck” refers to the fullback “bucking” into the LOS, and has the hall-mark feature of the fullback going up the middle, with the back-side halfback coming across the formation to run a sweep action.
Notice how like the triple option offense, there is a back going up the middle, a back going off tackle, and a back attacking outside. The buck series strains the defense by forcing them to respect all three faking backs, because any one of the three could carry the ball. The difference is the coach is calling the ball carrier with different play names, as opposed to the QB reading the play.
In the T-formation buck series, most teams have the Halfback attacking off-tackle, while the QB is the “sweep” or outside running threat. Many have the QB execute a very long mesh with the halfback to hold up defenders and maximize the amount of time the ball is hidden from the defense.
Halfback Power (Buck Series)
Off-Tackle / Deceive the defense
HB Power in the Buck Series is the compliment to the fullback trap. When the defensive line or ILB’s are crashing hard inside on the fullback, a team would call HB power from the same series. It works just like the regular power play, except the fullback is faking the fullback trap instead of lead blocking.
Counter (Power Series)
Counter Play / Deceive the defense
This is the core counter play in the Power-T. The example above is a counter to the regular power play. The idea is use all three backs to get the defense flowing one way, then pull the back-side guard and tackle to lead the counter (Often called “Counter GT” or “Counter Trey” as well).
QB Keep (Buck or Power Series)
Outside Run / Overpower and deceive the defense
The QB keep is the primary outside-attacking play in the Power-T. In most systems, the primary outside-attacking play is outside zone, some kind of sweep, or maybe a double option with the team’s best running back as the outside ball carrier. In the Power-T, that role goes to the quarterback. A big reason behind it is the offense doesn’t have a receive or wing-back to the outside to help block down on the defense, so handing off to another running-back may leave that ball-carrier exposed to defenders on the edge.
Instead with the Power-T, teams will often fake the power or buck series, have the QB execute a long, drawn-out mesh with the RB, then hide the ball behind their back hip pocket and follow the running-back or bounce outside. Some teams may just call this a “follow” play too, and rather than the QB running outside, the QB just follows the RB they faked with.
This type of mesh or action sets up the outside run by forcing defenses to wait longer to see who has the ball, and to bait outside defenders (Corners and Safeties) into tackling the RB instead. Then behind that comes the pulling guards lead blocking for the QB.
Play Action Pass (Buck or Power Series)
Pass to middle / Deceive the defense
There are two primary types of passes I have seen in the Power-T. First is a standard drop-back pass from the buck or power series like the image above. On this pass, the QB makes their fakes, but rather than rolling out to a side, they immediately set up to throw. Normally, I see the routes here as above:
Right TE: Corner
Left TE: Corner
Play-side HB: Seam
The fullback and back-side back are usually involved in the fake and protection, or the back-side HB can be sent on a swing to add a 4th route option.
Power-T teams rarely feature more than 4 receivers on a pass play, because the compact formation and run-heavy game invites a lot of defenders into the pass rush from many 8 or even 9-man fronts. The extra help to block is often needed. In addition, defenses are usually so “snoozed” from the running game, 2 to 3 routes are all these teams need in route.
How the QB reads or progresses through the routes can vary team to team, but the idea here is to hit those corner routes.
Against 2-high safeties (a lot of these teams will get a Cover 2 or 4 team with the two CB’s or Safeties in the box playing hard against the run), the two deep defenders will take the corners most likely and leave the defense vulnerable to the HB seam up the middle.
Against 1-high safeties (Cover 3, Cover 1), the CB’s are usually on islands on the perimeter, and have to take the corner routes. The alignment of the CB’s can put them at risk of missing or not seeing the TE’s releasing if they’re too far forward. If the CB’s are too deep, the TE’s can break their routes in front of the CB to shield them from the ball. Against 1-high looks, the corner routes also ensure that the free safety will be out of the picture when the ball is thrown (ideally).
Boot/Waggle Pass (Buck or Power Series)
Outside Pass / Deceive the defense
Keep Pass
Boot Pass
The Keep and Boot passes are both passes and counter plays. When the defense over-commits to the box, they leave themselves exposed on the perimeter to the pass or run. Running a Keep or Boot pass gives the QB the option to run themselves or hit a wide open receiver on the run. Power-T teams with very mobile QB’s or QB’s with not-so-great arms will often use boot and keep passes as the entire passing game.
Like the regular PA pass, the same receivers are in route, except now both ends are breaking in the same way.
End to QB roll side: Corner
End away from QB roll side: Post
Play-side HB in the fake: Flat/shallow route to side QB is rolling to
This route concept is pretty much the same as a 2-man sail or flood concept: One route attacks the deep outside, the other route attacks the shallow outside. The QB can then watch the CB or whoever the widest defender is and throw high or low based on their drop.
Some teams will teach their QB to read high to low, others will teach low to high, and others will encourage the QB to run unless they see either receiver “really really" wide open.
Power-T In Action
Want to see this offense in action? I highly recommend watching this 2015 Michigan state title game between Zeeland West (MI) and Flint Powers Catholic (MI). Zeeland West is one of the best in the business!
From the first drive:
8:09, 13:39: QB Keep
8:45, 9:17, 12:04, 12:35: FB Trap
10:17, 10:53, 11:28: Power
13:05: Counter. On this counter, they fake buck action one way, and pull both of their guards as opposed to the back-side guard and tackle like above. Pulling both guards can be easier for some times just for timing purposes, or perhaps the guards can pull, but the tackles are not as able to do so.
Recommendations
I highly recommend the Power-T if you are a program that struggles to get a lot of numbers. With this offense, you can keep most of you players within the same groups, repping the same techniques and movements, allowing more players to be utilized at different positions.
I also recommend the Power-T if you are limited on coaches. I’ve found in my coaching career that most people lack adequate WR or QB coaching to run any thorough passing game. The Power-T also requires you to keep your “team” together longer to rep through all the footwork and backfield/block timing as well, meaning most of the players are in one “frame” of vision that just a couple coaches can monitor. This is in contradiction to say a more conventional “21” personnel offense where you have RB’s in one indy session, TE’s splitting time with O-line and receiver, then receivers off in their own group, etc.
This can also be a great offense for youth football as well!
Summary
With just a few plays out of one formation, Power-T teams can attack the entire field:
Inside (fullback Trap)
Off-tackle (Power & Buck Power)
Misdirection (Counter)
Outside (QB Keep)
Deep middle (PA Pass)
Deep outside (Boot/Keep Pass)
Other plays teams can utilize are wedge, midline or veer option plays, and the belly/down series. Another series seen with a lot of Power-T teams is the “double dive” series, where the fullback will dive to the A or B-gap, and the back-side halfback will come around and dive to the B or C gap. Even with all those options available though, most Power-T teams will try and keep their offense limited to less than 10 plays or so when they can. Some do expand and use some other formations as well, or like the example at the start of the article, the T can be used as a goal-line or auxiliary formation and package as well.
The Power-T may look ugly to some, but as you can see, a well choreographed, called, and executed Power-T is a beautiful dance of fakes, footwork, deception, and power!
Thanks for this!
Play Action Pass (Buck or Power Series)
Pass to middle / Deceive the defense
I question the pass to the middle would be successful vs. a 1 high safety. Your thoughts?