How To Lineup In A Legal Formation in Football
Feb 06, 2024There must be at least seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage at the start of the play for it to be considered a legal formation.
Typically, that would include five offensive linemen and two receivers (WR/TE).
The two receivers that are eligible to catch passes are the two people lined up on the line of scrimmage.
The remaining four players must line up at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage at the start of the play.
Example:
In this example, the yellow numbers represent the 7 players on the line of scrimmage that make this a legal formation.
Of the 7 players standing on the line of scrimmage, only 1 and 7 are allowed to catch passes because they are standing at the start and end of the line. They are called eligible receivers.
The wide receivers standing on the outside need to be at least one yard off the line of scrimmage so that 1 and 7 can remain eligible to catch passes.
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