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HUDDLE 2-Passing

The biggest argument regarding football's history has never been settled to anyone's complete satisfaction. Who was really responsible for the forward pass? There are many who lay claim to making the pass popular, but it seems to be one of those questions which has no definite answer.

One of the very first passes was thrown in 1876 in a game between Princeton and Yale. The referee was so startled and puzzled by this movement of the ball that he flipped a coin to decide whether or not he should allow the touchdown that had resulted!

It is only during the past twenty-five years that passing has been emphasized and intelligently developed. It has received its biggest boost in popularity as a result of the spectacular passing games of professional football teams.

Any backfield man who possesses running ability can become a great runner if he can also develop the ability to pass the football accurately. In the modern passing attack, it is the quarterback who does the major part of the team's throwing. However, it is easy to see that a running play from either halfback position is much more effective if the defense has to consider the possibility that the halfback may throw the ball instead of run with it.
If you want to be an All-Star halfback, study and practice the passing fundamentals. This is a must, of course, for any boy who has his eyes on the quarterback position.

CRIP THE BALL firmly with all four fingers and your thumb. Be sure your little finger is making contact with the ball. If it is not, move your hand back a little. Have some contact with the laces.

Gripping the Ball

1. The position of your hand on the ball depends entirely on the size of your hand, and particularly on the length of your fingers. With any grip, you should place the fingers somewhere on the laces of the ball. Usually, it is better to place the hand close to the rear point of the ball, rather than on the middle section. The thumb is placed toward the rear point. How much of your palm contacts the ball depends on your hand and finger size. Many passers grip the ball entirely with their fingers. If you find that you do not seem to have good control over the ball when passing it, you may not be getting contact with all your fingers. If your hand is small, your little finger often does not contact the ball until you move your hand farther back toward the rear point.

2. Grip the ball with a firm pressure from your fingers and thumb, but do not make this a "squeezing" pressure. It is best to have a normal spread of your fingers. You should not feel any strain in your hand muscles. This gives your grip just the right amount of firmness.

3. When a right-handed passer grips the ball, he uses his left hand to help with the proper placing of the ball in the right hand. The left hand acts as a guide. The left hand leaves the ball as you go into your throwing position.

Body Stance and Position of Arms

1. The normal body position when you are preparing to make a right-handed throw of the ball is similar to that of a boxer. Your left foot is in advance of your right foot. Your feet should be between twelve and eighteen inches apart, depending on your size. There is a slight bend in your knees:

You must have a good, comfortable feeling of solid balance. Good body balance when you are throwing the ball is probably the most important point in developing accurate passing. Of course, this is not always possible, since you are often called upon to throw from awkward or moving positions.

2. Keep the weight of your body slightly on your right leg prior to throwing the ball. Do not put all your weight on that leg, but just enough so that you can take a short forward step with the left foot in the direction in which you are throwing the ball.

3. As you assume the throwing stance, both hands should still be holding the ball. At this time, it should be in front of your chest and just under your chin. Your left elbow is slightly in toward your body. Your right elbow is pointed somewhat out from your body. This is an approxi-
mate position and will vary with a boy's size and ability.

4. You are not quite ready to fire! First, you must cock your firing mechanism. Drop your left hand from the ball. Have a firm grip with your right hand. Bring the ball back into a position to the rear of and slightly higher than your right ear and somewhat behind your head. For long passes, you may take the ball higher and farther back. Your arm is now cocked and ready to fire. We say that you are "throwing off your right ear."

5. While setting yourself in your throwing position and cocking your arm, keep your eyes on the various receivers who are moving into their assigned areas in the defensive secondary. If your vision is blocked, move quickly to either side, or forward or backward, as necessary, so that you can pick out your target and aim at him.
6. In the proper throwing position, you should be able to cover a passing area of 180 degrees. You are set to throw directly forward. If it is necessary for you to throw off to an angle either to your right or left, pivot on the ball of your right foot in that direction. Then, step with your left foot and point directly at your target.

THE COACH demonstrates a well-balanced throwing position. The young passer should have a slight bend in his knees, his weight a bit more on the back leg. The ball should not point so much to the side.

The Throw

1. You throw with what is called an "overhand" motion. The ball comes "off your right ear." If you throw the ball correctly, its natural tendency will be to spiral through the air. You do not "make" the ball spiral with any particular type of wrist, hand, or finger action. Your normal arm motion and release of the ball off your finger tips puts the ball into proper flight with a perfect spiral. Any twisting of your wrist or your elbow will cause the ball to wobble. This reduces the distance the ball will travel and its accuracy in hitting the target.

2. The nose of the ball is pointed directly forward and slightly upward at the time of its release from your hand. As the ball goes into flight, the nose should never be less than parallel to the ground, unless you are throwing downward at a target that is lower than the original position of the ball. 3. Distance and accuracy come only with a great amount of practice. Set up practice targets to throw at or toss passes back and forth with your buddies.

YOUR PASSES should be thrown with an overhand motion. The ball comes off your right ear. As you throw, you take a short step forward with your left foot in the direction in which you are passing.

The Spot Forward Pass

To be a topnotch passer, you must, like a successful baseball pitcher, have a good assortment of "throws." This means that you will need to learn how to throw different types of passes.

Probably the easiest type of pass is the spot forward pass. You simply select a spot on the field to throw to and your receiver arrives there at the same time the ball does. This can be a very accurate pass, since you can concentrate on aiming at a target that is not moving.

The spot pass is a short pass, never more than twenty yards long.

1. The quarterback, who may or may not be you, calls for a spot-pass play. We will say that you are the passer, either the quarterback or one of the halfbacks. In the pattern of the play, the spot is selected in advance. The design of the movements of all your teammates is such that this spot is to be open when the receiver arrives there. Then, blocking is to be made available to him for his run with the ball.

2. A spot pass is usually thrown when the defense is neglecting a certain zone in their defensive area in order to concentrate their efforts on other zones and other types of plays they may be expecting. Thus, since it is used when least expected and when the situation obviously calls for some other type of play, the spot pass is an excellent surprise weapon. Generally, it is used when your team needs only a few yards for a first down and a running play appears more logical. It is also used to take advantage of weaknesses in the over-all defensive pattern. Effective spot passing can cause all kinds of confusion in the defense.

3. Since you are throwing to a spot, good timing is a "must" for both the passer and the receiver. The pass and the receiver must meet at the target area at exactly the same instant. The only way this can be achieved is for you and your receiver to work on lots of spot passes in your practice sessions.

4. You are never concerned with the route over which your receiver is moving to the designated target area. You concentrate entirely on the spot to which you are throwing. You must have every confidence that your receiver will be there to snag the ball.

5. You must know your receiver's height, so that you can aim the ball properly to the exact spot where he can make a proper catch. You must be careful not to overthrow your receiver. You must be careful not to throw the ball too low.

With the split-second timing that is necessary for the success of this pass, the ball must be at the level of the receiver's normal catching position.

6. Throw an "easy" ball to catch! Accuracy is more desirable than speed. If you throw the ball too hard, too much like a bullet, it will be difficult for your receiver to catch. Too much speed will often cause the ball to bounce out of his hands. This is true on all passes. However, put enough speed on the ball so that it is not in the air too long. Do not give the defense time to get to the target area while the ball is in flight.

The Flat Forward Pass

This is an exciting pass because it is a dangerous one to throw. It is also difficult to master. Yet, when successful, it can shatter the opposition's defensive system against all types of passes.

The flat forward pass area is really two areas. When speaking of the "flat," we mean the two spaces, one between each end lineman and the side line nearest him. The size of the "right flat" or the "left flat" varies according to where the ball is placed down. Of course, when the ball is in the exact center of the field, both flat areas are the same size.

When you, as the passer, start hitting your receivers in the flat areas, you prevent your opponents from concentrating entirely on the central passing area. You "split" their defense open. In going out to cover the flat areas, they weaken their guard against all other types of passes.

1. You, as the passer, must be familiar with all the various routes your receiver may take into the flat area. You must know your receiver's speed. Does he catch the ball better over his right shoulder or his left shoulder? Is he capable of jumping high for the ball, if you must throw a high pass to get it over the defending opponents' hands? Does he prefer to catch the ball slightly higher than his head, or does he prefer it at chest level? You must know the answers to all these questions.

2. With this flat forward pass, you must hit a moving target. You must develop to a high degree your ability to judge the distance of your throw and the time that will be required for the ball to cover that distance. The receiver must have the ball while he is in good running motion. Again, much practice with your receiver, or receivers, is necessary.

3. You disguise your exact intention to throw a flat pass until the last possible second. Your starting position should be such that you are facing forward. The indication to the defense is that you will throw somewhere in the central area of the defensive secondary. When you are ready to make your toss into the flat area, pivot quickly on the ball of your right foot. As you throw, take a step with your left foot, pointing this foot directly at the receiver.

4. You will be called on to make one of two types of throw. The first type is thrown when the receiver is in the "clear," with no defenders near him. The ball moves quickly on a straight, direct line to the receiver. This is to take immediate advantage of his being open and get him off and moving on his run. The second type is thrown when one or more defenders are near the pass receiver and are in position to interfere with the flight of the ball. You must give the ball somewhat of an arch in its flight. That is, you get it up higher in the air, over the defenders, and it comes down to the receiver. Usually, for this type of throw, the receiver will go up in the air to meet the ball.

5. The flat area is usually an unguarded area and the receiver may be forced to change the planned route of his run because of defensive movements. You must be able to anticipate such a change and make a quick judgment as to when and where the receiver can take the ball.

6. Throwing accurately into the flat areas is the weakest point of most passers. If you can master the flat forward pass, you will find that all the other types of passes become much easier for you. Practice, and a careful study of the results of your practice, will help you become a sharp "flat" passer!

The Screen Pass

Although it is seldom used, the screen pass is one of the best weapons a team can have in its arsenal. It is used to take advantage of your opponents' defensive play when they are making an all-out effort to pressure your team's passer, which may be you! This happens when opponents concentrate their linemen, and often their linebackers, on an attempted rush into your backfield, with the passer as the target.

ON A SCREEN-PASS PLAY the offensive linemen allow the defensive linemen to come through without too much opposition. Then they form a "screen" of blockers for the pass receiver.

On a screen-pass play, these defensive players are permitted to come through the line of scrimmage by your linemen with a minimum of opposition. Then, your linemen quickly move laterally and form a protective "screen" for the receiver who is to get the pass. As the passer, you are protected by your regular blockers, but the idea is to get the pass away quickly, so that you need a minimum of protection.

To be successful, the screen pass must have good "acting" on the parts of the linemen, the passer, and the receiver. Here are the things each must do.

1. The Linemen. Those players assigned to form the screen must make a convincing show of throwing their regular line blocks when the ball is snapped. The defensive opponents must be tricked into believing that they are getting through the scrimmage line and into your backfield as a result of their own aggressive attack. The offensive-line blocks must appear to be honestly but poorly executed. In this way, the defensive opponents are "encouraged" to charge on into the offensive backfield after the passer. The linemen then drift out laterally to form the "screen" for the pass receiver. After the receiver has the ball, they form a rugged escort of blockers for his path downfield toward the goal line. If they have performed their trickery successfully, the majority of the defensive players should be "behind" the play and a very few left to defend the path to the goal line.

2. The Passer. In most instances, you, as the passer, position yourself in your normal "passing pocket," surrounded by your blockers, about six yards behind the line of scrimmage. You must give every appearance of being about to throw a long pass. As the defensive opponents come charging through the line right by your "acting" linemen and head for you, make a retreat of a few yards. Then, throw a "soft" pass to the receiver behind the screen. Put enough arch on the ball in its flight through the air so that it will go over the heads and arms of the onrushing opponents. Sometimes, the play will develop so quickly that you can throw the pass without retreating. This pass usually travels a very short distance. You must be able to throw it to either side of the line, or some times to the area just over center.

3. The Receiver. The player who goes out to get the ball may be either of the two ends, depending on whether or not the play goes to his side of the line, or to any one of the backfield players. The receiver must also turn in an excellent job of "acting." He must convince the defense that he is about to follow a blocking assignment, or some other assignment, and that the farthest thing from his mind is catching a screen pass. He must move at just the right second to his receiving position behind the screen and he must do so quickly once he starts his move.

THE RUNNING PASS is a difficult one to master. In this type of pass play, the passer must run with the ball held up in the air and ready to be thrown. If you are a good runner, this is a most effective play, since it will be hard for the defense to tell whether you intend to run or to pass.

The Running Pass

It is necessary for a topnotch passer to be able to throw the football not only from a well-balanced, standing-still position, but also while he is running either to his right side or to his left side. A right-hander will usually throw the ball while running to his right side.

1. For success in this pass, you must learn to keep the ball up by your head, ready to throw, while you are running.

You throw the ball from the same position, "off your right ear," and with the same grip. You must keep your eyes "sharp," looking at all potential receivers all the time. When a receiver has moved into the clear, you must be ready for an instant firing of the ball.

2. The flight of the ball through the air on the running pass will vary. Sometimes you will find it necessary to throw a "soft" pass with considerable arch to its flight so that the receiver will have time to run under the ball. Other times you must throw a sharp, direct pass with enough of a "lead" on the ball so that the receiver can meet it on the run.

3. Naturally, the effectiveness of this pass is based on the passer's running ability. If the defense knows that you can run well with the ball, in addition to being able to throw an accurate pass, they can only guess as to what you really intend to do. That is the beauty of this play! You are running and you also have the ball ready to throw, and you can proceed with either maneuver. If you see that the defenders have dropped back to cover your potential pass receivers and have opened up "running room" for you, then in one quick motion, bring the ball into the proper carrying position and "cut" upfield for a run.

4. On some occasions you execute a running pass by running laterally, then suddenly stopping, placing yourself in the balanced throwing position and passing with the normal motion.

The Long Forward Pass

The most spectacular single play in football is the long forward pass. It is the "heart-stopper" of the gridiron sport.

When the ball goes into its long flight through the air, it usually means the offense is "shooting the works" for a touchdown.
Will the receiver snag the ball despite the desperate, determined efforts of the defense? Will the receiver, once he has caught the ball, outsmart and outrun the defense for a six-point score?

The excitement is electric from the moment the passer "cuts loose" until those two questions are answered. The offensive team may be trying to break open a tight game or they may be trying a last-minute rally to change an apparent defeat into a sensational victory.

If a team cannot threaten the opposition with the possibility of a long forward pass, the opponents can concentrate an extremely tight defense against all the running plays and short passes. This definitely reduces the effectiveness of a team's offense.

A long forward pass is usually any pass over twenty yards in distance.

1. Most long passes will be thrown from the backfield area directly behind the line of scrimmage. You should disguise your intention of throwing a long pass by making it appear that you are about to throw some other type of pass. At the same time, you should be prepared to throw another type of pass in case you are unable to get your long pass away. When you go back to throw, your protection will usually be such that you can take your time in getting set. A successful long pass must be thrown from a well-balanced position. You must have excellent control of the ball. Usually, your receiver has been decided on in advance. You should know exactly the limits of his pass-catching ability. Many times he is the only teammate to go downfield. You must be able to maneuver in your backfield area long enough for him to fake the deep defenders and make his break into the open area.

2. In making this throw for distance, you do not swing your arm with a hard, snapping motion. Rather, you make an easy increase in the speed of your forward arm movement. Some passers take the ball farther back behind their heads and a bit higher above their right ears. The speeding up of your forward arm movement increases the momentum you apply to the ball as it leaves your hand. This momentum applied to the ball's peculiar shape and construction carries it properly through the air. Most long passes have a high arch in their flight through the air. You must develop an extremely keen awareness of where to point the nose of the ball as it leaves your hand. After a certain distance, the nose will gradually point downward and the ball will begin its final approach to the target. If you practice and study properly, you will learn the speed with which to throw the ball and how to point the nose so that the ball will behave correctly in flight.

3. You should always overthrow the intended receiver.
It is easier for him to increase his speed in the direction he is going, toward the goal line, or jump up for a leaping catch, than to stop his forward progress to turn around and try to come back for a pass that is short. You should work with your receivers in practice! Try a variety of long-pass play patterns, none less than twenty yards in distance. Make your receivers learn to keep some speed in reserve, so that they can always step on the gas to get under a long throw when such action is necessary. It is important for you to know exactly the speeds of your receivers and how rapidly they can pick up extra speed. You can throw perfect long forward passes and nothing will come of them if your receivers are not quick and fast. They must be able to outmaneuver and outrun the defenders. You can help your receivers by giving them lots of long passes in practice sessions.

4. To successfully throw the long pass, you must strengthen the muscles of your fingers, hand, arm, and shoulder. You do not put your whole body into the throw, just the parts mentioned. You develop these muscles, as well as your timing and accuracy, through daily throwing practice. Start playing "catch" with your buddy at a distance of about ten yards. From day to day, as you maintain pin-point accuracy, move three or four yards farther apart, until the distance separating you is about forty yards. This distance depends much on your size and physical development. Some boys will not be able to maintain accuracy at forty yards. You must then content yourself with throwing shorter distances until you "grow up" to the forty- and even fifty-yard distances. Remember, accuracy is the most important thing to achieve!

The Pitch-Out Pass

The pitch-out pass is used to get a runner quickly around either end. The quarterback calls for this play when the defense has concentrated linemen and linebackers in the central area of the scrimmage line to stop inside plays. It is generally used from a T-formation and the pass is thrown underhand. All of our other passes have been made with the overhand throw.

1. You, as the quarterback, make your underhand toss immediately after you receive the ball from center. Speed and quickness are essential as this is a surprise play. The defense must not have time to reset itself to meet the play's movement around the end. You pivot on the ball of your right foot toward the side to which you are throwing. You take a step with your left foot, pointing it toward your receiver.

2. The pitch-out pass can be made with either one or two hands. Some boys like one way better than the other. It is a matter of choice.

(a) With the one-handed action, the motion of your arm is similar to the underhand swing of a bowler rolling a bowling ball down the alley. Your fingers are placed in contact with the laces. Your thumb points toward the nose of the ball. The ball is pointed toward the receiver, of course. Keep the belly of the ball parallel to the ground, your fingers somewhat underneath the ball. As the pitch-out pass usually covers only a short distance, you do not bring your arm back too far. You make a smooth, easy, upward motion with your arm, as a bowler does, and as the ball is released from your finger tips, it goes into a spiral. The nose of the ball points slightly upward. The ball should not rise above shoulder height in
its flight.

COACH KUHARICH (above) works with this young quarterback on the one-handed pitch-out pass. A right-handed quarterback usually uses a two-handed pass (below) when pitching out to his left.

(b) With the two-handed action, you place both hands around the belly of the ball, firmly gripping it with all fingers and both thumbs. Again, you use a swinging motion of your arms, which can be to either side of your body. The ball goes through the air with a soft, floating action. There is no spiral or other particular motion to the ball. Again, the ball should not rise above shoulder-height in its flight. The footwork is the same on both the one-handed and the two-handed pitch out passes. The two-handed method is generally used by a right-hander who is pitching out to his left side.

The Lateral Pass

When the ball suddenly becomes a "hot potato" to the ball carrier, it is time for a lateral pass. When you are about to be tackled and a teammate to your rear is away from defensive opponents, you can legally give him the ball by tossing it to him.

The lateral is also useful when you have the ball and you see that a teammate behind you is in a better running position. It may also be called for in certain plays where you draw the defenders to you, then lateral to a teammate and block for him.

The most important point to remember is that the lateral pass must always travel backward from your position. While few coaches encourage the use of the lateral pass, all backs and both ends should master it for use in emergencies.

1. Make your lateral pass before you are contacted by any opponents. If you try to pass while you are being tackled, you will not be accurate with the throw. Hold the ball firmly in both your hands, controlling it with your fingers. Use the underhand swing and give the receiver a soft, floating type pass. A hard, fast pass will almost always cause the receiver to fumble. Sometimes a lateral is thrown with one hand, but it should usually be thrown with two hands. The flight of the ball should not be more than head-high.

2. Usually, when you throw the lateral, both you and the receiver are moving. This means you must be exception ally accurate and the ball must be very easy to catch.

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