The Single Wing offense is one of the first offensive attacks that was created in the game of football, but how does it work and is anyone still running it?
This article will give you a full overview of the Single Wing: Where it came from, what it’s designed to do, some of the most common formations and plays you’ll see out of it, and how modern offenses have evolved from it.
What is the Single Wing Offense?
The Single Wing offense is a run heavy based offense that uses misdirection, unbalanced formations, and multiple pulling linemen to confuse a defense. A well run Single Wing offense will confuse a defense that is not disciplined in reading their keys. The offense is based around using four backs in the backfield, all of which could carry the ball on any play.
Many times when teams run the Single Wing there isn’t a defined quarterback in the typical sense that we see Quarterbacks run an offense, as the ball can be directly snapped to any of the multiple backs. This allows the offense to have a diverse run game while the offense is kept guessing as to who the ball carrier will be on each play.
The Single Wing offense emerged in the early 1900s and is widely credited to men like Pop Warner and George Halas. The offense continued to be refined by Glenn Dobbs, the head coach at the University of Tulsa from 1946 to 1949.
The Single Wing was developed as an alternative to the Power T formation, which was the main offense of the early 20th century football teams. By moving the running backs into a direct snap position, and off setting them to where either back could catch a snap, it offered an alternative attack with more ball-handling options to attack mismatches.
What Kind of Personnel Is Needed to Run the Single Wing?
The Single Wing requires four running backs, each of which is going to need to be able to block at a basic level. The offense is a physical run heavy attack so every member of it will need to be able to block in some fashion. The Tailback, who also might be referred to as a Quarterback by some teams running the Single Wing, needs to be a competent ball handler along with a dynamic runner.
The Fullback (many times called an "H" as well) in a Single Wing offense is much different than a fullback in a traditional offense as we commonly know it. The fullback lines up next to the tailback and serves as a blocker and secondary ball carrier. The fullback often lines up off of the center and is able to take direct snaps from the center adding deception to the offense.
Single Wing offenses also feature a blocking back who lines up tight to the offensive line, typically behind the guard. While the blocking back can be a ball carrier, their primary role in the offense is to be a lead blocker and add to the run game.
The final back in the Single Wing offense is a slot back (also called a wingback by many coaches) who lines up on the outside of the formation, oftentimes to the strong side. The job of the slot back is split between being a blocker and a ball carrier. When the ball is run at the slot back, their job is to help block on the perimeter and open up an extra gap off of the tackle lined up next to it. As a ball carrier, the slot back typically carries on counter plays as the offense uses the defenses’ aggression against them.
While having a bruising offensive line makes the Single Wing effective, it is more important that you have linemen that can trap and pull. If every linemen in your Single Wing offense can pull, it opens up a huge selection of plays that you can execute. Wide receivers are not a big part of the Single Wing, but having a good one always can help keep the defense from loading the box.
Because the offense is primarily run focused, any wide receivers will need to be willing and physical blockers. The Single Wing uses a tight end, but it oftentimes could be thought of as a sixth linemen as their primary job will be to block in the run game while being used to catch passes on a limited basis.
What are the Strengths of the Single Wing?
The biggest strengths of the Single Wing is its ability to physically wear down a defense with its punishing run game. Having four ball carriers to choose from on any play creates deception that makes it hard for the defense to play downhill with confidence. The unbalanced formations utilized by those who run the Single Wing make it hard for the defense to align properly.
Quick motions along with the deception created by pulling linemen and the blocking back make the reads difficult for the opposing defense. Another huge strength of the Single Wing is that it is run by so few people that defenses simply don’t ever see it. It’s unorthodox style makes it a one of a kind attack that most teams never have to prepare for.
What are the Weaknesses of the Single Wing?
The biggest weakness of the Single Wing is that there is no traditional Quarterback so the passing game can be extremely limited. Some teams who run a more modern version of the Single Wing will add spread elements to their pass game, but a traditional Single Wing has a very limited pass game based around play action pass.
Outside of some very simple concepts there are not many drop back passing concepts out of the base formations. If you fall behind running the Single Wing it can be difficult to come back in a hurry, but the goal is never to fall behind, no matter what offense you are running.
If you are an unbalanced Single Wing team, you can be limited in your formations because of the need to stay with your unbalanced look. There is nothing saying that you can’t break that unbalanced tendency, but it can be difficult to go away from something that was working well.
Common Single Wing Formations
Now let's take a look at some common single wing formations. What you will see in the diagrams below and in many traditional Single Wing Offenses is that the two players in the backfield who could potentially receive the snap are lined up on either side of the center instead of lined up directly behind the center as the primary player to receive the snap.
Unbalanced Single Wing Formation
The advantage of the unbalanced formation is that it adds an extra gap to the strong side of the formation and gives defenses a look that they don’t see very often. One of the disadvantages of the unbalanced formation is that it is tough to pass out of it because of the short edge to the weak side.
Some single wing teams choose to "flip" their offensive line depending on the strength of the formation so that they can always have their best linemen to the unbalanced side and have extra run blockers to the strong side. When these teams run an unbalanced formation, it creates an extra advantage for the offense.
Unbalanced Split Single Wing Formation
The unbalanced split formation is one that is used to spread defenses out a bit but also primarily as a passing formation. Single Wing teams are not great passing offenses, but when they need to pass they will go to a formation like this to give them more options down field.
This formation can be very effective because the split end can vary his split to be used as either a receiver or an extra blocker. His split can be used as a weapon because it he can create great blocking angles from condensed sets that make it hard for defenses to align.
Unbalanced Single Wing Weak Formation
The unbalanced weak formation will give the Single Wing offense more options running the ball to the weak side by adding a blocker, but also gives them more counter options back to the strong side because the wing can become a ball carrier.
Unbalanced Single Wing Twins Strong
The unbalanced twins strong formation gives single wing teams more passing threats to the strong side while still allowing them to run to the unbalanced side.
Unbalanced Single Wing Twins Weak
The unbalanced twins weak puts the defense in conflict by putting the passing strength away from the run strength. While the Single Wing is not a strong passing offense the defense still has to respect the ability of the receivers to create big plays through the air.
Common Single Wing Run Plays
Now let's take a look at some common single wing run plays.
Single Wing Buck Sweep
The Single Wing buck sweep play is very similar to the Wing T buck sweep play but it is given off of a direct snap rather than an under center exchange. Just like in the Wing-T version of this play, it features some backfield deception where there is some kind of ball fake going the other direction so that the backside of the defense has to sit and delay a bit, which effectively "blocks" that defender and lets the playside linemen block other people instead.
Single Wing Power Play
The Single Wing power series involves physical down blocks and kick outs at the point of attack. The play side will all work downblocks with the blocking back kicking out a lineman at the point of attack. The play can be run by either the player receiving the direct snap or it can be handed off.
There are several different versions of the Power Play in the Single Wing offense but this is the version that is closest to the traditional Power Play.
Single Wing Counter Play
The Single Wing Offense is full of misdirection plays, and this is just one of many examples of how this offense has answers no matter how the defense decides to "key" them. In this case, if the defense is spending too much time flowing toward the skill guys in the backfield and not paying attention to the pulling offensive linemen, they've set themselves up perfectly for the counter play. The addition of the blocking back to the blocking scheme means that (on paper at least) there are more blockers than defenders to the playside, and it's much harder for the defense to win that battle at the line of scrimmage.
Common Single Wing Pass Plays
Now let's take a look at some common single wing pass plays.
Single Wing Flood Pass
The Single Wing offense is such a heavy run based offense that the passing game can be simple but effective. The basic passing game consists of the flood play which puts the most outside receiver on a vertical route, and then has a receiver run a shallow route followed by an intermediate route. They can get to theses landmarks from different receivers, but they will always find these landmarks.
Single Wing Boot Play
The boot play is a common concept in most offenses but because of the deception of the spin series, it can be extremely effective in the Single Wing. The quarterback will take the snap, turn his back to the defense and fake a handoff before running as if it is a run play. He then looks downfield for his receivers who are running crossing routes at a low, intermediate, and deep depth to stretch the defense vertically. While this is a simple concept, it can be an easy way to create explosive plays through the air.
Single Wing Post-Wheel Pass Play
The Single Wing offense also has some simple route combos by receivers out of twin sets. It is common to see them run a go route and ten yard out, double slant routes, or a ten yard dig by the outside receiver and a go route by the inside receiver.
What Coaches/ Teams Have Used The Single Wing?
The Single Wing has not been seen at the college or professional level for a long time but it does have its influences on their offenses.
In 2006 the Arkansas Razorbacks with offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn unleashed a Single Wing series they called the “Wildcat” on college football. This offense featured Darren McFadden at quarterback with many different skill players around him. The offense featured jet sweep action with power and counter schemes off of that motion.
This trend found it’s way into the NFL the following year as the Miami Dolphins surprised a New England Patriots team by running the same series with Ronnie Brown at quarterback. Since this game, many NFL and College teams have had “Wildcat” packages and it is seen almost every weekend across the slate of games.
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs are also well known for running single wing plays during games, especially near the goal line, where the misdirection schemes are especially effective.
There are still many high school teams that run the Single Wing including Dothan Alabama, Pulaski Wisconsin, and Deland Florida.
Some of the best coaches who run the Single Wing are Jed Kennedy, Rick Darlington, and Jeremy Haymore.
Want more?
Check out our collection of single wing videos.