More on the A-11
 

I cast you out, unclean spirit. The power of Christ compells you, be gone!

LOL

I hope it is gone. A quick and painless death would be fine.

rip a-11.

Don't be so quick my little chickadees...looks like the truly American "solution" may be on the horizon...HIRE A LAWYER!

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/...uarterback.php

Steve Humphries is facing 4th-and-very, very long.

A few years back, the San Francisco mortgage broker devised a football offense that forever altered the prevailing paradigm of who the head cheerleader is supposed to date. Humphries and fellow Piedmont High School football coach Kurt Bryan's A-11 offense features two quarterbacks -- and 11 eligible receivers. To keep the high school motif going, think of it as the shotgun spread offense x 1023.

In two seasons employing the offense, Piedmont -- a small, suburban school in an affluent East Bay community best known for its annual bird-calling exhibition on The Tonight Show and David Letterman (and Arsenio, that one year) -- won 15 games and lost only five. This year, the team went 8-2 and scored 33 points per game. Articles about the distinctive A-11 offense (that stands for "All 11" as in everyone is eligible to catch a pass) appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, and ESPN Magazine.

Naturally, High School sports' governing body is leaning toward banning it.

The National Federation of State High School Associations' rules
committee met last month and is expected to release its rules changes
for the 2009 seasion -- which were decided by secret vote -- sometime
in the next week. Humphries said he thinks his offensive system's
chances of survival are "50-50." But he talks like a man who knows the
score when he angrily sums up the governing body as "A bunch of
traditionalists."


Ironically, Humprhies' response to being dealt the black spot by the
governing body may well be the traditional Piedmont reaction to being
handed a setback -- call a lawyer. He told SF Weekly he may file a suit and seek "a federal injunction" -- and, truly, there is no shortage of lawyers in Piedmont.

Less bombastically, he postulated that Piedmont may secede from the
NFSH and play in an independent -- and A-11 friendly -- league, or even
work with the governing body to form a "sub-federation" of A-11 teams
(there are quite a few around the nation now, including Mission High
here in the city).

When asked if the school really felt it was worth seceding or filing
suit rather than just going back to a traditional offense and appeasing
the governing body, Humphries said school principal Randy Booker was
100 percent behind him. Booker hasn't yet returned SF Weekly's call.

But it would make sense. The A-11 offense, like the bird calling contest,
has gotten Piedmont plenty of glowing press -- and it doesn't require making a jackass out of yourself on Letterman.

Ahhhh, California. :D Truly the land of nuts and fruits. ;)

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

When my dad called it the land of, well, you know the saying, he wasn't far from the truth.

For all the wailing, shouting, threatening and begging that happens on sidelines all over, not very many considered rulings ever get changed. Desparate and stubborn people will do what desparate people do, not matter how unsuccessful all their finagaling is.

As has been observed long ago, many times over, those responsible for the rules of the game must be painfully aware of this controversey and are expected to respond to it, one way or the other. That decision is expected shortly, and one side or the other, will likely be unhappy with the decision.

There may be resulting wailing, shouting, threatening and begging, but it will likely suffer the same fate as all the "noise" that periodically rises from different sidelines. To paraphrase an old saying, "When "noise" from a sideline is simply ignored, does it make any sound?"

from the article, "and it doesn't require making a jackass out of yourself on Letterman."

I was not aware the location of the act mattered.

We truly have gone into the Twilight Zone.

Yes, let's get the legal system involved...over high school football. Give me a break.

Voluntarily join an association, then threaten to sue them when your attempt to circumvent their rules (for profit) is challenged and possibly fails...


Makes all the sense in the world to me....:confused:

I'm not sure about the Piedmont area, but all he has to do to run this goofy offense is play in an 8-man league. Down here we have a few teams with small enrollments that do just that. But that would involve acting like adults rather than stomping ones feet and insisting to get ones way.

No such beastie as 8-man up here in the Bay Area.

Well how about that? An opening within the rules KB can "exploit" to form his new league. All he has to do is get them all to play 8 man and the problem is solved. Odds on that happening? Anyone? Anyone?

When long winded self indulgent posts are written that really have no point or anything of value to add to the discussion are ignored, will they continue to be written?:D

It always amazes me how some people can stand neck deep in water and not realize they are all wet.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

Gee, I hope you're that quick on the field, Rich. Sometimes "long winded" can pose a problem, but responses that lean towards short and stupid have their own down side as well.

Yet another thread that is going to drive me to drinking... :eek:

Welpe, first round is on me. :D

How did they circumvent the rules?

If it can't be said quickly, it has little value to most of the people listening.

That only applies when you're speaking to people with really short attention spans. You ever stop to wonder why God designed us with two ears and only one mouth?

Two ears - most likely so we can distinguish the direction of a sound.

I'm sorry but I'm looking for Coach Bryant. Anyone seen him? :D

I think he's reviewing the hundreds of membership applications he's received for his new independent A-11 league.

KB has been busy typing. The material below is the response he has penned on his website.....

__________________________________________________ ___
The NFHS changed the SKF rule to say that on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Down, an offense must have at least 4 players wearing # 50 - 79 on the LOS, and only the Center can be wearing an Eligible jersey number, except for on 4th down, then all players can be wearing Eligible numbers, etc.

__________________________________________________ __

Dear Football Coach, Player, Official or Football Fan:

Thank you for your interest and support of the A-11 Offense.

Respectfully, in the Feb. 2009 press release by the NFHS regarding their annual rules change announcement, it mentions the NFHS has changed their definition of a scrimmage kick formation - which is their attempt to ban the A-11 Offense.

As we mentioned earlier, the A-11 Offense is here for good.

It's been well documented by most of the players, coaches and Officials who have actually participated in football games involving the A-11 Offense, that the A-11 games can be properly officiated, and do not provide the offense with an unfair advantage, etc. In addition to the improved safety benefits for the student-athletes utilizing the A-11, it also features many positives listed on our web site under the Position Papers Link at: www.A11Offense.com.

During the last two years as the A-11 Offense has spread across the country, it has been incredible to hear from the thousands of coaches, players, and administrators from the small to mid-sized high schools in America who have been searching for a different style of offense to help their football program be more competitive. And, we've also heard from a variety of schools that are routinely overmatched, based on their own school's enrollment status within their assigned state classification.

With approximately 15,000 high school football programs in (11-man tackle football), and more than One Million student-athletes playing the game, there is plenty of room in America for more than one style of football - the game has and always will evolve for the betterment of each new generation. And, more importantly, as has been clearly demonstrated by many of the A-11 teams nationwide, there is a need for an A-11 style of football too.

Remarkably, this has become a classic landmark case of standing up for the "Little Guy" in football, and we are going to lead the way.

Overwhelmingly, the small to mid-size football programs in America face many of the same challenges we do, and must find ways to adapt. Three years ago, when we submitted our ideas about the A-11 Offense to the NFHS and CIF, before it was declared it Legal to use, we never dreamed it would spread like this, and that other schools in situations like ours would implement the offense as well.

Some very bright people have lent their support, and have been developing solid formats for the continuation of A-11 football. Within the next several weeks, our group will present our own state association and the NFHS with some excellent options. They will be very beneficial and viable alternatives for ANY high school team in the country wanting or needing to utilize the A-11 Offense to help their program. It is our first hope, that the NFHS is able to change with the times and will be most willing to help create an A-11 Football sub-federation within the framework of their existing organization. If yes, then everybody wins, especially the schools like ours nationwide.

Throughout the history of high school football many precedents have already been established. Multitudes of different teams have competed against each other from differing states, leagues or sections, even though they have had differing rules. That has and will continue to take place.

Equally important, for two years, non A-11 teams have been competing against teams using the A-11 Offense with mixed results.

* If your team, your league and/or your entire section would like to retain the right to utilize the A-11, please check our web site for updates, and email us your contact information. There are football programs in America that could care less about the A-11 because they do not face the same challenges we do.

However, there are many schools across the country that want or need to use the A-11 Offense, and we are going to help them by leading the way.

I'm always amused when a "leader" has to advertise for followers.

Me thinks they'll leave the creating to Moses and his band of followers.

..."the A-11 Offensive is here for good."

Where is here? It's not here.

..."the A-11 games can be properly officiated"...

So, as long as we officiate his way, it's proper. If we do it the NFHS way, it's improper?

..."the improved safety benefits"...

How so?

..."a classic landmark case of standing up for the "Little Guy" in football"...

Getting a little melodramatic, are we?

"Some very bright people have lent their support"...

I guess we officials aren't very bright.

""It is our first hope, that the NFHS is able to change with the times"...

No, your first hope is that you can make some big cash out of this snake-oil pitch.

It's not happening, Kurt. Just go away, now.

You, too, can be a follower....for only $199.

Who knew that the next component of the civil rights movement would involve a football offensive scheme.

NFHS A-11 is dead...LOL I like this.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...n=ncaaf,141441

From the comments:
:)

(That wasn't me. I just read 'em.)

I wonder if Kurt has ever been to the Red Sea.

I love how Stan and Ollie, I mean Stan and Kurt, continue to be credited as the "inventors and developers" of a formation that had been used in the past by several teams.

You have to admit, they were good salesman.

Dear Coach Bryan,

Enclosed are the (2) demonstration CD's, the official A-11 "Playbook", the book entitled "A-11 For <del>Dummies</del> Coaches", and the complimentary A-11 Member Discount Card (no one accepted it by the way) that you sent me last fall when you told me the A-11 was here to stay.

In lieu of joining your new federation...can I just get a refund?

Thank you,

Coach Little Guy