Looking at a football game’s formations is a fantastic way to tell its era. Thanks to an old publication, we can travel back to 1955 and analyze the offensive schemes of the time, revealing a fascinating transition in the sport.
Timothy Brown of Football Archaeology joins us for the discussion.
This conversation comes from one of Tim’s recent Tidbits titled: Offensive Formations in 1955 – https://www.footballarchaeology.com/p/todays-tidbit-offensive-formations
Published as a giveaway by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, the book “Everybody’s Football” identified six primary formations: the single wing, Notre Dame box, double wing, modern T, split T, and wing T. The first three were “direct snap” offenses, where the ball was snapped to a dominant back, not the quarterback. This era was all about running and power.
By contrast, the modern T, split T, and wing T all featured a quarterback operating from under center. This shift, which took place throughout the 1940s and 50s, laid the foundation for the quarterback-centric game we know today.
Interestingly, modern offenses like the shotgun and RPOs (Run-Pass Options) represent a return to the direct snap. However, while the old-school schemes were built for running, today’s versions are designed to spread the field and create passing opportunities, proving that football history often repeats itself—but with a modern twist.
