The approach to offense in American and Canadian football has evolved fairly radically over the 100 years in which the modern form of the sport has been in existence. Though the basic configuration of 11 players on offense has little variation, many diverse philosophies behind what to do with those 11 players exist:

Run and shoot offense

The "Run and Shoot" offense is a highly maligned offensive strategy that leverages 3 and 4 wide receiver sets, the shotgun formation, and backfield motion. This structure often forces the defense to reveal its hand and enables the quarterback to audible a play best suited to attack that defense. While the popular perception is that the Run and Shoot is about passing madly, it is in truth about forcing the defense's hand. In fact, many Run and Shoot teams have produced solid running attacks.

This offense owes its roots to traditional basketball approaches to offense in which a point guard takes the ball down court, reads the defense, and calls the appropriate offensive play to attack that defense. This feature of determining the defense as the play is about to unfold gives the Run and Shoot its sandlot feel (a feature that critics often reference).

Formation

The basic Run and Shoot formation has 5 linemen for blocking, a quarterback, a single running back, and four receivers. Variations include dropping receiver in favor of an extra running back or a tight end.

Criticisms

Among the most valid criticisms of the Run and Shoot is its complexity. In particular, you need smart players at quarterback and wide receiver. In a sport where many quarterbacks do not even call their own plays, this system not only requires the quarterback to call his own plays; it requires him to do it on the fly in response to how the defense reacts to the offense.

Another criticism of the Run and Shoot is that it has too much of a sandlot feel.

Teams

Teams that have employed the Run and Shoot offense include:

• Houston Oilers (1989-1994)
• Detroit Lions (1989-1994)
• Atlanta Falcons (1990-1995)

West coast offense

The West Coast offense can best be characterized as a passing ball control offense. Though passing and ball control tend to be opposing concepts, the West Coast offense achieves ball control by using short, high percentage passing routes. Since the routes are relatively short, and the pass leaves the quarterback's hand quickly, there is less need for additional blockers. Thus all five eligible receivers are (typically) used extensively in the West Coast offense. Spreading the ball to all potential targets can create mismatches, often between a running back and a linebacker, or perhaps the tight end and a linebacker. By forcing tighter coverage between the safeties and offensive players, the West Coast offense can pull the safeties toward the line of scrimage without running - and thus it can set up the long pass play with shorter passes.

By throwing lots of short passes, the West Coast offense gets the ball to the faster players in open space more frequently. The notion of run after catch (RAC) yards was invented for west coast offense players. Twenty yard pass plays used to mean long deep out or deep in patterns with a strong armed quarterback but now more frequently the twenty yard play involves a six yard pass to a talented receiver who made a couple of good moves - and perhaps got a block downfield from a fellow receiver.

The West Coast offense, at its best, annoys a defense into foolishness. By consistently completing short passes, it encourages the defensive backs to move closer to the line of scrimage. The quarterback releases the ball so quickly that the pass rushers are tempted to complacency. Further, it gives the offense confidence. A combination of these factors afford the offense a good opportunity to throw deeper passes.

This is not to say the West Coast offense abandons the run. A running game compliments the West Coast Offense because short passes naturally set up situations when the run is more favorable.

Note: although this is the current usage of the term, the actual West Coast Offense was a term applied to the Don Coryell/Bill Walsh offense run by the San Diego Chargers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. More properly, the above should be called the Walsh offense, as it was perfected under Walsh in San Francisco. The actual San Diego West Coast offense involved much longer timing routes and bore little resemblance to the above.

Teams

• San Francisco 49ers