Minnesota shift
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota shift, also known as the jump shift, was an American football
maneuver in which an offensive team shifted from one formation
into another pre-determined formation on signal prior to the snap of the ball. It was the forerunner to all quick shifts in American football. The intent of the Minnesota shift was to keep the defense off balance and disguise the offense's intended point of attack. To be effective, the shift into the new formation was supposed to be done quickly and the ball snapped immediately afterward. University of Minnesota
Golden Gophers
coach Dr. Henry L. Williams
is credited with its invention in the first decade of the 20th century, and his institution lends its name to the shift.
The maneuver gained national attention when it was adopted by period powerhouse Yale University
in 1910. Williams, an 1891 graduate of Yale, had earlier repeatedly offered to mentor his alma mater in the formation, but was rebuffed because the Elis would "not [take] football lessons from a Western
university." In 1910, the suffered early season setbacks at the hands of inferior opponents, and sought an advantage to use in its game against strong and squads. Former Yale end Thomas L. Shevlin
, who had served as an assistant coach at Minnesota, taught the team the shift. Yale used the Minnesota shift against both opponents, and beat Princeton, 5–3, and tied Harvard, 0–0.
In 1917, Wisconsin
head coach John R. Richards claimed that Chicago
's legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg
had never been able to develop a counter to the Minnesota shift. In 1921, Ohio State
employed a maneuver it called "guards over" that "checked the touted Minnesota shift more completely than any other Conference
team has ever done," which forced the Gophers to resort unsuccessfully to the forward pass
. The following season, Michigan
also effectively shut down the shift behind good line play.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
maneuver in which an offensive team shifted from one formation
Formation (American football)
A formation in American football refers to the position players line up in before the start of a down. There are both offensive and defensive formations and there are many formations in both categories.-Offense:...
into another pre-determined formation on signal prior to the snap of the ball. It was the forerunner to all quick shifts in American football. The intent of the Minnesota shift was to keep the defense off balance and disguise the offense's intended point of attack. To be effective, the shift into the new formation was supposed to be done quickly and the ball snapped immediately afterward. University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
coach Dr. Henry L. Williams
Henry L. Williams
Dr. Henry Lane Williams was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Military Academy in 1891 and the University of Minnesota from 1900 to 1921, compiling a career college football record of 141–34–12...
is credited with its invention in the first decade of the 20th century, and his institution lends its name to the shift.
The maneuver gained national attention when it was adopted by period powerhouse Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1910. Williams, an 1891 graduate of Yale, had earlier repeatedly offered to mentor his alma mater in the formation, but was rebuffed because the Elis would "not [take] football lessons from a Western
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
university." In 1910, the suffered early season setbacks at the hands of inferior opponents, and sought an advantage to use in its game against strong and squads. Former Yale end Thomas L. Shevlin
Tom Shevlin
Thomas Leonard Shevlin was an All-American football end and coach at Yale University and a millionaire lumberman. He is one of the few players in the history of college football to be selected as an All-American four consecutive years...
, who had served as an assistant coach at Minnesota, taught the team the shift. Yale used the Minnesota shift against both opponents, and beat Princeton, 5–3, and tied Harvard, 0–0.
In 1917, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
head coach John R. Richards claimed that Chicago
Chicago Maroons football
The Chicago Maroons are the college football team representing the University of Chicago. The Maroons play in NCAA Division III as a member of the University Athletic Association. From 1892 to 1939, the Maroons were a major college football power...
's legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
had never been able to develop a counter to the Minnesota shift. In 1921, Ohio State
1921 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1921 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1921-1922. The Buckeyes compiled a 5–2 record while outscoring opponents 110-14. The 14 points allowed came in Ohio State's only losses....
employed a maneuver it called "guards over" that "checked the touted Minnesota shift more completely than any other Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
team has ever done," which forced the Gophers to resort unsuccessfully to the forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
. The following season, Michigan
1922 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1922 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1922 college football season. The head coach was Fielding H. Yost, in his 22nd season as head coach. The team went through the 1922 season without a defeat and compiled a record of 6–0–1...
also effectively shut down the shift behind good line play.