Tackle-eligible play
Encyclopedia
In football
, the tackle-eligible play is a forward-pass
play in which coaches will attempt to create mismatches against a defense by inserting an offensive tackle (who is not normally allowed more than five yards down field on a forward-pass play), into an offensive formation as an eligible receiver
, usually as a tight end
or as a fullback
. This is done by changing the formation of the offensive line, via positioning two linemen (including the "catching tackle") on one side of the center and four linemen on the other. This is normally only run inside the five-yard line.
Under almost all versions of gridiron football, offensive linemen cannot receive or touch forward passes, nor can they advance downfield in passing situations. To identify which receivers are eligible and which are not, football rules stipulate that ineligible receivers must wear a number between 50 and 79. This, however, can be circumvented in most leagues, most commonly by informing the referee of any player with a number in the ineligible range who lines up as an eligible receiver.
rules, players with the numbers 50-79 and 90-99 are ineligible receivers. The quarterback or offensive captain informs the referee that a usually ineligible receiver will be eligible for that play. The referee then announces that the ineligible number "x" is reporting as an eligible receiver. This announcement is made using the referee's microphone so both spectators and opposing team can hear. The eligibility is good for only one play and must be done before every play in which the offense plans on making the player eligible.
The tackle-eligible play typically goes unnoticed, but for one prominent exception: when the player reporting as an eligible receiver catches a forward pass (usually for a very short touchdown). Such occurrences often are included in television highlight packages for the comedy inherent in seeing mammoth offensive- and defensive- linemen successfully catching a football.
The name most commonly associated with the tackle-eligible play is the former Chief
Mike Vrabel
, a linebacker who recorded 11 receptions for 11 touchdowns in his career— including one in Super Bowl XXXVIII
as a member of the New England Patriots
.
Cincinnati Bengals'
Pro Football Hall of Fame
offensive tackle, Anthony Muñoz
caught 7 passes for 18 yards and 4 touchdown
s in his prolific 13-year career.
Buffalo Bills'
offensive tackle, Mitch Frerotte
made a name for himself in 1992 by scoring 3 times in one season (twice on tackle-eligible plays), the best single season ever for an offensive lineman.
A widely noted use of a tackle-eligible play came in The Monday Night Miracle
when New York Jets
lineman Jumbo Elliott caught a 3 yard touchdown pass to cap a 23 point comeback against the Miami Dolphins
.
A similar play is allowed from a kicking formation, where the requirement that all five linemen wear 50-79 is waived. During a fake field goal or punt, a team may line up with extra tight ends and receivers making it not immediately obvious to the defense which players are eligible and which are not. (However, this exemption can only be taken when it is obvious that a kick may be attempted, for instance on fourth down, in the closing seconds of a half, or similar situations. It cannot be used on every down at the college level.)
level; the rules of that level do not even allow declaration. The scrimmage kick formation was once exempt from all numbering requirements, but after the A-11 offense
employed the formation as a base offense, the rules were modified in February 2009. No player wearing between 50 or 79 is eligible to receive a pass, and all ineligible receivers (except a long snapper
) must wear between 50 and 79 in all cases.
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...
, the tackle-eligible play is a 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...
play in which coaches will attempt to create mismatches against a defense by inserting an offensive tackle (who is not normally allowed more than five yards down field on a forward-pass play), into an offensive formation as an eligible receiver
Eligible receiver
In American football and Canadian football, not all players on offense are entitled to receive a forward pass. Only an eligible pass receiver may legally catch a forward pass, and only an eligible receiver may advance beyond the neutral zone if a forward pass which crosses the neutral zone is thrown...
, usually as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
or as a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. This is done by changing the formation of the offensive line, via positioning two linemen (including the "catching tackle") on one side of the center and four linemen on the other. This is normally only run inside the five-yard line.
Under almost all versions of gridiron football, offensive linemen cannot receive or touch forward passes, nor can they advance downfield in passing situations. To identify which receivers are eligible and which are not, football rules stipulate that ineligible receivers must wear a number between 50 and 79. This, however, can be circumvented in most leagues, most commonly by informing the referee of any player with a number in the ineligible range who lines up as an eligible receiver.
NFL
By official National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
rules, players with the numbers 50-79 and 90-99 are ineligible receivers. The quarterback or offensive captain informs the referee that a usually ineligible receiver will be eligible for that play. The referee then announces that the ineligible number "x" is reporting as an eligible receiver. This announcement is made using the referee's microphone so both spectators and opposing team can hear. The eligibility is good for only one play and must be done before every play in which the offense plans on making the player eligible.
The tackle-eligible play typically goes unnoticed, but for one prominent exception: when the player reporting as an eligible receiver catches a forward pass (usually for a very short touchdown). Such occurrences often are included in television highlight packages for the comedy inherent in seeing mammoth offensive- and defensive- linemen successfully catching a football.
The name most commonly associated with the tackle-eligible play is the former Chief
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs...
, a linebacker who recorded 11 receptions for 11 touchdowns in his career— including one in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
as a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Cincinnati Bengals'
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
offensive tackle, Anthony Muñoz
Anthony Muñoz
Michael Anthony Muñoz , is a Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle who played most of his career for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals...
caught 7 passes for 18 yards and 4 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s in his prolific 13-year career.
Buffalo Bills'
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
offensive tackle, Mitch Frerotte
Mitch Frerotte
Paul Mitchael Frerotte was an American professional football player who played as a guard for four seasons in the National Football League, all with the Buffalo Bills. Frerotte is perhaps best known for scoring three touchdowns during the 1992 NFL season, a record for an offensive lineman.Frerotte...
made a name for himself in 1992 by scoring 3 times in one season (twice on tackle-eligible plays), the best single season ever for an offensive lineman.
A widely noted use of a tackle-eligible play came in The Monday Night Miracle
The Monday Night Miracle (American football)
In the National Football League, "The Monday Night Miracle" refers to a Monday night game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins played at Giants Stadium on October 23, 2000.-Background:...
when New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
lineman Jumbo Elliott caught a 3 yard touchdown pass to cap a 23 point comeback against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
College football
NCAA rules are less permissive than NFL rules and require that the five interior linemen, numbered 50-79, never line up as eligible receivers. See rule 1, section 4. Thus, an offensive tackle can never become a tackle eligible. However, a defensive lineman can play as a tight end if his number is not between 50 and 79 (defensive players have no positional numbering restrictions in the NCAA).A similar play is allowed from a kicking formation, where the requirement that all five linemen wear 50-79 is waived. During a fake field goal or punt, a team may line up with extra tight ends and receivers making it not immediately obvious to the defense which players are eligible and which are not. (However, this exemption can only be taken when it is obvious that a kick may be attempted, for instance on fourth down, in the closing seconds of a half, or similar situations. It cannot be used on every down at the college level.)
High school football
Tackle-eligibles are effectively illegal at the high schoolHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
level; the rules of that level do not even allow declaration. The scrimmage kick formation was once exempt from all numbering requirements, but after the A-11 offense
A-11 offense
The A-11 offense is an offensive scheme that has been used in some levels of amateur American football. In this offense, a loophole in the rules governing kicking formations is used to disguise which offensive players would be eligible to receive a pass for any given play...
employed the formation as a base offense, the rules were modified in February 2009. No player wearing between 50 or 79 is eligible to receive a pass, and all ineligible receivers (except a long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
) must wear between 50 and 79 in all cases.