A Little Trickeration

I love trick plays--okay, maybe not those involving Lawrence Vickers--but I really do have a soft spot for gridiron eccentricities. The teams that I've helped coach have run a number of different trick plays and formations, and while they haven't always worked, they've always given the other team something to waste practice time on. More importantly, they've made the game more fun for our own players.

Trick plays have seen a resurgence in the NFL during recent years, as teams like the Patriots and Steelers have made them a regular part of their offensive game plan. Just last week, Donovan McNabb put the Eagles ahead to stay against Dallas with this flea flicker to Reggie Brown, while the Dolphins' bizarre attempt at a two point conversion against the Texans has generated a lot of controversy in Miami.

There also seem to have been an unusual number of trick plays run in college football this year, particularly in the SEC. Arkansas pulled off trick plays against Auburn (here) and Alabama (here) this season, and Ole Miss scored its first touchdown of the season off of what has become known as the "McCuster Fluster."

Trick plays may have renewed popularity in the NFL and NCAA, but they've always been a staple of high school football. Given that fact, perhaps it's not surprising that the most surreal trick play I've seen in a long time is "Wrong Ball." Check it out here. While this play is entertaining to watch, I think the guy in the comments section who says that it's illegal under current rules is right. If it isn't, it should be.