Eight-man football
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Eight-man football is a form of
Overview
Eight-man football shares the same rules, procedures, and structure as the traditional 11-man game, with a few minor differences. Eight-man football is played with eight players on offense and defense, three fewer than the 11-man game. It depends greatly on the type of formation used, but the eliminated players are commonly two
The size of the playing field is often smaller in eight-man football than in 11-man. To accommodate six fewer players on the field, the width of the field is 40-yard-wide (37 m), 13 1/3-yards narrower than the 53 1/3-yard eleven-man field. Most eight-man leagues mandate 100-yard length fields, where few choose the 80-yard-long (73 m) field length option.[2]
There are several
Eight-man football is particularly prominent in the Midwestern United States, with Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma being three of the four states with more than 80 eight-man teams. A write-up on 8-man football in Kansas appeared in Sports Illustrated's tribute to the state.
Eight-man teams by state
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- Note: States with limited eight-man teams may be affiliated with out-of-state leagues
State | 8-man | 6-man | 9-man |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 19 | 8 | 0 |
Alaska | 4 | 8 | 0 |
Arizona | 31 | 0 | 0 |
Arkansas | 8 | 0 | 0 |
California | 108 | 0 | 0 |
Colorado | 40 | 30 | 0 |
Connecticut | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Delaware | 15 | 0 | 0 |
Florida | 15 | 32 | 0 |
Georgia | 21 | 0 | 0 |
Hawaii | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Idaho | 45 | 2 | 0 |
Illinois | 24 | 1 | 0 |
Indiana | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Iowa | 61 | 0 | 0 |
Kansas | 87 | 22 | 0 |
Kentucky | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Louisiana | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Maine | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Maryland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Michigan | 64 | 0 | 0 |
Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 70 |
Mississippi | 21 | 0 | 0 |
Missouri | 39[5] | 0 | 0 |
Montana | 41 | 37 | 0 |
Nebraska[6] | 115 | 34 | 0 |
Nevada | 77 | 0 | 0 |
New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 0 |
New Jersey | 2 | 0 | 0 |
New Mexico | 18 | 11 | 0 |
New York | 29 | 0 | 0 |
North Carolina | 15 | 0 | 0 |
North Dakota | 0 | 7 | 42 |
Ohio | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Oklahoma | 88 | 0 | 0 |
Oregon | 26 | 23 | 35 |
Pennsylvania | 21 | 0 | 0 |
Rhode Island | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Carolina | 19 | 0 | 0 |
South Dakota | 0 | 0 | 79 |
Tennessee | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Texas | 0 | 234 | 0 |
Utah[7] | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Vermont | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Virginia | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Washington | 34 | 0 | 0 |
Washington, D.C. | 1 | 0 | 0 |
West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wisconsin | 57 | 0 | 0 |
Wyoming | 0 | 13 | 0 |
High school eight-man football
Of the 30 states that sponsor the 1,161 eight-man teams in the nation, teams are categorized by "class", "division", or "districts" with sub-conferences within each. States may elect to use either a playoff format or a "bowl game" format (Jamboree). For states with few eight-man teams, no official postseason is organized, instead electing for "Conference Champions".
Playoff format[8] States that elect a playoff format will seed teams based on regular season records and conference standings. Depending on the sizes of each class, division, or district, the playoff bracket is adjusted accordingly. Teams will advance through the bracket until a state champion is crowned.
Bowl Game format[9] States that elect a bowl game format, also known as a Jamboree, will seed teams based on regular season records and pair them against like-seeded opponents (i.e. #1 vs #1, #2 vs #2, #3 vs #3, and #4 vs #4). In this format, teams play one postseason game as there is no advancement through levels as in a playoff format.
Game play
Eight-man football consists of fast-paced games with higher scoring than the traditional game. Eight-man scores vary depending on the offensive and defensive strategies. Scores typically fall in the 40-60 point range, with "high scoring" games reaching the 70s and "low scoring" games falling below 30.[10] Eight-man football is noted for producing multi-skilled players that are responsible for playing several positions, which require speed, agility, and strength.
Offense
A variety of offensive formations can be used in eight-man football, most of which are converted from traditional eleven-man formations. Eight-man football rules require five players to be on the line of scrimmage with players on each end remaining pass eligible. The interior of the line consists of two
Attempting the
Defense
General defensive alignments in eight-man football consist of
Special teams
Eight-man football includes special teams units similar to the traditional format. One notable difference is significantly fewer teams using field goal or extra point units, instead electing to go for a fourth down conversion or a two-point conversion. Additionally, many teams opt to onside kick instead of kick deep. This saves players' energy since there are often few backups.[11]
Notable reduced-player football alumni
Every year, eight-man football players, as well as other reduced-player football players, receive scholarships and/or opportunities to play collegiately. Below is a list of notable reduced-player football alumni.[12]
Leighton Vander Esch — (born February 8, 1996) is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the 1st Round of the 2018 NFL draft with the 19th overall pick. He was also named to the 2018 Pro Bowl.
Popularity in countries outside the U.S.
The
An eight-man league is also played in Ireland. This league, named DV8, is used as developmental league for rookies before they go on to compete in the 11man IAFL. In 2009, six teams competed in the DV8 league – Dublin Dragons, Edenderry Soldiers, Trinity College Dublin, Craigavon Cowboys, UCD Sentinels and Erris Rams. The format is growing in England and predominantly in the north west, with the formation of the 8GL starting September 2020 (see Facebook) teams include Leigh Miners, St Helens Cardinals, Wigan Raiders, Warrington Scorpions making up the northern conference. The southern conference has 3 teams, Midlands Storm, Warwickshire bears and the Kings Lynn Patriots.
See also
- Six-man football
- Nine-man football
- Arena Football
References
- ^ "MaxPreps Football 6/8/9-Man Rankings". MaxPreps. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "WIAA Eight-Player Rule Differences and Field Diagrams". WIAAWI.org. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Arena Football League". ArenaFootball.com. Arena Football. Archived from the original on 18 October 2003. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Arkansas 8-Man (8 Man) Football (2019) Standings - MaxPreps".
- ^ "2022-2023 Missouri High School Class and District Assignments for 8-Man Football".
- ^ "Omaha's new high schools will join Metro Conference, play Class A in all sports but football". December 2021.
- ^ "High School Football: Rich wins Utah's First 8 Player Game". 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Michigan High School Athletic Association". MHSAA.com. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association". WIAAWI.org. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Wisconsin Eight-man Football Scores". MaxPreps. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "4 Reasons To Stop Kicking Deep". 8mandefense.com. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- ^ . KTVB.com. KVTB. 2014-05-16 http://www.ktvb.com/story/sports/2014/07/03/12176425/. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
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(help) - ^ "Northern Michigan tackle Jake Witt aims to 'be a sponge' as NFL journey begins with Colts".
- ^ "Aggies' McGee: A perfect fit". Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
- ^ Football: The six-man world Archived November 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. San Antonio Express-News October 14, 2006.
External links
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