How To Install Motions & Shifts Into Your Offense

Putting a player in motion is one of the many ways an offense can attempt to deceive the defense.

This article will explain what a legal motion is and how to use them within your offense.

Install Motions

First, only one player can go in motion at a time. Once one player motions, he must get completely set before another person can go in motion.

Second, only players who are lined up off the line of scrimmage can go in motion. Players who are on the line of scrimmage must first get off the line of scrimmage, and then they can motion. We talk more about eligible receivers in the video below.

Types of Motion In Football

Every weekend during football season, it seems that a team will find a new way to move a skilled player before the snap. While there are countless forms of motion, the ones displayed below are the ones found in most playbooks.

Jet

Jet motion is a motion in which the player travels across the formation with the ball being snapped just before the player reaches the quarterback. This allows players to perform outside run plays while already at full speed at the snap of the ball. This is also known as the “Fly” motion in some terminology, especially in the Wing-T.

In

This is a move into the backfield by a player from an outside alignment. There is usually a destination tag or word associated with this motion to tell the player where they are supposed to end up at the snap of the ball. For example, a gun, wing, or sniffer could be a destination for players using the “In” motion.

Return

Return is built on “Over” and “Across” motion. In Return, the player will cross over to the other side of the formation and then return to their original alignment at the snap of the ball.

Exit

This is a motion used by a running back as he leaves the backfield to a wide alignment. Exit is usually paired with a destination, for example, “Exit to Wide,” telling the back where they need to be in the formation.

Orbit

Orbit is another motion for the running back. This time, the back will be in the shotgun, motion behind the quarterback, and move laterally down the line of scrimmage until the ball is snapped.

Benefits of Motion

The reasons a team uses motion fall into three categories: momentum, deception, and leverage.

Momentum, or speed at the snap, allows the player to build to full speed from the snap rather than starting from a set stance from a standstill.

Deception is another advantage gained from motion. Flashing players across the formation can take the linebacker’s eyes off the ball and their read keys and away from the play.

Running a play that utilizes a certain motion can have the defense anticipating that play until you run a different concept off of that same motion, leaving the defense confused and open up for a big gain.

Finally, the leverage gained with motion creates an edge for the offense. Motioning to a wider alignment for an easier outside release and moving into the backfield to better secure a block are advantages that motion brings to the table.

Shifts

It is important to distinguish between a motion and a shift when examining legal motions. In the picture above, the Y and Z will start on the left side. When the quarterback says “shift”, they will move to the other side. This will be the final result.

The offense is free to shift and move as many players as they want as long as they are all set for a full second before the ball is snapped.

If the offense wants to get set and then move all of their players at the same time, they are allowed to do so, as long as the players aren’t moving at full speed. Any sudden football moves can be called a false start or ian llegal shift.

Motioning is different than shifting because all players are allowed to be moving before the ball is snapped in shifting. Only one player is allowed to be moving in motion, and that movement must be lateral to the line of scrimmage.

No forward movement at the time of the snap is permitted

Other Notes on Motion

Coaches have gotten creative in how they call their motions and shifts. You’ll often see back position changes or backfield players moving to wide receivers as a shift.

There are endless ways to run different variations of motions; the number one thing to consider is the legality of the motion when incorporating it into the offense.

Shifts are a great way to utilize multiple player movement pre-snap, just remember to be set for one full second before the ball is snapped.

Many teams will pair the position with a shortened form of the motion for communication purposes. For example, teams that label the tight end as “Y” can use “YAC” for the Y-Across motion and “YIN” for the Y-In motion. If a team labels the running back as “T,” those same principles can be applied to “TAC” (T-Across) and “TIN” (T-In) motion.

Different teams will use different terminology for the same motions. That means you could see these same motions called different names depending on the system.