T formation In American football , a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running back s line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback , forming the shape of a " T " . Numerous variations of the T formation have been developed , including the Power - T , where two tight end s are used , the Pro T , which uses one tight end and one wide receiver , or the Wing T , where one of the running backs ( or wingback ) lines up one step behind and to the side of the tight end . Any of these can be run using the original spacing , which produced a front of about seven yards , or the Split - T spacing , where the linemen were farther apart and the total length of the line was about fourteen yards . Obsolescence . The T formation is often said to be the oldest offensive formation in American football and is claimed to have been invented by Walter Camp in 1882 . However , as the forward pass was legalized , the original T became obsolete in favor of formations such as the single wing . Innovations , such as a smaller , more throwing - friendly ball , along with the invention of the hand - to - hand snap in the 1930s , led to the T ' s revival . The original T formation is seldom used today , but it was successful in the first half of the 20th century and led to a faster - paced , higher - scoring game . The T formation was made famous by Stanford University under Clark Shaughnessy in 1940 , Notre Dame under Frank Leahy , and by the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s to win 47 games in a row and three national titles . It was also the key weapon used by the Chicago Bears to defeat the Washington Redskins , 73 – 0 , in the 1940 NFL Championship Game and immortalized afterward in their fight song The formation is still used in a few instances at the high school level . Some smaller colleges and high schools , particularly in the Midwest , still use the T . It is also still used on some levels as a goal line formation ( often called a " full house " backfield today ) . Its simplicity , and emphasis on running , makes it particularly popular as a youth football formation . Modern uses . The key innovations of the T , however , still dominate offensive football . First , the T was the first offense where the quarterback took the snap from under center and then either handed off or dropped back to pass . Earlier offenses used the QB ( usually called the " blocking back " ) primarily as a blocker and the snap usually went to a halfback or tailback . The quarterback under center makes offenses very unpredictable since it is difficult to predict the play called based on formation alone . Second , the T allowed running backs to receive the hand - off from the quarterback and hit the " hole " at near full speed . This allowed more complex blocking schemes and gave offenses a temporary , but significant advantage . Other advantages offered by the T were : the ability of the QB to fake various handoffs ( which led to " option " plays ) , plays developed much faster than with the single - wing , far fewer double - team blocks were required because the back hit the hole more quickly , the back could choose a different hole than originally planned ( due to single - blocking across the line ) , the center was a more effective blocker because his head was up when he snapped the ball , and backs could be less versatile than required of single - wing backs . The use of the T Formation in Canada is slightly different because it is used in 12 man football . Another very popular variation is the Shotgun - T because it allows the quarterback to read the defense more effectively . It is very popular in high school football . It is rarely used in professional or college football . It is mostly used for sweeps . Evolution . The Chicago Bears T made great use of " man - in - motion " effectively making one of the three running backs into a receiver as he left the backfield . Thus , the T , originally designed as a more dynamic running offense , became a far more powerful passing offense than the single - wing , greatly enhancing its appeal . The two - back backfield naturally evolved into the " pro set " with only two running backs in the backfield and a " flanker " permanently posted out in a wide receiver position . Teams initially used a flanker primarily in the " slot " ( on the strong side ) because the hashmarks were still quite wide , as in college ball . In 1972 , the hash marks were moved to their present position , 70 feet , 9 inches from each sideline . This made the strong side / weak side far less of a factor and allowed the opening up of the passing attack . The pro set further evolved into today ' s complex offenses . Prevalence . Virtually all modern offensive formations are variations on the T theme . A notable exception is the Shotgun formation , first used by the San Francisco 49ers in 1959 / 1960 , popularized by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s , and now widely used in pro and college football . Most professional teams still utilize the shotgun formation but it is generally limited to passing downs . The " I " formation , first popularized in the AFL by the Kansas City Chiefs , circa 1968 , is another variation of the T used extensively by high school and , until recently , many college teams . The I is a strong running formation , with the fullback positioned forward with a tailback behind , providing mass at the point of attack . The " power I " places all three running backs in a line behind the quarterback , making it a very powerful running formation but difficult to pass from . The Chiefs of the late 1960s often sent one of the three backs in motion . The Wishbone formation , once dominant in college football but now virtually extinct , was another T variation , with the fullback positioned very close behind the quarterback , flanked by two halfbacks . This was a very strong running formation with the famous " triple option " where the quarterback could handoff to the fullback , run it himself , or pitch to the trailing halfback . It was run with great success by Darrell Royal ' s Texas teams , Barry Switzer ' s Oklahoma teams , Woody Hayes ' Ohio State teams , and Paul " Bear " Bryant ' s teams of the 1950s , 1960s , and 1970s . Obviously , this formation required a talented , running quarterback . It fell out of favor because well - coached , physical defenses can stop the option and the wishbone is a poor passing formation . History . The T - formation was viewed as a complicated " gadget " offense by early football coaches . But NFL owner - coach George Halas and Ralph Jones of the Chicago Bears along with University of Chicago coach Clark Shaughnessy , University of Texas coach Dana X . Bible , and Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy became persuasive advocates . Shaughnessy worked as an advisor to Halas in the 1930s while he coached the University of Chicago himself . The T became much more viable in 1933 when passing was legalized anywhere behind the line of scrimmage ( previously , the passer had to be five yards behind the line ) . Halas recruited Solly Sherman , the Quarterback for the University of Chicago because of his experience with the T - Formation under Clark Shaughnessy . Solly then taught Sid Luckman the system . Sherman , a former half back , had torn his meniscus in college , and converted to quarterback his senior year when Shaughnessy installed the T - Formation at the University of Chicago . Eventually he played backup to Sid Luckman with the Bears in 1939 and 1940 and retired so that he could join the war effort . Sid Luckman went on to win four NFL championships in the 1940s . Sid Luckman , in his book " Luckman at Quarterback " written in 1949 , stated that several hundred plays in the Chicago Bears play book , gave him over 1 , 000 options for man - in - motion deceptions , complicated blocking schemes and multiple passing options not previously available . The last team to run the single - wing in the NFL , the Pittsburgh Steelers , converted to the T in 1953 . Since that time , the T , and all its variants , have dominated offensive football and created the American football now employed throughout the NCAA and NFL . The T is referenced in the Chicago Bears fight song , " Bear Down , Chicago Bears " , written after the 1940 championship over Washington . " We ' ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation , with your T formation . . . " Additionally , two books detail the development of the T with the Bears . " The Chicago Bears " by Howard Roberts written in 1947 , credits several coaches including Ralph Jones and Clark Shaughnessy for upgrading the T and teaching it to a succession of Bears QB ' s . " The Wow Boys " by James W . Johnson written in 2006 tells the story of the Stanford University football season of 1940 . The arrival of Shaunghnessy and his T offense led to a 10 - 0 season and a victory in the Rose Bowl over heavily favored University of Nebraska . The Bears thumping of the Washington Redskins 73 - 0 a few weeks later caused a sensation . The T swept college and pro football . The brain trust that created the T was always anchored by Coach Halas , who had the savvy for what worked and an eye for the players that fit .