Huddle In sport , a huddle is an action of a team gathering together , usually in a tight circle , to strategise , motivate or celebrate . It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information , and acts as a form of insulation when the level of noise in the venue is such that normal on - field communication is difficult . Commonly the leader of the huddle is the team captain and it is the captain who will try to inspire his fellow team members to achieve success . Similarly after an event a huddle may take place to congratulate one another for the teams success , or to commiserate a defeat . The term " huddle " can be used as a verb as in " huddling up " . The huddle is commonly used in American football and Canadian football to strategise before each play ; the offensive team ' s huddle is almost always led by the quarterback , and the defensive huddle is typically led by one of the linebacker s . It is also popular in basketball , football and cricket . The huddle became more widely used in cricket after the India national team used it to great success during the 2003 Cricket World Cup . The England team has imitated this technique with some success , notably in the 2005 Ashes series . Types . Circular . The modern - day circular huddle , in which the players all face inward in a tight circle , was invented by Gallaudet University quarterback Paul D . Hubbard in 1892 . Gallaudet was among the first schools intended for the education of deaf and hard - of - hearing students , and the first intended for their postsecondary education . When quarterbacking , Hubbard realized that his hand signals could be read by opposing players , a particular concern when Gallaudet played other schools for the deaf . To remedy this , he had his players form a circle so that his sign - language signals could be sent and received without anyone on the sidelines or on the opposing team seeing . Former University of Illinois Coach Bob Zuppke is also credited with the invention of this formation . This type of huddle is still in common use today , typically between plays in American Football as the quarterback assigns the next play to the offense . Typewriter . The typewriter huddle is a huddle formation created by former Florida State Head Coach Tom Nugent in the mid - 1950s . It is typically used between a coach and multiple players , or when a quarterback or other player wants to create an image of being separate from the team , dictating to them , rather than being a part of the group , as with the circular huddle . The players being spoken to are arranged in two or more rows , the front row often kneeling or crouching . The player or coach speaking can then be assured that he has the attention of the entire audience , something that often is not possible if that person is in the center of a circular huddle . Though allowing players breathing room and providing space for more participants than a circular huddle , it is not as secure , as observers on the sidelines may be able to see hand signals or read the speaker ' s lips . American football . Though seemingly random , huddles can have several forms . In American football , the huddle originated before the first collegiate football game in 1869 . Before the 1890s , football players didn ’ t form huddles ; they instead discussed the play far enough from the other team that they could not be overheard . As American football became more organized and formalized , so too did the huddle . The football team at Oregon Agricultural College was one of the very first schools nationally to use the huddle formation in a game . It happened against the University of Washington in Seattle during the 1918 season . Head coach Bill Hargiss instructed the starters that once they returned to the field , they were to stand 10 yards behind the ball before the beginning of each play and whisper to one another what they were going to do next . An eyewitness to the game was veteran Seattle sports columnist Royal Brougham , whose stories of the contest give testimony today to the program ' s early use of this pioneering new formation . Another instance of its use was when the huddle was formed by Paul Hubbard , a deaf player who went to Gallaudet University in Washington , D . C . To avoid having the other team see his sign language between plays , he and his team huddled to conceal the signs . Association football ( soccer ) . In Association football , the huddle has been used before games by Brazil and the Ireland national teams and club team such as Derry City FC . Club teams such as Celtic FC from Scotland also use it . Australian football . In contrast to other sports , the huddle is a specific tactic in Australian football , used by the team kicking in after a behind is scored , or some delayed stoppage . All players in the backline gather together about fifty metres from goal . Then , the players individually lead away from the huddle in all directions . The technique means that there will be several leading players , making it difficult to defend the first kick - in . It also allows teams to run set plays for the second and third kicks . The huddle was developed during the 1970s , and is still used today by many teams . Retail . UK supermarket Sainsbury ' s also utilise the huddle , known as the morning , afternoon or daily huddle depending at what time of the day the huddle is held at . The team huddle is used in order to keep team members up to date with what is going on in store and also as a method to increase team morale within the organisation . Surname . The surname " Huddle " is associated with a family of Americans in the state of Virginia . The origin is German , once being referenced as Hottel . The surname is still active in Virginia .