2. Throwing the Ball

I shall discuss the art of throwing a football under three main headings: the grip, delivery of the ball, and setting up to pass. Grip and delivery are the mechanics of actually throwing the ball—of getting it up into the air. Setting up to pass, on the other hand, refers to getting into position to throw the ball; and these fundamental movements (which must become fully automatic for the passer) are part and parcel of the various pass plays.

The mechanics of throwing the ball must obviously become second nature to the passer if he is going to develop any skill in throwing the ball. No amount of instruction on my part can do that for him—only practice, practice, and yet more practice in throwing countless passes of all kinds will enable him to master the art, regardless of whatever natural ability he may have.

THE GRIP

To pass, you have to hold the ball, and it is no secret that the forward pass has to start with the passer's grip. Although there probably are many methods of gripping the ball, I will discuss only three of the more popular grips. They are the three types of grip that I have observed to be the most widely used in analyzing the different techniques employed by passers on all levels of play—high school, college, and professional. These three types are the overhand grip, the thumb grip, and the palm grip. Each has its particular features which may be preferable for one reason or another. If you can master the one that is most suitable for you, then you won't have to bother much about the others.

THE OVERHAND GRIP. The first grip to be considered, and the big favor­ite among passers, is the overhand grip (see Fig. 1). The hand should grip the ball in the following manner: The little finger is placed on the third horizontal lacing with the middle finger approximately an inch directly above the ring finger. The index finger takes a wider spread than the other fingers and at more of an angle so that it almost touches the point of the ball. The thumb almost makes a right angle to the index finger and rests on the underside of the ball.

Fig.   1.    The overhand  grip.

You will notice from the illustration that the hand is grasping the ball well at the top. It has been my experience that this grip offers the best control, accuracy, and distance. The index finger is the controlling factor and should be the last finger to "feel" leather as the ball is released.

Palming the ball tightly with all four fingers is not as necessary as some people may believe. Beginners use this method extensively and should be discouraged by their instructors because wrapping all fingers around the ball will add nothing to the development of a novice into a genuine passer.

Throwing  the Ball

Fig.  2.    The  thumb  grip.

THE THUMB GRIP. The second method of holding the ball to be con­sidered is the thumb grip. Although not as popular as the overhand grip, it has been used successfully by many top-notch passers. To cite but two of them, Bob Waterfield of the Rams and Bobby Thomason, who served six years with the Eagles, both used the thumb grip.

This grip finds the thumb resting about an inch above the laces toward the top of the ball (see Fig. 2). The index is at a right angle to the thumb, and the other fingers are about an inch apart from each other.

Fig.  3.    The   palm   grip.

THE PALM GRIP. The third method of holding the ball is known as the palm grip. The reason it is being given extensive consideration here is due to its antiquity and widespread use, particularly by high school passers, beginners, and young men with small hands who have to employ it because of a lack of finger-spread.   Also, it is the easiest way and the laziest way.

The thrower merely cradles the ball in the palm of his hand and lets go (see Fig. 3).

Actually, it isn't even a grip, and almost any other method of throwing is recommended because the palm grip affords little, if any, control over the direction, arc, distance, or accuracy of the ball. Passers using the palm "hold" have been observed to release the ball in a more horizontal, or side-arm, movement to generate the centrifugal force necessary to create a spiral flight.

There are other drawbacks as well. The palm "hold" pass will not carry the same distance with the same velocity as passes thrown with the over­hand or the thumb grips. The added time in flight gives the defensive secondary a greater opportunity for interceptions. Also, the free hand must be used to help the throwing hand hold the ball virtually to the time of release. A fast rush by the defense necessitates releasing the ball quickly. Thus a passer, if he is to be effective, must mold the ball quickly and, as he fades, must be ready to fire away as his receiver breaks or his opponents rush.

A final note of warning should still be given. The palm ball can also be knocked out easily from the hand and on a rainy or snowy day, it can be about as tough to handle as a greased eel.

DELIVERY OF THE  BALL

On the assumption that you use either the overhand, or thumb method of holding the ball, the next step to consider is the delivery. For a start, the arm and hand are cocked backwards over the shoulder, elbow relatively close to the body, hand well back to where it feels comfortable and natural. Then, fire the ball forward as fast as you can.

The speed in the whip of the arm and hand is in direct proportion to the velocity and distance the ball will travel. Accuracy will come through constant practice. While delivering the ball, exaggerate throwing the elbow out in front of the body so that the point of the ball will stay up and therefore carry farther. This is called "long arm" action. It cannot be over-emphasized.

In releasing the ball, draw the fingers and the hand inward and down­ward. This should provide the spiral flight so necessary to a well-thrown ball.

In summary, then, the following two actions, in addition to a proper grip, are very important for the execution of the pass. (1) Use an inward and downward pull of the fingers and hand on the ball. (2) Keep the nose of the ball up by throwing the elbow out in front of the body as the ball is released.

Passers usually throw in one of three ways: (1) from behind the ear; (2) with a three-quarter arm motion; and (3) sidearm. This last method, however, is not as much used as the preceding two.

Fig.  4.     Delivery of the ball from behind the ear.

BEHIND THE EAR. I go along with the majority of coaches who, in teaching a young quarterback how to pass, emphasize the behind-the-ear technique (see Fig. 4). The reason for preferring it is that the ball is cocked and ready to be thrown as with the crack of a whip, thus increasing the speed of the delivery.

I have observed single-wing teams whose center will actually snap the ball to the right of the passer's helmet so that he could make the throw sooner. Both U.C.L.A. and the University of Tennessee were foremost advocates of this technique. But snapping the ball back in this way had its drawback in that often the passer rose to an erect position before the count was completed and tipped off the defense that a pass was in the works.

Fig. 5.    Three-quarter arm motion for delivering the ball.

THREE-QUARTER ARM MOTION. Despite the better release of the ball obtained with the behind-the-ear delivery, the three-quarter arm motion is probably the most widely used method (see Fig. 5).   The explanation is simple: it is the most natural delivery of a ball for most passers, usually because of the common handicap of a lack of flexibility in the shoulder joint.

In contrast to the behind-the-ear type of delivery, it would seem likely that in throwing a ball for any great length, the passer employing the three-quarter motion would give a higher trajectory on the ball. This, in turn, could prove the downfall of such a passer, for this higher trajectory could cause the ball to "hang" in the air longer, thus giving the defenders a greater opportunity to get under it and intercept.

THROWING SIDEARM. As for the sidearm delivery (see Fig. 6), this method is not recommended to young passers learning how to throw the ball. A sidearm release results in a lower trajectory, which in turn, gives the big defensive linemen more of a chance to knock down the pass before it attains its "safety" height.

But nothing is an exact science, especially throwing a football. The sidearm pass is not thrown frequently by the present-day pros, but it was a very effective delivery when employed by Sammy Baugh to set all kinds of passing records during his 17 years with the Washington Redskins.

In at least one case, the sidearm delivery comes to a good passer, almost by accident or by necessity. For example, Bobby Thomason was a behind-the-ear passer when he was a star at Virginia Military Institute, and also when he broke in with the Rams in 1949. A few years later, when I encountered him again, this time in an Eagles uniform, he was throwing sidearm. A shoulder injury suffered while playing softball forced this radical change in Bobby's delivery. It served him with great effectiveness, although he was often plagued with a sore arm during the training season.

Despite my advocacy of the behind-the-ear delivery, I am not prejudiced solely in its behalf. The adoption of any of these three methods does not mean a short-cut to passing proficiency. The best way to throw is to do what comes naturally, either by throwing from behind the ear, or with a three-quarter or sidearm motion. Passing proficiency will only come by following the coach's orders and practising, not until the arm drops off, but until the arm responds in the manner dictated by the eyes and the brain.

There is, moreover, a further point to be made about the several methods of delivering the ball. Any great passer, while he may concentrate on one passing method, has to have a working knowledge of all three because of the various situations that may confront him. For instance, if he gets a tremendous rush up the middle or from the outside, he will have to release the ball while off-balance to a short or an outlet receiver, thus nullifying the rush. If, in this crisis, a passer has to set both feet and cock the ball behind his ear to throw, he is pretty certain to land on his ear.

Fig. 6.     S¡dearm delivery of the ball.

Besides departing from his norm and throwing the ball with a sidearm or three-quarter motion, a behind-the-ear passer could even find himself throwing the ball underhand with his left hand as I once did in a Rams-Eagles game in 1955. Norman (Wild Man) Willey, the Eagles' strong, crashing, defensive end, had me by the throat on a third down in the final minutes of play. In desperation, and while half falling, I slipped the ball into my left hand and flipped it underhand to halfback Ron Waller for the first down. It proved to be the key play of the game. Les Richter kicked a last-second field goal that gave the Rams a come-from-behind, 23-21 victory. In other words, a passer has to do what comes instinctively when confronted with situations of the greatest stress and strain.

GREAT PASSERS. A description of the various methods of passing would hardly be complete without a glance at some of the master passers and a short explanation of what made them tick. Not necessarily in the order of their mastery, let's take a look at Otto Graham, Bobby Lane, Bob Waterfield, Y. A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas, and Charley Connerly.

Otto Graham used an overhand grip and a three-quarter motion. The peerless passer of the Cleveland Browns generally threw a soft, floating type of ball. While watching Graham's ball in flight, the observer would wonder if the ball was ever going to come down, but it always did, and invariably in the arms of a Browns' receiver.

Apparently, contact between Otto and his receivers was the ultimate in timing. Also, Graham had been throwing constantly ever since he entered pro football to the same distinguished targets, Dante Lavelli, Mac Speedie, and Dub Jones. If other passers threw as soft a ball as Otto did, the chances are that the interceptions would far outnumber the receptions.

Bobby Layne, the rough, tough competitor for the Detroit Lions and then the Pittsburgh Steelers uses the overhand grip, sometimes throwing with three-quarter motion and sometimes from behind the ear. In contrast to Graham, Layne fires a real sharp, hard, heavy ball that gets to its target quickly but sometimes is hard to handle.

Strangely, these two types of deliveries typified the individual using them: Graham, the suave, gracious type who was all finesse; and Layne, the Texas toughie, who demands, with strident emphasis, the maximum effort from his teammates as well as from himself.

Bob Waterfield was a thumb-over-laces expert. The former great of the Rams and then head coach of the same team, threw from behind the ear and had such tremendous follow-through motion in his arm that he could throw a perfect spiral at all times. In the four years I played with Bob, I don't recall him ever throwing a wobbly ball, even under the most extreme pressure.

As to personality, Waterfield was the introvert type of field general who kept himself aloof from the squad. He was a stickler for perfection and commanded respect from his teammates for his tremendous all-round per­formance, all around the clock.

Y. A. Tittle, the bald-headed indestructible of the San Francisco 49ers, can best be described as the scrambling type of quarterback. In other words, he seems to be more effective when faced with adversity, like a golfer landing in the rough and ending up cracking par. Tittle shows best when under pressure, or when forced to improvise. For instance, his famed Alley-Oop pass is certainly an improvisation. He uses the hands-on-laces grip, a three-quarter delivery, and throws especially well while on the run.

Johnny Unitas, the sandlot Cinderella of the Baltimore Colts, wraps his fingers on the laces and uses the behind-the-ear delivery. One of the factors that makes him the hottest young passer is his artful use of the protective pocket. He throws a razor sharp ball with complete arm and body follow-through. Therefore, the ball does not hang in the air, and he suffers a minimum of interceptions. He throws all types of passes well, but does better with short to medium throws than with the long pass. One of his greatest assets is that he is never caught off-balance.

Charley Conerly, the venerable giant-killer of the New York Giants, subscribes to the gnarled hands on the laces grip with a three-quarter motion. He is exceptionally accurate when he sets up the throw with both feet on the ground and gets good blocking. All other things being equal, Conerly will go down in sports history as one of the most accurate passers of all time.   His forte is a sharp, medium-heavy ball.

To sum up these comments, the outstanding quality of all these top quarterbacks is that they possess magnificent arms and the poise to go with the arm. But, they are not of a mold. They are like outstanding generals-individualists to the nth degree and possessed of the brains, flexibility, and talent to meet every kind of situation.

SETTING UP TO PASS

Setting oneself up to pass is vitally important to the success of the passing game. The passer should perform this action as quickly and precisely as the timing with his teammates permits.

I shall discuss the six most widely used methods of setting up to pass in modern football. Quarterbacks across the country utilize the following: straight-back; roll-out; run-out; play number; waggle pass; and the running pass.

FADING STRAIGHT BACK. Let us first consider the straight-back pass. This is used by National Football League quarterbacks in approximately 65 to 70 per cent of their passes.

In the various T formations the quarterback takes his stance immediately behind the center. The snap from the center should turn the ball so that it is placed in the quarterback's hands in his customary grip, ready to be cocked for the delivery.

Fig.  7.     Receiving  the  snap  from  center.

The quarterback takes the ball from the center and retreats directly back from the line of scrimmage to a point about seven to nine yards deep. In this move from scrimmage, he employs a sort of boxer's glide, in which he side-steps with the right foot (this applies to right-handed passers) and crosses over with the left foot until he covers the desired distance. (See Figs. 7 and 8.)

Fig.  8.    Crossing  over with the  left foot.

During this retreat backwards, the body should be facing perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. Never allow your back to be turned to the scrim­mage line because the opponents' rush would be undetectable. Or as my former Rams' teammate Deacon Dan Towler so sagely observed, "them that don't see them, feels them."

Fig.  9.     The moment's  hesitation  before  moving  forward  into  the  protective

pocket.

After setting up at seven to nine yards deep, stand there for a couple of counts to draw the defensive ends to that point. (See Fig. 9.) Then move forward into the protective pocket formed by the linemen. The momen­tary hesitation back there helps your blockers pick out the defensive ends as they rush in.

There are two important points to remember when setting up on a straight-back pass. (1) Never look directly at the intended receiver. (2) Scan the field with your eyes or look in the opposite direction.

The reason for this advice is almost obvious. Good defensive halfbacks key their movements on the quarterback's eyes. Therefore, it's the quarter­back's job to "look him off" with the eyes. Another point that helps the passer's game is to "flag" or fake a throw by using long arm action. This bothers the defensive secondary no end by faking them deep when they should be close. Unitas does this more often and with greater success than any quarterback I have ever seen.

THE ROLL-OUT. Now, let's move to the roll-out. This pass constitutes most of the passing game in intercollegiate football today. After taking the snap from center, the quarterback does a three-quarter reverse pivot (see Fig. 10). He continues his roll into the flat, giving ground until he is out­side the defensive end.

This type of pass is very effective if the quarterback has the ability to run as well as pass. As the quarterback rolls at the defense, the defense must declare whether it is going to play pass defense or to defend against the run. The quarterback should be coached to respond according to the defense's reaction. The double threat is that a team can throw all its strong-side and weak-side passes off the roll-out type of pass.

Fig.  10.    A three-quarter pivot to the right for the roll-out.

THE RUN-OUT. The run-out pass is first cousin to the roll-out. In the run-out, the quarterback rolls out from center, using a front one-quarter pivot instead of the three-quarter reverse. (See Fig. 11.) On taking the first step, he looks directly at his intended receiver. In contrast to the roll-out pass, the quarterback can set up and throw on any step when using this type of pass. Like the roll-out, the run-out poses for the offense the double threat of the pass and run. The main reason for the run-out is to hit the receiver on quick pass cuts.

Fig.   11.    The front one-quarter pivot for the run-out pass.

THE PLAY NUMBER SET-UP. Faking a run and throwing a pass is called a play number pass. Coaches throughout the country will have passes thrown from plays that have proven to be their best ground-gainers.

For example, if one team's best running play is the fullback off-tackle, the quarterback will fake to the fullback diving off-tackle and throw a pass to an end or a halfback. This type of pass is especially useful when a team is having success with its running game. It serves as a counter-irritant; and even if not successful on any given try, it helps to keep the defense loose.

When the ground attack appears to be getting in gear, it usually happens that the defensive secondary starts coming up fast to help stop the runs. This is the quarterback's signal for a play number pass.  Talk to your backs and find out who in the defensive secondary are the most eager-beaver tacklers. Additionally, proper film scouting will reveal whether a defensive man is taking his run or pass keys from the first movement of your ends or halfbacks.

Diagram 1.    Play number pass on a fullback off-tackle smash.

Diagram 2.    The waggle pass.

THE WAGGLE. The waggle pass is similar to the play number pass, except that the quarterback rolls out after faking to one of his backs. (See Diagram 2.) The waggle is especially suited for throwing to the spread end. The quarterback fakes to the flow of backs going to the left. Then after rolling out to his right, he fires to the spread end, with the onside guard pulling to provide pass protection. It's said around the National Football League that Eddie LeBaron "made a living" in the league, employing this type of attack successfully.

THE RUNNING PASS. The sixth, and final, method of setting up to pass employs the running pass. To make this type of attack click, the offense should have a good outside running game.

Diagram 3.    The running pass.

Frank Gifford, the Giants' perennial All-Pro, is the perfect type of halfback to execute the running pass. Frank is not only a talented runner, but an exceptional passer as well.

In executing this play, the quarterback hands off to the halfback, who tucks the ball away and starts around the end with the artistry and deter­mination of a man bent on a 60-yard gallop. But, after clearing the defensive end, the runner molds the ball in both hands and looks for receivers. If one is open, he can throw. But if the coverage is heavy, he can run, which in the case of a scooter like Gifford is usually good for substantial yardage.

Throughout this maneuver, the defense is under pressure on whether to play the run or play the pass. Showing the running pass prevents the defensive halfbacks from coming up with reckless abandon on end runs. This play is essential for a well-rounded offense.

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