Football Training, Animation Techniques, and Statistical Analysis

Abstract

A training system may provide audible and visual instruction to American football players for executing one or more coordinated movements along the line of scrimmage. The movements comprise positioning an offensive line in a first legal configuration prior to a snap, wherein a first player is lined up to snap the ball, then shifting to position the offensive line in a second legal configuration, wherein a different player is lined up to snap the ball. In some implementations, a further shift to a third legal configuration is executed before the ball is snapped, where the third configuration might or might not have the first player lined up to snap the ball. In others, only part of the offensive line shifts. The features of this system and method may be embodied in execution of the movements, training materials, training devices, computer simulations, computer gaming simulations, and statistical analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A training system for American football comprising a training device, wherein the training device is adapted to:
 (a) display a set of symbols at a first position, each symbol of the set of symbols corresponding to an offensive player, wherein a first player associated with a first symbol in the set of symbols is aligned with a ball at a snap position; and   (b) display the set of symbols at a second position, wherein the second position has a subset of the set of symbols shifted relative to the first position, wherein the subset of the set of symbols corresponds to at least two members of an offensive line, and wherein a second player associated with a second symbol in the set of symbols is aligned with the ball, the second player being one of the offensive players other than the first player.   
     
     
         2 . The training system of  claim 1 , wherein the training device is further adapted to:
 (c) provide an indication that, after a pause of at least one second, the ball is to be snapped.   
     
     
         3 . The training system of  claim 1 , wherein the training device is further adapted to:
 (c) after displaying the set of symbols at the second position, display the set of symbols at a third position, wherein the third position has a second subset of the set of symbols shifted relative to the second position, wherein the second subset of the set of symbols corresponds to at least two members of the offensive line, and wherein a third player associated with a third symbol in the set of symbols is aligned with the ball, the third player being one of the offensive players other than the second player.   
     
     
         4 . The training system of  claim 3 , wherein the training device is further adapted to, before step (c):
 (b1) display a set of defensive symbols at a first defensive position, each symbol of the set of defensive symbols corresponding to a defensive player; and   (b2) display the set of defensive symbols at a second defensive position.   
     
     
         5 . The training system of  claim 1 , wherein the training device comprises a computing device, and wherein the computing device is operable to display a simulated training environment. 
     
     
         6 . The training system of  claim 1 , wherein the first player is a guard, and the second player is a center. 
     
     
         7 . The training system of  claim 1 , wherein the first player is a center, and the second player is a guard. 
     
     
         8 . An American football training method comprising the steps:
 (a) displaying a first position for a set of players and a ball at a snap position, wherein the first position has a first player from the set of players aligned with the ball; and   (b) displaying a second position for the set of players, wherein
 the second position has at least a first subset of players moved from the first position, 
 the first subset of players corresponds to at least two members of an offensive line, and 
 the second position has a second player aligned with the ball, the second player being one of the offensive players other than the first player. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step:
 (c) displaying a third position for the set of players, wherein   the third position has at least a second subset of players moved from the second position,   the second subset of players corresponds to at least two members of the offensive line, and   the third position has a third player aligned with the ball, the third player being one of the offensive players other than the second player.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of, before displaying the third position for the set of players:
 (c) displaying a set of defensive symbols at a first defensive position, each symbol of the set of defensive symbols corresponding to a defensive player; and   (d) displaying the set of defensive symbols at a second defensive position.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein displaying the first position and the second position is performed by a training device comprising a computing device, wherein the computing device is operable to display a simulated training environment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first player is a guard, and the second player is a center. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first player is a center, and the second player is a guard. 
     
     
         14 . A method of playing American football with a ball, comprising the steps of:
 (a) positioning an offensive line in a first legal configuration relative to the ball prior to a snap, wherein the offensive line comprises a plurality of players that includes a first player and a second player, and wherein the first legal configuration has the first player aligned with the ball;   (b) shifting at least a portion of the offensive line to a second legal configuration relative to the ball, wherein the second legal configuration has the second player aligned with the ball; and   (c) snapping the ball.   
     
     
         15 . The method of playing American football of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of players further comprises a third player, the method further comprising:
 (b′) after the shifting step, shifting at least a portion of the offensive line to third legal configuration relative to the ball, wherein the third legal configuration has the third player aligned with the ball.   
     
     
         16 . The method of playing American football of  claim 15 , wherein the third legal configuration has the first player aligned with the ball. 
     
     
         17 . The method of playing American football of  claim 14 , wherein the shift is performed by a proper subset of the set of players in the offensive line.