| Over the last 10 years, as football continued to | | | | wide receiver. So the elimination of two tackles |
| grow in popularity at all levels, high school, college | | | | and one wide receiver is the most common |
| and pro, a new approach has been launched. Eight | | | | change. |
| man football has grown in popularity, in particular | | | | On the defensive side of the ball, the most |
| during this decade. Now, 18 states have official | | | | common change to formation involves the |
| associations for eight man high school teams. | | | | elimination of two defensive backs and one |
| This is where the sport, and it's cousin, six man | | | | defensive lineman. A very common defensive |
| football, got it's start. Smaller high schools, without | | | | formation is a 3-3-2 with a nose tackle, two |
| the population of male athletes that bigger schools | | | | defensive ends, three linebackers, and two |
| have, couldn't field competitive eleven man | | | | defensive backs. |
| squads. As I looked for the history of the eight | | | | In general, due to the smaller field and fewer |
| man game, it was difficult to find anything related | | | | players, the pace of eight man football is fast and |
| to it's start. Six man football was documented as | | | | scores are high. It's not uncommon to see scores |
| having started around 1934. But since both sports | | | | like 72-64 on a regular basis. 100 point games are |
| are typically organized and tracked state by state, | | | | not unheard of. Many state associations utilize a |
| I haven't found any details about the start of the | | | | mercy rule when a team gets up by 45 or more |
| eight man version. | | | | points as a result. |
| Rules and approaches differ from state to state, | | | | I started reading about eight and six man football |
| but for the most part, the game is similar to the | | | | because my sons both played for very small high |
| eleven man version. Scoring is basically the same, | | | | school football teams. Most of the time, due to a |
| although a lot of teams go for 2 point | | | | lack of depth, most players played both ways and |
| conversions rather than kicking extra points. This | | | | on special teams. Both my sons were pretty |
| is mostly due to the lack of players who specialize | | | | much on the football field for every play of the |
| in the kicking game. | | | | entire game. |
| Many leagues use a slightly different football field. | | | | Fortunately both my sons were able to play on |
| Many eight man associations use an field that is | | | | good teams. But some of the teams we played |
| 80 yards long and 40 yards wide as compared to | | | | really struggled to field a team, much less be very |
| 100 yards long and 53 yards wide for normal | | | | competitive. As I looked at the history of the |
| eleven man games. Some eight man associations | | | | eight man game, it seems like a great solution for |
| use fields that are 100 yards long but only 40 | | | | small schools to allow kids to play the game of |
| yards wide, and a few associations use standard | | | | football without suffering through four years of |
| dimension football fields. | | | | losing on a regular basis. |
| Formations do vary but the most common | | | | The game seems to be a great alternative to |
| offensive formation uses a center, two guards, a | | | | eleven man football and it's popularity seems to |
| tight end, a quarterback, two running backs, and a | | | | prove that many others think so. |
