Toledo Christian announced Tuesday its football team will play as an eight-man team this fall because of low numbers.
Eight-man football isn't sponsored by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, but it has increased in popularity nationwide. California, Kansas, and Nebraska each have more than 100 eight-man teams, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Here are five things to know about eight-man football:
1. The field: To adjust to six fewer players, the field generally is trimmed to 40 yards wide, a decrease from the traditional 53⅓ yards. The length of the field differs state to state. Some shorten it to 80 yards, while others keep it at 100.
2. The rules: The rules generally are the same, with a couple of tweaks. Five offensive players must be on the line of scrimmage at the snap (11-man requires seven). Every player, regardless of jersey number, who at the snap was on the line or behind the line is eligible.
3. Scoring increase: Eight-man games tend to be fast-paced and high scoring. Most games end in the 40 to 60-point range. The Michigan record for eight-man combined scoring was 152 by Flint International (78) and Lawrence (74) in 2017. Two-point conversions are more common in eight-man football.
4. Formations: On offense, most teams have a center and two guards on the line, two tight ends or players split wide and two running backs. Common formations on defense include 3-3-2, 3-2-3, 4-3-1, 3-4-1, 4-2-2, and 5-3.
5. Eight-man in the pros: There are many examples of high school eight-man football players rising to the NFL, most notably 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam. The Dallas Cowboys' 2018 first-round pick, Pro Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, is a former eight-man player.
First Published July 12, 2019, 4:41 p.m.
