What does the 11 in 11 personnel stand for?

The first 1 is one running back and the second 1 is one tight end. With the quarterback and five offensive linemen always on the field, the remaining three players are wide receivers.

Is 11 personnel a formation?

No. Personnel describes who is on the field, and formation describes where they line up. 11 personnel can be run from many formations, including 2x2, 3x1, empty, and bunch sets.

What defense is used against 11 personnel?

Most defenses answer three receivers with nickel personnel, usually a 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 that trades a linebacker for a fifth defensive back.

11 Personnel

What is 11 personnel in football?

11 personnel is an offensive personnel grouping with one running back and one tight end on the field. Since five offensive linemen and a quarterback are always on the field, that leaves three spots for wide receivers. It is the most common personnel package in modern college and NFL football, and the namesake of this site.

How the numbers work

Personnel groupings are read as two digits. The first digit is the number of running backs and the second is the number of tight ends. Everything left over, after the quarterback and five linemen, is a wide receiver. So 11 personnel is 1 back, 1 tight end, 3 receivers. 12 personnel is 1 back, 2 tight ends, 2 receivers. 21 personnel is 2 backs, 1 tight end, 2 receivers.

The system only counts bodies, not alignment. The same 11 personnel group can line up in a 2x2 set with two receivers on each side, a 3x1 set with trips to one side, or with the tight end flexed into the slot. That is why coaches talk about personnel and formation as two separate things.

Why 11 personnel took over

Three receivers force the defense to put a fifth defensive back on the field, which is why nickel defenses like the 4-2-5 have become the de facto base in college football. A good tight end lets the offense stay in 11 personnel and still run the ball against those lighter boxes, or flex out and create a passing mismatch against a linebacker.

Because it works in both the run game and the pass game, offenses can live in 11 personnel for an entire drive without substituting. That keeps the defense from matching personnel and lets the offense play fast.

The 11 personnel depth chart

An 11 personnel depth chart on offense has eleven starting slots: QB, RB, X receiver, Z receiver, H or slot receiver, Y tight end, left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle. Most programs list two or three deep at each spot, which is where the phrase "two-deep" comes from.

When you build a chart on 11personnel you can start from the 11 Personnel 2x2 or 3x1 preset, which seeds every one of those slots with the right position labels and board layout, then drag real roster players into the order you think they should play.

Frequently asked

What does the 11 in 11 personnel stand for?: The first 1 is one running back and the second 1 is one tight end. With the quarterback and five offensive linemen always on the field, the remaining three players are wide receivers.
Is 11 personnel a formation?: No. Personnel describes who is on the field, and formation describes where they line up. 11 personnel can be run from many formations, including 2x2, 3x1, empty, and bunch sets.
What defense is used against 11 personnel?: Most defenses answer three receivers with nickel personnel, usually a 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 that trades a linebacker for a fifth defensive back.