Cadence (American Football)

In American football, cadence or snap count is used to describe the starting commands for the offense , from the line-up on the line of scrimmage to the snap with which the ball is brought into play. A typical cadence is Down! - set! - Cap! analogous to “On your marks! - Finished! - Go! ”Can be understood, whereby more or less commands can be used in football to surprise the defense.

Usually the quarterback announces the cadence beforehand in the huddle , because the concrete signal for the start of the play should only be known to the offense, which is positioned at the line of scrimmage before the start of a play. Most attacking players there have to stand motionless for at least one second in certain line-ups, otherwise penalties such as “Illegal Motion” or “False Start” are imminent. Only the quarterback is allowed to look around, and an attacking player may change position as a “ man in motion ” if necessary . A typical start is “on one”, ie on Down! the players bend down to their starting position, set! announces the completed, regular line-up, and at the first hat! is it starting.

The snap count creates a moment of surprise, as the defense depends on reacting to the actual movement of the ball (snap). Often the offense uses the same cadence, which is only changed in special situations. This has the advantage, especially with amateur teams, that the attacking players can concentrate on their role in the actual move, and errors in the snap are reduced. Of course, you can try to surprise the defense with a faster start than usual by making more frequent changes, or to lure them into the trap of an "offside" with a delayed start. The playmaker must always make sure to get the ball into play in good time, otherwise there is a risk of a penalty for delay of game .

A special form are so-called audibles , i.e. for all audible instructions with which the quarterback announces a change in the previously agreed play in view of the defensive formation.