Question: Hey Coaches or CFL “pros”?

[3rd Down]

I am often confused with terminology (especially on defense) and it bugs me how confusing this becomes between Cdn and US football.

Maybe some of you can help?

We hear of corners playing ‘short side’, ‘wide side’, ‘boundary side’, ‘field side’, strong side’ and ‘weak side’ …. WTF??

Same with linebackers …. we hear the nicknames "Sam", "Mike/MAC", and "Will". The SAM linebacker is the Strongside linebacker. The Mike/MAC linebacker is the Middle linebacker (even Turd gets that one!) and the WIL linebacker is the Weakside linebacker….but how do these definitions apply to ‘strong or weak’ side of the ball????

In US terminology, strongside is the side where the most players are….usually defined by where the TE lines up. For example, if you have a wide receiver on each side of the offense and a tight end on the defensive left side, it is a ‘strong left’

In the CFL we seem to use ball position to define these terms …. likely because of our much wider field.

To me the strong side is the short or boundary side of the field …. and the weak side is the wide or field side.

Is this correct?

Thnx.

[Eskimos32001]

Strong side would be the right side if you were on the right hashmarks, and left if you were on the left side.....weak side being the other way around.

it's used because left and right side would be confusing to coaching communicating to players. In a game situation, they aren't going to know where the ball is placed on the field. So, it's just easier, to say, for an offense...the coach to say let's run a play strong side or weak side in practice for a certain situation, instead of left and right....just football terminoligy....makes it alot easier.

[3rd Down]

Strong side would be the right side if you were on the right hashmarks, and left if you were on the left side.....weak side being the other way around.

it's used because left and right side would be confusing to coaching communicating to players. In a game situation, they aren't going to know where the ball is placed on the field. So, it's just easier, to say, for an offense...the coach to say let's run a play strong side or weak side in practice for a certain situation, instead of left and right....just football terminoligy....makes it alot easier.

Thanks .... I was never confused with respect to "left and right" (as this would differ between O and D) ... but seems like you are thinking he same as me

Strong=short=boundary side

Weak=wide=field side

Correct?

[iso_55]

Boundary side is the sideline closest to the offensive formation...

[Eskimos32001]

yup, all above is correct....it's pretty simple.