THE BEST STANCE for an offensive center is a 3-point stance with his weight evenly distributed on both feet and the down hand on the football.

This stance provides the best opportunity to run and pass protect in your offensive system.

Physical Makeup Of The 3-Point Stance

Stress the following components when teaching and coaching the center’s stance and snapping technique.

- Your center’s feet should be shoulder width apart (can be slightly wider) with toes pointing out. Feet should be parallel or slightly staggered with a toe-to-instep relationship. His heels must be slightly off the ground with weight on the insteps, which will form power angles at the ankles, knees and hips.

- Tell your center to keep his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage with the his back parallel (flat back) to the ground. His tail should be slightly higher than his shoulders to facilitate the snap.

- His head should be raised slightly, while keeping the neck relaxed and his eyes in a position to see both feet.

- The ball is placed slightly to the right (eye to the ball) if right-handed, opposite if left-handed.
His grip hand and arm are extended out as far as possible while still maintaining balance. Tell your center not to put a lot of weight on the ball. He must keep the ball ahead of him, not under him, in order to cause a reach-out effect in the arms and shoulders.

- The football should be placed so that laces are either facing straight up or quarter-turned to the opposite foot (this depends on how you want your quarterback to receive the ball). If the laces are up, the grip hand thumb should be between the second and third lace. If the ball is quarter-turned, the grip now faces a natural “V” formed between the thumb and the index finger. His fingers will grip the ball on the side so your center can have complete control of the ball.

- He should place his off hand on the side of the knee with his hand cupped and relaxed. The hand should form a slight fist on the side of the knee in order to have it ready.

- During the snap, your center, with a stiff wrist, must pump the ball in a straight line, sliding it off the left cheek of his buttocks, in an attempt to break the heels of the QB’s hands apart (wedge the ball between the heel of his hands). The ball will naturally turn one-quarter rotation and assure the QB of getting the laces in a position for a proper grip on the ball for handing off or delivering a pass. Your center must master stepping with the proper foot as he executes this pumping-snap technique. Snapping and stepping is one simultaneous movement. The ball should “pop” as it hits the QB’s top hand.

- The first foot movement is a step with the near foot when exploding out to block. It’ll be necessary at times for your center to shift weight from one foot to the other before jabbing out in the direction that he is going.

Shot Gun Snap
Your center should assume the same stance and technique as if the QB was under center. Have him keep his head up during this blind snap to the QB, who will be at a depth of 5 yards.

The aiming point of the snap should be the belt-line or bottom numbers of the QB. The center must flick the ball back with the wrist on the straight line. He must not change the snap line because of the snap!

Center/QB Exchange Miscues
Miscues with the center/quarterback exchange must be eliminated. The exchange needs to become automatic and rhythmic between the two. When miscues occur, check the center before the QB, because more times than not the center is carrying the football with him on his first step.

To eliminate errors, the exchange must be practiced daily. A checklist for analyzing possible exchange problems includes the following for the center:
    1.    Snapping the ball too short, which forces the QB to grab for the ball.
    2.    Snapping the ball too high, which causes the QB to
get the ball at the top end.
    3.    Instead of firing out on the snap, your center lifts his tail.
    4.    Placing too much weight on the ball.
    5.    The ball is not delivered hard and fast into the QB’s hands.
    6.    Anticipating the snap count, he snaps the ball before the actual count, which allows the defense to react sooner and defeat the offense.
    7.    Snapping later than the actual count, which disrupts the QB’s mechanics and timing of the play.
    8.    Overstriding on the first step, causing the ball to spray away from the QB’s hands.
    9.    Failure by the coaches to work the center in pre-practice with a defender on his nose or in the gaps.
    10.    Most fumbled snaps occur when the center reach blocks away from his snap hand.
    11.    Not practicing center/quarterback exchanges with wet footballs.