## The Flying Wedge
Special Teams · 1892, Harvard University
A massive, interlocking human V-formation that generated such deadly momentum it forced Presidential intervention and changed football's rules forever.
### The Story
In 1892, a Boston lawyer and chess expert named Lorin F. Deland realized early American football lacked strategic mobilization. Drawing on the military tactics of Napoleon and the ancient phalanx, Deland invented the concept of "mass-momentum" for Harvard University. He officially unleashed this tactical nightmare against Yale on November 19, 1892, during a second-half kickoff.
Because the rules of the era allowed players to be in full forward motion before the ball was tapped into play, the Harvard squad was able to build twenty yards of sprinting velocity. When this 1,500-pound battering ram collided with the static, 160-pound Yale defenders, it shattered the defensive line with absolute, brutal efficiency. Stunned observers called it the most spectacular play in football history.
However, the Flying Wedge was undeniably deadly. Defending against it caused horrific collisions, contributing to over 18 football fatalities in a single era. The sheer violence of the formation prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to intervene, leading to the strict banning of interlocking interference and the legalization of the forward pass to save the sport from being outlawed.
### How It Works
- The Wedge Walls (The Flanks): Ten offensive players split into two groups of five, standing 20 yards deep. On a signal, they sprint diagonally forward to converge. - The Apex (Lead Blockers): The leading players of the converging groups meet to form the tip of the "V" shape, physically grabbing onto handles sewn into each other's uniforms to create an unbreakable seal. - The Ball Carrier: Waits for the wedge to form, taps the ball into play just as the apex crosses the starting point, and tucks safely inside the moving pocket of the human battering ram.
### Strengths
- Generates unstoppable kinetic energy by allowing the offense to reach top sprinting speed before colliding with a stationary defense. - Creates a physically impenetrable wall that completely shields the ball carrier from early tacklers. - Utilizes raw mass and momentum to shatter traditional defensive lines.
### Weaknesses
- Relies on rules that have since been completely banned (pre-snap forward motion and interlocking interference). - Extremely dangerous to execute, resulting in high casualty rates for both the offense and defense. - Can be derailed if defenders are willing to sacrifice their bodies by diving headfirst into the knees of the lead apex blockers to trip the formation.