Personnel Packages, or ‘Offensive Personnel Groupings” found in the NFL, the NCAA, and other football offenses, and an explanation of the two-digit naming system.
In football, offensive personnel packages — also known as offensive personnel groupings — are commonly denoted using a two-digit numerical system that identifies the type of offensive personnel, and the number of each type of personnel.
Every common offensive personnel package has five offensive lineman and one quarterback, which leaves five players from the following three position groups: running back, tight end, and wide receiver.
The first digit identifies the number of running backs on the field, and the second digit identifies the number of tight ends on the field. Instead of using a third digit, the number of wide receivers on the field is implied; simply subtract the total number of running backs and tight ends from the five remaining players:
Here are examples of the San Francisco 49ers in each of the NFL’s common offensive personnel packages:
23 personnel package – 2 running backs, 3 tight ends, 0 wide receivers
23 personnel in a goal-line I-Formation:
22 personnel package – 2 running backs, 2 tight ends, 1 wide receiver
22 personnel in an unbalanced I-Formation:
21 personnel package – 2 running backs, 1 tight end, 2 wide receivers
21 personnel in a balanced I-Formation with wide receivers in reduced splits:
20 personnel package – 2 running backs, 0 tight ends, 3 wide receivers
20 personnel in a Strong I-Formation:
13 personnel package – 1 running back, 3 tight ends, 1 wide receiver
13 personnel in a balanced formation:
12 personnel package – 1 running back, 2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers
12 personnel in a balanced formation, with two tight ends on the left, and twin wide receivers on the right:
11 personnel package – 1 running back, 1 tight end, 3 wide receivers
11 personnel in a balanced shotgun formation:
10 personnel package – 1 running back, 0 tight ends, 4 wide receivers
10 personnel in a shotgun formation with trips wide receivers to the field side:
02 personnel package – 0 running backs, 2 tight ends, 3 wide receivers
02 personnel in a spread shotgun formation, with one of the two tight ends lined up in the slot:
01 personnel package – 0 running backs, 1 tight end, 4 wide receivers
01 personnel in a spread shotgun formation, with the tight end lined up in the slot:
00 personnel package – 0 running backs, 0 tight ends, 5 wide receivers
00 personnel in a compressed shotgun formation:
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