The foundation
Start here
An offense backed up near its own goal line has more field to cover and less room for mistakes. Near the opponent's goal line, scoring is close but the defense can compress because there is less deep space to protect.
See it in context
- A screen can be a conservative call when the offense wants to avoid a deep drop near its own end zone.
- Crossing midfield may make a coach more willing to attempt fourth down because a punt offers less field-position value.