During his illustrious career, Bill Walsh was more than a football coach. In a very real sense he has been an exceptional visionary. Although he is widely renowned as the architect of the "West Coast " offense, his innovative approach to the game has extended far beyond his imaginative ideas on offense.

During the time he spent working with the San Francisco 49ers, he transformed San Francisco's game into an art form. To Walsh, football was more than a physical contest, and success is more than a victory on the playing field.

Success is the progression of worthy ideas and goals. Such a progression involves at least two key cerebral factors, attention to detail and an absolute commitment to perfection.

To Walsh's way of reasoning, no detail or situation is too unimportant to be overlooked. Every possible circumstance that might affect the performance

The receivers routes should be in the same general area and at varying depths so that a stretching action is made on the coverage, and one receiver come open before the other. The quarterback should be able to quickly scan from one receiver to the other, and complete the pass to the open man. He is taught that when the coverage takes away the primary receiver, he will immediately go to the secondary receiver. Even if throwing to the second choice results in a missed first down, an incompletion or possible interception will be eliminated and some gain will be achieved. There's always chance the receiver might break away for the first down. Throwing the ball to the secondary receiver enough times will soon condition the defense to cover him, opening up possibilities down field.

Soft hands are also vital. It's a given that to have a legitimate chance to play, a receiver must have outstanding hands. The key is to be able to catch the ball in a crowded situation, while on the move. Almost all potential receivers can run under the ball and catch it in the open. In reality, however, most catches must be made with the ball and the defender closing at the same instant.

One of the most obvious requirements for a quarterback in the "West Coast" offense is have the ability to pass. It is important to realize that arm strength and being able to pass are not synonymous. Some players can throw a football 80 yards, but they aren't good passers. Good passing involves accuracy, timing, and throwing a ball with enough touch so that it is catchable. Good passing also requires understanding both the "West Coast" offense and the receivers in the "West Coast" offense, and having a great sense of anticipation.

The "West Coast" offense is a finesse attack that features both ball-control and big play potential. Ball control in way of short, intermediate, and play-action passing results in first downs, moving the chains down field and maintaining possession of the ball. A series of short passes soon add up to sizable gains, putting the defense back on its heels. Moreover, receivers who can run with the ball can turn short passes into long gains or even touchdowns.

8. Rough Magic: Bill Walsh's Return to Stanford Football. L. Cohn. Harper Collins Publishers, 1994.

Playing quarterback in the "West Coast" offense requires several skills and traits some of which can be developed through practice and sound coaching, and others which are inherited (genetic "gifts").

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