# 3 pt stances in football

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-pt-stances-in-football/672082>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 24, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-pt-stances-in-football/672082 "2013-10-24T02:41:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-pt-stances-in-football/672082/1 "2013-10-24T02:41:42Z")

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When linemen get in a 3pt stance, is there any rhyme or reason to which hand is the 3rd point? I assume it’s merely their dominant hand.

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**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-pt-stances-in-football/672082/2 "2013-10-24T04:14:30Z")

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It is, but how it’s used depends on whether you’re offensive or defensive. If you’re offensive it’s just there to anchor you - if you’re defensive you’ll push off it as hard as you can in order to stay low.

With that said, I’m right handed and (from the defensive line) I found it a lot easier to push off to my left if I used the three-point stance than if I used the two-point.