Spread Offense

[JSU Zack]

My pro spread has looked many different ways over the years and can even change from month to month, but the philosophy is the same: triangle passing reads, zone running game, and deep shots versus a loaded box. My main inspiration is Sean Peyton's Gulf Coast offense (which I often refer to my own offense with), but I also have heave influences from Mike Leach and Jim McCelwain from Colorado State.

Mostly, I stay in 11 or 12 personnel. I only bring a fullback in for short yardage. Right now in Madden, my main formations are SG Normal, SG Normal Y Slot, SG Bunch, Ace Big, Ace Slot, Ace Pair/Twin TE, and Ace Bunch. I also use Trey Open/Y Trips and Closed Trips pretty often for quick passing versus zone.

My go to plays are as follows:
Spot vs. Cover 3
Mesh vs. Cover 2/4
Stick/Verts vs. Cover 1/Blitzes
Shallow Cross vs. Man
PA Waggle for Deep Shots/Blitzes
Bubble/Now Screens vs. Off Coverage
HB Screen vs. LB Blitzes/2 High

My running game is relatively simple:
Inside Zone vs. 2 High
Stretch vs. Over/Under Fronts
Power vs. Blitzes
Sweep vs. 0-3 Techs in Odd Front
Zone Read vs. Aggressive Backside LB
End Around vs. Aggressive Strong Side LB

If I can, I will run Spot,Mesh,Waggle, and Inside Zone all day. The rest of the plays are there as constraint plays. You primarily want to focus on getting the Bunch system down to be effective.

 

[JSU Zack]

My reasoning behind the formations:
SG Normal, Ace Slot,Ace Big - Base Formations for Shallow Cross Series; Used Against Cover 2 Teams
SG Bunch, Ace Bunch, Ace Pair - Bunch Series (Triangle Passing); Used vs. Blitzing and/or 1 High Teams
Closed Trips - Used vs. Cover 3 Teams
Trey Open/Y Trips - Used vs Cover 4 Teams & 2 Minute Drill; Mostly Quick Passing with Deep Shots Based on Verts/Flood
Ace Tight, SG Tight - Used vs. 2 High Man Press Teams
SG Normal Y Slot - Used vs. Teams Blitzing or Disguised Coverage Teams; Zone Read Base Formation; 3rd & Long
I Form Tight, Ace Big - Used vs. 3-3 Stack Teams; Short Yardage

My main idea is to use formations to combat defensive fronts/coverages. My goal is to wear you out with the passing game and then gash you with the run. If I'm in a rut, I go straight to the bunch series because it wreaks havoc against defenses. They simply can't cover everyone and stop the overloaded runs to the strong side.

 

[JSU Zack]

NYKIA (one of our old posters) did a pretty good job of breaking down the GCO a few months back.



For the bunch series, take a look at Arkansas vs. Alabama from this year. The Hogs played ground and pound with the bunch and caused fits for Kirby Smart.



Here's a good breakdown of the bunch on SB Nation: http://www.sbnation.com/2013/11/15/5107042/breaking-down-bunch-formation-concepts

 

[TXHusker05]

That's the philosophy I want to take. I had a lot of success last year with my under center stuff running FB Dive (Check to HB Toss) and some sprintout snag/smash stuff.

My personnel is so weird at UNC, I have a great QB and two great power backs. I have a ton of youth at WR, some big possession guys, some quicker slot guys and then two bigger receiving types at TE. Run blocking is going to be an issue, I'm starting 2 true freshmen on the OL. In my first game I had a ton of issues on the OL, most notably fatigue.

I want to be able to isolate big receivers/TEs and I want to have a quick hitting power run game. My backs are huge guys, all break tackle heavy so I would love to have some zone stuff. Despite no FB, my starting HB does have block ratings and I could put a TE in there if I wanted.

I was thinking some Ace with 12 personnel, some Strong/Weak with 21 personnel and then some various Gun sets. I gave some thought to Pistol but just don't think I can rationalize it. One formation I'd really like to use would be something like this:

WR-----------OOOOO------TE---------
------WR--------------------------TE-
-----------------Q-T------------------

I'd have to formation sub it, but I love the idea of having a formation where I have a passing strength one way and can motion that far right TE to block for run or throw a swing screen to the HB. Just some things like that.

 

[TXHusker05]

I think what I'm going to aim for with my offense is something similar to what Chip Kelly is doing in Philly, still "spread" and up-tempo but with some pro-style elements and a bit more pass focused. I can't really commit to a full on pro-style because it just doesn't fit my personnel. Without a fullback or even a blocking TE, I think I'd run into some problems pretty quickly. What I'm thinking instead is stay mostly Gun, but mess around with formation subs to get guys where I want them. Then add in some 12 and 21 personnel Ace formations and maybe a handful of 21 personnel Strong/Weak formations with a 2nd HB on the field for Dive/Sweep type of stuff.

Ace Twin TE Flex has a killer PA in it that I could see being a major homerun hitter with my personnel:

Put my blazing quick WR outside running the streak, my 6'6" WR running that post, my athletic TE running that crosser and my WR/TE hybrid as the outlet. I could even motion him out to run a streak to the other side if I got a mismatch vs a safety or LB.

Next step is finding as many TE screen plays as I can find. I know there is one in Ace Slot and another in Gun Empty Trey. Then obviously I can run standard WR screens with my TEs subbed in. I want to create a ton of mismatches by lining my TEs outside on a corner and then get my quicker receivers matched up on safeties and LBs or face people to go dime to match up, in which case I'll run that ball all night long.

 

[TXHusker05]

Okay, let's see how this sounds when it is typed out:

Ace Bunch
Ace Bunch Base (21)
Ace F Pair Twins
Ace Twin TE
Ace Twin TE Flex
Ace Twin TE Slot

Strong Normal
Strong Twins
Strong Twins Over
Strong Y Trips
Strong Tight
Strong Twin TE

Weak I Normal

Gun Split Y Flex
Gun Split Slot
Gun Ace
Gun Ace Twins
Gun Twin TE Slot
Gun Twin TE Slot Wk
Gun Normal
Gun Normal Wk
Gun Normal Y Flex (used to make the 2x2 twin TE formation I drew above)
Gun Y Trips
Gun Y Trips Wk
Gun Trips Over
Gun Spread

Then add some assorted Empty formations like Trey and Trey TE. Going to try to do some different things with personnel groupings, get TEs isolated in space and use extra OL at TE for pass pro and run blocking. The goal will be to bridge Ace/Strong and Gun with formation groupings so that I can (hopefully) use tempo to get in and out of the entire offense.

The individual formations should be fairly small. All the Ace formations are going to be 5 or 6 play groupings; a base run, a counter to it, a PA off it and then a couple passes. Strong will be done similar to my Wing T where it was just FB Dive, Toss, PA FB Dive, Sprintout and a deep pass.

No idea if it'll work with my personnel, my HBs are so slow and don't accelerate very quickly. If they just can't make it work, I'll probably blend the Ace and Strong stuff with some offset gun instead.

 

[JSU Zack]

I've started putting my ideas in PowerPoint. It's a lot easier to get a visual representation that way. It's the way a lot of high school coaches make their play books these days. I made a book last night that was a strange Wing T inspired Empty Bunch Offense. The bunch is to the left with a TE and Z receiver to the right with the QB in the gun. The RB is the closest receiver in the bunch and is used to run the jet series. QB runs zone/power/counter. Would love to actually put this on the field.

 

[JSU Zack]

I got to thinking earlier today when talking to my dad about Nebraska and Florida's HC hires. As a fan of offense in general, I can appreciate what Riley and McElwain do with the football, but I've done research and am convinced pro style offenses put teams at a disadvantage based on simple math.

Option based offenses are far superior in yards per game, points scored, yards per play, and offensive S&P. Early this season, I compiled every team's W/L and points scored for the 2013 season and categorized and grouped the teams by offensive style. The spread/option teams won on average TWO more games than any other offense and averaged 14 more points per game. I can't understand why coaches like Saban who have a hard time against these offenses don't see the numbers and make the switch.

When I finally get the chance to coach an offense again, it will be some weird Air Raid/Wing T mashup from the gun or pistol. I'll be up tempo and never punt. The stats prove these are the most successful ways to win games.

 

[TXHusker05]

I've started putting my ideas in PowerPoint. It's a lot easier to get a visual representation that way. It's the way a lot of high school coaches make their play books these days. I made a book last night that was a strange Wing T inspired Empty Bunch Offense. The bunch is to the left with a TE and Z receiver to the right with the QB in the gun. The RB is the closest receiver in the bunch and is used to run the jet series. QB runs zone/power/counter. Would love to actually put this on the field.

I would love to have an Empty Wing-T offense basing out of a formation like this:

-------X----------OOOOOY--------
----Z-----T---------------U-------
---------------------Q------------

Be able to run Jet, Jet Buck, Fake Jet Power, Fake Jet Counter and maybe a Jet Read with U slicing back. Obviously be able to kill/check out of a Jet play and throw a now/bubble out there or run straight QB Power/Zone Stretch.

U would be a TE/H type of player in base personnel, but in theory you could replace him with a WR or HB you want carrying the ball and be able to run some real Wing-T stuff like a cross buck or have him motion into the backfield to run typical spread run stuff like zone read.

Formation tags could be done to get the Tailback lined up in the backfield, U in the backfield or across the formation, Y and/or U flexed out, Y and/or U over to go unbalanced, could also bring the bunch tighter to the formation.

Would take a pretty great quarterback though.

 

[JSU Zack]

I would love to have an Empty Wing-T offense basing out of a formation like this:

-------X----------OOOOOY--------
----Z-----T---------------U-------
---------------------Q------------

Be able to run Jet, Jet Buck, Fake Jet Power, Fake Jet Counter and maybe a Jet Read with U slicing back. Obviously be able to kill/check out of a Jet play and throw a now/bubble out there or run straight QB Power/Zone Stretch.

U would be a TE/H type of player in base personnel, but in theory you could replace him with a WR or HB you want carrying the ball and be able to run some real Wing-T stuff like a cross buck or have him motion into the backfield to run typical spread run stuff like zone read.

Formation tags could be done to get the Tailback lined up in the backfield, U in the backfield or across the formation, Y and/or U flexed out, Y and/or U over to go unbalanced, could also bring the bunch tighter to the formation.

Would take a pretty great quarterback though.

Actually, it wouldn't be that difficult to find a QB to run it at the youth level. Just take your best athlete Nd teach them how to pass. Tons of high schools and colleges do this. Look at a guy like Nick Marshall at Auburn. He's nowhere near a great passer, but he does enough to move the chains.

 

[bruin228]

@TXHusker05 what was that play you used to beat Cover 0? The little swing to your RB. You used it a few times that game, it was like a PA Swing Pass.

 

[TXHusker05]

@TXHusker05 what was that play you used to beat Cover 0? The little swing to your RB. You used it a few times that game, it was like a PA Swing Pass.

For some reason the playbook website is down so I can't post the clip art, but you know the Motion Triple Left, Right and Motion WR Swing plays in Normal Offset Wk, Wing Trips Offset Wk and I think Trey Open Offset? It is the Motion WR Swing play, but with the motion canceled by hot routing it to a vertical and the HB hot routed to a wheel.

For extra misdirection I motion the H-Back across the formation which is usually something I only do on runs, and then he and OL both sprint wide to block. End result is usually 2-3 guys lead blocking for the back in space. It destroys man blitzes.

I've only really started running it recently.

 

[bruin228]

I'm probably going to steal it once I figure out how to put together a competent spread playbook. Every spread book I've had is just a jumble of plays. I'd like to create an actual "offense" with an identity, I just have no idea how (at least for this type of offense).

 

[TXHusker05]

I'm probably going to steal it once I figure out how to put together a competent spread playbook. Every spread book I've had is just a jumble of plays. I'd like to create an actual "offense" with an identity, I just have no idea how (at least for this type of offense).

Yeah that's a killer play, it's honestly the only reason I have those two formations and one of the main reasons I've been sticking with my Spread-I. I really love the screens I have designed in that offense. Like 70% of my passes in that game must have been screens. I threw bubble a ton, that motion swing screen a few times, the custom swing screen once, I threw my double screen once although I didn't read it.

It helps a lot using some TE Wideout packages, I had my TE blocking as the far WR a few times on those screens and he lit up the corner over him to set the play free. I have a couple really athletic TEs I want to get involved more. If those plays combined with those two monster backs are going to play that well, I might have to just tweak my Spread-I to fit them rather than go through with the pro-spread idea I had laid out above. Maybe piece the two together a little.

 

[bruin228]

I want to try to see if I can get this in the game:

@1:11

 

[TXHusker05]

Just a mid screen paired with a rollout away? You could probably just do like a half roll and throw back. The blocking won't sell it but you could maybe hot route the back to the side you're rolling to a wheel or swing to at least draw some attention that way. That's what I do on that screen I used against you last night as well as on the Cross Screen in F Twins Over. I just sort of half roll it towards the motion and then throw back. Usually times out well in terms of blocks as well.

 

[TXHusker05]

Didn't even get 4 weeks into the season before my pro-spread idea had to get scrapped. 96 OVR Tailback broke his shoulder, out for the season. 98 OVR QB broke his foot, out for 3 weeks. I have 96 and 94 OVR backups behind them, but very different skill sets. Given my depth and relative talent at WR, I'm probably going transition to more of a passing spread. How I'm going to do that, I do not know. My healthy HB is all power, very slow and not very quick or agile, I have a few backups behind him that are a little quicker but not much. My healthy QB has a great arm, but is very slow.

Was thinking Pistol/Offset Gun spread to pass, that way I at least get a straight north-south one back run game with the one remaining good back. But when my starting QB is back, he's probably going to carry the load running the ball as well. Maybe it's a good year to try out that Empty offense I had been thinking about. I do have a 93 SPD true freshman QB redshirting this year, but I won't go that route unless this is all just a disaster.

 

[Craig7835]

Didn't even get 4 weeks into the season before my pro-spread idea had to get scrapped. 96 OVR Tailback broke his shoulder, out for the season. 98 OVR QB broke his foot, out for 3 weeks. I have 96 and 94 OVR backups behind them, but very different skill sets. Given my depth and relative talent at WR, I'm probably going transition to more of a passing spread. How I'm going to do that, I do not know. My healthy HB is all power, very slow and not very quick or agile, I have a few backups behind him that are a little quicker but not much. My healthy QB has a great arm, but is very slow.

Was thinking Pistol/Offset Gun spread to pass, that way I at least get a straight north-south one back run game with the one remaining good back. But when my starting QB is back, he's probably going to carry the load running the ball as well. Maybe it's a good year to try out that Empty offense I had been thinking about. I do have a 93 SPD true freshman QB redshirting this year, but I won't go that route unless this is all just a disaster.

Try a mixture of both Empty & Pistol

 

[TXHusker05]

Try a mixture of both Empty & Pistol

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Empty should be pretty successful for me given how talented my receivers and tight ends are. I can put my TEs outside and use them to block for screens as well.

 

[TXHusker05]

After giving it some thought and messing around with some screen concepts, I think I'm going to aim towards an offense similar to Baylor or what Graham/Malzahn/Morris were doing at Tulsa (and what Malzahn did at Shiloh Christian), pass heavy offenses with a strong downhill run game when needed. Spend most of my time in Offset Gun, with some Empty and then see if I want to go Pistol or under center any after that is done. The only reason I'm going Offset for it is for HB timing on inside zone, if I had a quicker back I'd be more likely to go into Pistol and traditional gun but I want my bigger bulldozer back getting north-south.

Run Game

Inside Zone
Inside Zone Read
Trap/Counter (these two plays will combine to replicate Baylor's tackle power play, Trap/Counter were the two core plays of Malzahn's original offense as well)

I'll probably mix in a few Jet Sweeps here and there, but it'll mostly be for the play action and fake jet dive. I doubt I would run the Jet much, I don't have the personnel for it. I also might include some Draw, although I prefer Draw out of Pistol rather than Gun. Not much option, may sprinkle in some zone speed option to help get the ball outside but that's about it.

Pass Game

Stick
Slants
Snag/Spot
Shallow/Drive
Smash
Verts

Those will be my core passing concepts, but I'll run a ton of different routes. A lot of sight adjustments, hot routes, etc. It'll be mostly one read stuff. The biggest part is going to be the screen game. I'm going to do a lot of Bubble/WR Screen calls but with the intended receivers routed to a hitch or a flat. I messed around with it in a play now game last night to see what would and would not get called for offensive pass interference. I think I found a good combination of stuff that won't get called.

I'll also run a ton of stuff off of Inside Zone PA. Try and create some pop passes up the seam or slants as well as quick hitches to get the ball outside. It'll be different than most of the stuff I've done, mostly because I really don't pass that much, but we'll see how it turns out. Should fit my personnel really well. In my one user game this year at UNC I killed @bruin228 running essentially a version of that, tons of screens paired with zone/trap. I'll have to iron out the formations but it'll mostly be 2x2 and 3x1 Gun. I was also thinking about a Split Offset formation with my 2 TE at the HB spots for a max protection type of look. Not sure how I'd make that work though.

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

I know at least one or two guys who post on here have talked about coaching youth football.

Here is a pretty good Spread playbook for that level.

The base run play is a Tackle Trap (with or without read).

 

[LEGEND]

Trying a 11 personnel spread again.. Noticed when going no huddle trey and trio causes alignment issues. The TE starts lining up all over the place with a wr in his spot.

I don't understand why...

 

[bruin228]

Yep, that's been a problem for a while.

 

[TXHusker05]

Yep, if you go from a normal 11 personnel gun set and them no huddle to a closed trips set, the TE goes to the trips side and a WR ends up at TE. Not bad if you put a couple TE on the field, but if you want 3 true receivers, not so much. Another one of those frustrating quirks.

 

[JSU Zack]

Trying a 11 personnel spread again.. Noticed when going no huddle trey and trio causes alignment issues. The TE starts lining up all over the place with a wr in his spot.

I don't understand why...

Quick note on that:
Pistol Trips/Trio doesn't have this issue. Trips has every screen imaginable and a nice lead option that is a home run threat every time it's ran.

 

[TXHusker05]

Quick note on that:
Pistol Trips/Trio doesn't have this issue. Trips has every screen imaginable and a nice lead option that is a home run threat every time it's ran.

Really? I've been tempted to get back into some Pistol in our new Powerhouse OD, if you can go tempo from Pistol Slot or Y Trips to Trips without ending up with guys all over the place, that would be huge. I love closed trips formations, but it becomes really tough to use them when you can't go tempo or audible to them. I love that Lead Option play, my original version of the Spread-I had Pistol Trips just for that play.

Right now I'm running an option version of my Osborne offense with a little 2-3 back Pistol and Gun added but I'm probably going to shift to a full Pistol/Gun version of the offense. I cannot throw from under center at all so if the run game gets shut down, I'm in a whole lot of trouble. At least in Pistol/Gun there is that screen game you talked about.

 

[JAR201166]

So I got an Lg tablet for Christmas an found an app that you can draw up plays on. Wish I could figure out how to screenshot to show you guys.

 

[LEGEND]

Quick note on that:
Pistol Trips/Trio doesn't have this issue. Trips has every screen imaginable and a nice lead option that is a home run threat every time it's ran.

Added pistol trips, that lead option is deadly! I need to develope a screen gm... I've nvr been a screen guy, not sure why. Thanks for the heads Up!

Anymore jewels of wisdom for my offense ?

 

[JSU Zack]

Added pistol trips, that lead option is deadly! I need to develope a screen gm... I've nvr been a screen guy, not sure why. Thanks for the heads Up!

Anymore jewels of wisdom for my offense ?

If you aren't big on screens, here's how to use them:

Bubble & Now screens - Cover 3/4 and occasionally against Cover 1 if the play side alley defender is blitzing. The best way to set these up is to run to bubble side to put the alley defender in conflict.

Middle screens (Rip/Liz) - Works in real life against press coverage. Doesn't generally work in the game against anything.

Slow/slip screens - Cover 2/4. Use a similar tactic as the bubble and now screens to put the alley defender in conflict. These are boom are bust plays where the other screens are consistently 2-5 yard gains.

Also note pistol trips shouldn't be your only 3x1 formation. All of the Gun Trips variants are must haves along with Trio Open for its scat/mesh series.

3x1 formations are designed to attack two high defenses. There are books about this. In the game, they are the most versatile formations because you still have the plays that make 2x2 great against one high looks thanks to all the screens and flood concepts. You also have the added advantage of forcing the D to show man or zone defense for the passing game.

Urban Meyer has a rule where if the ball is on the has, he uses a 3x1 formation. It spread out the players evenly across the field and gives your playmakers room create big plays. Have fun.

 

[JAR201166]

If you aren't big on screens, here's how to use them:

Bubble & Now screens - Cover 3/4 and occasionally against Cover 1 if the play side alley defender is blitzing. The best way to set these up is to run to bubble side to put the alley defender in conflict.

Middle screens (Rip/Liz) - Works in real life against press coverage. Doesn't generally work in the game against anything.

Slow/slip screens - Cover 2/4. Use a similar tactic as the bubble and now screens to put the alley defender in conflict. These are boom are bust plays where the other screens are consistently 2-5 yard gains.

Also note pistol trips shouldn't be your only 3x1 formation. All of the Gun Trips variants are must haves along with Trio Open for its scat/mesh series.

3x1 formations are designed to attack two high defenses. There are books about this. In the game, they are the most versatile formations because you still have the plays that make 2x2 great against one high looks thanks to all the screens and flood concepts. You also have the added advantage of forcing the D to show man or zone defense for the passing game.

Urban Meyer has a rule where if the ball is on the has, he uses a 3x1 formation. It spread out the players evenly across the field and gives your playmakers room create big plays. Have fun.

Before my game died I could get middle screens going by hot routing the receiver to a drag.

 

[KATOblaze]

My question is do you pair anything with the bubble or now screen just in case you get cover 1

 

[bruin228]

Use slants with bubble or middle screens against Cover 1.

 

[KATOblaze]

Wouldn't the game just call OPI though ?

 

[JSU Zack]

My question is do you pair anything with the bubble or now screen just in case you get cover 1

Yep. I make all sorts of scat and shallow concepts based on the bubble screen.

 

[bruin228]

Wouldn't the game just call OPI though ?

It depends what you have the slider turned up to. I know it won't work on 100 but it's worked in OD play where it's less than that.

Also, if you don't have anyone blocking, you shouldn't get called. Create your bubble/slant combo playside and have your two backside receivers run verticals (or mirrored bubble/slant). Should be fine.

 

[LEGEND]

I think my issue with screens was... I don't throw them correctly. I get the guy running backward animation a lot. Or they were TD's for my opponents! LoL

 

[TXHusker05]

I have been doing a lot of hot routing bubble screen into either a quick hitch or a flat route rather than that arc bubble route. Being able to get that guy going upfield when he catches it is huge. Obviously you can only really do that when he is uncovered, but it works. I've also done the same thing paired with a HB Wheel route. It turns the Bubble Screen into sort of a scat concept. Hot route the bubble to a quick hitch, hot route the back to a wheel and just read that alley defender. If he widens, throw the curl. If he doesn't, the wheel with blockers in front works (as long as it is thrown before he crosses the LOS).

I'm kind of in between offensively right now in our new Powerhouse OD. I've got a great back in Ameer Abdullah but my inability to throw the football is a problem. Through Week 4, I've been running my Osborne offense. I actually have two versions, a power version and an option version. Same core concepts and formations, but the option version adds a little Flexbone and Split Gun while the power version adds some Strong and Weak instead. So far so good, although I've split my user games 1-1 so far.

I think I'm going to work on shifting towards a Pistol/Gun version of my Osborne offense. I'm having a lot of trouble getting my FB to block anything. I might as well be playing with 10 players the majority of the time I run 2 back I. The FB just whiffs on blocks constantly, which is silly considering he's arguably my best rated blocker. I have better luck putting my bigger back-up HB at FB, he has mediocre block ratings but at least he's a legit run threat. It is silly that a FB blocks far better when he's a wing player or lined up at TE than he does as an actual I-Formation fullback. Stretch and Iso with a FB is next to useless. He's better when I run Toss and I can run Counter with him blocking away from the play which is nice but Stretch is my base play.

I'll probably end up with 3 or 4 versions of my offense. Keep the original Osborne offense and option version, then add one version with a bunch of Pistol and a spread version where I take the same concepts and apply them all to Pistol/Gun. Then switch in and out depending on opponent and personnel. The benefit of having played in Utopia ODs with the same people for so long is that you know what you can and can't do against them.

 

[bruin228]

Habib always did the flat route audible but I could never get it to work as well. I'll have to try it again.

 

[bruin228]

Anyone have any good 4x1 pass concepts?

 

[TXHusker05]

Anyone have any good 4x1 pass concepts?

Yeah you can only run it with no alley defender over the inside slot, but it helps get him up field. I prefer throwing the quick hitch instead of bubble, it at least guarantees a gain even if he is tackled immediately. I've started doing the automatic quick hitch to an uncovered WR more and more. It helps me get the ball out quick without having to risk a screen getting blown up or throwing a low percentage throw.

For 4x1, the Slot Pivot play is awesome. So is the Inside Cross play where it is just Verts with Mesh. That play is a killer with the right personnel. When I go 4x1, it is usually to just throw bubble or throw a slant/fade to the backside receiver. I like going quads to the boundary to isolate a big WR out wide, especially up-tempo going from 10 personnel Spread/Trips to 10 personnel Empty Quads.

 

[JAR201166]

The Flexbone Pistol Offense: The Inside Veer: http://youtu.be/kN5Up7O-2o4 what I would give to have this in the game....

 

[JSU Zack]

Look into the "ski gun" by Muskeegon HS in Wisconsin? They've ran the pistol flexbone for the last decade and done really well with it.

It's actually what I ran the year I was an offensive consultant for a youth team. They ran the double wing/tight formation with the triple option broken into three separate plays (give, keep, or pitch). We were able to run some Raid/West Coast concepts out of it with success as well. Mesh kills 5th grade linebackers. :devil:

 

[JAR201166]

Y

Look into the "ski gun" by Muskeegon HS in Wisconsin? They've ran the pistol flexbone for the last decade and done really well with it.

It's actually what I ran the year I was an offensive consultant for a youth team. They ran the double wing/tight formation with the triple option broken into three separate plays (give, keep, or pitch). We were able to run some Raid/West Coast concepts out of it with success as well. Mesh kills 5th grade linebackers. :devil:

Ya this is how I would introduce younger kids into the option game. I coached the age group before Jr high one year at White Plains so fun!

 

[JSU Zack]

Speaking of which, East Catholic HS (WA) is running this offense on ESPNU right now.

 

[LEGEND]

Also note pistol trips shouldn't be your only 3x1 formation. All of the Gun Trips variants are must haves along with Trio Open for its scat/mesh series.

3x1 formations are designed to attack two high defenses. There are books about this. In the game, they are the most versatile formations because you still have the plays that make 2x2 great against one high looks thanks to all the screens and flood concepts. You also have the added advantage of forcing the D to show man or zone defense for the passing game.

Urban Meyer has a rule where if the ball is on the has, he uses a 3x1 formation. It spread out the players evenly across the field and gives your playmakers room create big plays. Have fun.

I want to add the trips formations, but how do I get past the alignment issues when going uptempo? Currently I use SG Bunch, SG Cluster, and Empty Spread. Along with Pistol Trips and Pistol Trips Open.

Open to suggestions?

 

[JSU Zack]

I want to add the trips formations, but how do I get past the alignment issues when going uptempo? Currently I use SG Bunch, SG Cluster, and Empty Spread. Along with Pistol Trips and Pistol Trips Open.

Open to suggestions?

I was referring to the 4 WR trips variants near the end. Those should work without any issues.

 

[TXHusker05]

Well, after my game last night vs @NavyHog I'll be transitioning to the Pistol/Gun version of my offense a lot earlier than I thought I would. The lack of complimentary plays under center is a killer. You can run the ball great, but even a great running team can't run against 8-9 in the box and needs some sort of complimentary play. In real life that's play action off of your base runs, in the game play action is just not effective and the lack of screens and plays that stress the perimeter is awful.

Part of the problem is my QBs, they suck something serious. 73 and 69 THA paired with a QB Accuracy slider at 5 is just asking for trouble and under center pass plays are usually lower percentage. I would kill for a competent screen game under center but bubble/now screens just don't work or aren't in the formations. I may not be able to throw competently, but at least the complimentary plays in the Pistol/Gun work better. Even a terrible QB can throw a 2 yard hitch or a bubble to an uncovered receiver.

Now I just have to figure out how to put the pieces together. I already integrated a bunch of Pistol into my offense for that game and had a lot of success with it, my Weak Slot -> Full House audible series was great. I want to use that a bit more. Also maybe a Twin TE to Strong series. Going to go entirely Pistol and Offset Gun. No traditional gun except for empty, maybe some under center. Traditional Gun would introduce a bunch of plays/formations I really wouldn't be comfortable running so it'll just be Pistol/Offset Gun. Really, it is going to be my Osborne offense mixed with my Spread-I. The same base plays I run in my Osborne offense, just taken via direct snap rather than under center. Maybe some Wildcat if I have room.

As backwards as it is, I think I'm going to have far better success throwing from the spread. I can displace some defenders and complete screens and hitches without worrying about protection or my QB getting off-balance. Time to get to work on this, the user games are coming fast and furious in this OD.

 

[LEGEND]

I was referring to the 4 WR trips variants near the end. Those should work without any issues.

I tried this and didn't like the feel... I actually found only two 4 wr formations I care for. I rather use SG Normal Y flex with motion.

In Normal,Normal HB weak, and Y flex I can motion ovr a wr or TE to give me a trips set. I'm kinda big on same personnel different looks. I can also get 5 wide looks by motioning the back out or using Empty spread.

I'm more comfortable that way...

 

[fonzilla]

I tried this and didn't like the feel... I actually found only two 4 wr formations I care for. I rather use SG Normal Y flex with motion.

In Normal,Normal HB weak, and Y flex I can motion ovr a wr or TE to give me a trips set. I'm kinda big on same personnel different looks. I can also get 5 wide looks by motioning the back out or using Empty spread.

I'm more comfortable that way...

Does SG Normal Y flex have a QB Power play? Or just the QB wrap? I forget.

 

[JSU Zack]

Does SG Normal Y flex have a QB Power play? Or just the QB wrap? I forget.

It has a wrap. Y Slot has power, I believe.