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Manipulating Offenses with the Monster

Manipulating Offenses with the Monster

Posted by | Mar 16, 2014 | , , | 0 |

By David Joyce

Head Coach

Mountain Home High School (AR)

 

Editor’s Note:  Coach Joyce is transitioning into the head coach position at Mountain Home HS in Arkansas after serving as the head coach at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs this past season.  An Arkansas native, Coach Joyce has been a head coach in Colorado for the past 6 years, and has turned around 2 struggling programs in the state.  In 2013, Doherty won the 5A Pioneer League Championship, and won a playoff game for the first time in almost a decade.  Prior to Doherty, Coach Joyce was the head coach at Battle Mountain, and led them to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.

 

joyceDThe 52 monster defense was first used at Oklahoma and led to great success.  This defense is a trap defense at its finest.  I use the phrase trap because the defense is not symmetrical.  There is a strong side with 6 players and a weak side with 5 players.  The 6th player that creates the unbalance is known as the Monster, we refer to him as the Mobster, but I’ll get to that later.  The monster is a hybrid type player, more of your traditional strong safety/rover, capable of covering man to man, and capable of playing in the box as well.  To an offense, it appears that you should attack the weak side of the defense, as there is one less man, but this is the trap, because the defense will usually slant or stunt to the weak side creating a balanced defense, 5 on the front, 5 on the back, with the free safety head up on the center, see diagram 1.  We still use the traditional 52monster with Cover 3 behind it, but when you’re facing the spread, the 5-2 is at a distinct disadvantage.  This led to us creating the 3-2 Mobster defense.

Slide1Slide2

32 Mobster

The 32 Mobster defense was developed as a spread version of the 52 Monster.  At its simplest, the defense is designed to do exactly what the 52 monster did, that is trap the offense into making a mistake and running into numbers instead of away from the numbers.  When you get further into the defense, the 32 Mobster is great at disguise, confusion, and my favorite, creating chaos.  Our base front is a 3-4 with the Mobster rolled down splitting the difference between the OLB/ILB but this is only a look.  The Mobster will always roll replace a LB.  We will usually play Robber coverage behind it.  And this is one of the many advantages of the system, as it allows you to get good at very few things, but window dress as much as you like.

Base-‘Whack’

If we are facing a traditional 2 x 2 spread set, when we play our base.  Our base will look similar to a traditional 3-4 box, except our Mobster will be lined up in between the ILB and OLB to the declared side. see diagram 2.  We are setting the trap with the Mobster adding 6 defenders to one side, and 5 to the other side.  From this location, one of the 2 will be blitzing, either the ILB or OLB, with the E, N, B slanting to the weak side, we call the weak side slant ‘whack’ for weak attack.  The mobster will replace the blitzer and play his appropriate gap from that location.  For example, when we give a weak slant call “whack” and the blitzer ‘Jackie’, the mobster will roll down, then stem to the OLB’s position, and play the force defender. See Diagram 3, Whack Jackie.  This creates our symmetrical defense.

This base look has a few goals in mind for us, first, we want to create confusion with the offensive line and the QB.  If you look at Diagram 3 and Diagram 4, you will see that we create different run fits, and reads for the QB if he is running zone read.  A lot of coaches are hesitant about changing run fits, but when you are slanting and blitzing those gaps, then it’s easier for the players; and the Mobster only sees those run fits when he rolls into that position, it doesn’t change for him.  Second, we will get penetration, maybe not every time, but when the ILB or OLB blitz, the line must pick it up, and we have x stunts that we will execute and this always causes the line problems, and we can dictate where the running back will cut if we are facing the zone read.  See diagram 5 for both x stunts and zone read dictate. 

Slide3Slide4Slide5

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DB Press Technique Report

DB Press Technique Report

Posted by | Mar 15, 2014 | | 0 |

By Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

 

Researchers’ Note: You can access the raw data – in the form of graphs – from our research into DB press techniques: Click here for the Statistical Analysis Report.

 

We all want that lock-down corner, the Derelle Revis shut down stud who has the potential to alter an opponent’s game plan and change the course of the game.  If the technique is played right, it can make an offensive one-dimensional or even cut the field in half.  But let’s be honest – chances are a Derelle Revis or Champ Bailey may not be walking onto your practice field any time soon. So you have to make the most of what you have – and that’s what this week’s Coaching Research Report is all about.

For the purpose of this report we’ll be addressing techniques used by the isolated corner.  We’ll assume he has no help, regardless of the coverage.  We’re talking about MFO (middle of the field open), no middle field defender, just a corner on the receiver.  It’s a coverage most coaches are scared to play, and perhaps rightfully so with the vertical elements the spread offense possesses.  We were actually surprised to hear that 70 percent of coaches will only press their corners if they feel he has the ability to do so.  So, we wanted to find out if it is your players’ lack of athletic ability or a reservation in your ability to teach the proper mechanics of press technique that prevents you from doing so.  Apparently it’s both.  Well, that’s why we’re in this business.   We’ve consulted with the masses that use a press technique on a regular basis and they have given you an all-access look on how you can develop your corners into dominant defenders.  Sure, that Revis-type may not be coming in the building any time soon, but after reading this report, you may not need him to.

Benefits of playing press man coverage:

  • Ability to stack the box with nine: Assuming you’ll get closed, tight end oriented sets, if your corners can play man coverage without the help of your safeties, it frees them to get down in the box and play run support.
  • Safeties can’t get cracked: Many defenses now are playing some form of quarters coverage to contend with the vertical pass game (Note:  X&O Labs will be finalizing a Coaching Research Report on quarters within the next couple of weeks).  Because offenses know that in quarters your safeties are tied into the run game, they will try to block them with receivers.  Playing tight press man takes away their ability to do so.
  • Develops your blitz package: You’d be hard pressed to show us a defensive coordinator who lacks aggression in the blitz game these days.  If you can teach man coverage, it gives you the ability to attack various man and zone pressure concepts.
  • Eliminate big plays: We’re sure some of you offensive guys are cringing at a bold statement like this.  We know that seeing some form of press man coverage outside can make you drool. But the truth is if you train the hands, feet and hips of your corner to handle all routes, particularly the dreaded fade and fade stop routes which we will discuss later, you limit the offenses’ chances of hitting that home run.

Case 1: Proper Stance/Vertical and Horizontal Alignment The responses were unanimous.  Nearly every coach we spoke with on this topic talked about how the feet will control the hands.  There is nothing more important in teaching press than teaching the play of the feet.   We couldn’t tell you how many times the mantra “feet first, then hands” was blurted over my cell phone line this past week.  But before you can play the feet accurately, you must be able to get into a good stance.  Many coaches, including the ones we have as our analysts, feel that teaching the stance of a press corner sometimes goes overlooked.  At the risk of boring some veteran coaches, we put together a majority consensus on what a stance should look like for a press corner:

Press Corner Stance (Picture 1)

  • Feet directly under armpits: Slightly tighter than shoulder width.  This provides for better explosion off receiver movement and the prevention of getting over-extended and lunging on a WR, which many of our coaches feel was the biggest problem area when teaching press.
  • Bend at the waist: Much like a sprinter, the stress should be on their hamstrings, which need to be one of the stronger ligaments in a corner’s body.
  • Hands at the ready: Since the play of the hands are vital to success in press, the corner’s hands should be in the “up” position with elbows in and thumbs up.  This provides for an aggressive strike point on receivers.   We should mention that some coaches of the press technique, like Greg Brown, a well-reputed leader in the field, teaches his corners to hang their arms with fingers spread.  This provides for a relaxed posture.
  • Eyes Fixed: We found that this may vary as well.  Some coaches teach the focal point to be the bottom of the receiver’s numbers while some teach the belt buckle or waist.  Whatever the focal point, one common denominator was clear in our research.  Do not look at the QB in press technique.  Your eyes should solely be locked on the receiver you are covering.  We’ve found it interesting that some coaches won’t even press their corners if they have to read number two, like in some two high schemes.  The eyes are that important.

 

Press Corner Leverage When we refer to leverage, we’re speaking specifically about the horizontal and vertical cushion a corner should give to a receiver.  Our studies show that the majority of coaches, 34 percent, teach their corners to line up less than a yard off the line of scrimmage.  I remember hearing Mark Stoops speak at a clinic years ago when he was a defensive backs coach at Kansas State and him saying that deciding how much ground you’re going to give a receiver is strictly dependent on how good he is.   Coming from Stoops, this made a ton of sense, but I quickly found that I was not that good of a coach to assess my player’s abilities individually, so I had to give them a reference point.

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12 Punt Returns = 12 Return Yards

12 Punt Returns = 12 Return Yards

Posted by | Mar 9, 2014 | , | 0 |

By Terry Kent

Offensive Coordinator

Downers South HS (IL)

 

 

Editor’s Note:  Coach Kent is a 1974 graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Upon graduation, he became the Head Football Coach at Fall River HS in Fall River, WI. Since then he has coached football at Westmont HS, Downers Grove North HS, North Central College, and Downers Grove South HS, winning the first 8A IHSA State Championship in football in 2001. He was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010. He is currently the Offensive Coordinator / Running Backs Coach at Downers Grove South and is responsible for the Punt Team. 

 

 

gameclipI have been intrigued by the Shield Punt ever since I first saw it being used in a bowl game several years ago. My first impression was dismay that anyone would want to let the inside rushers run free and blow up the 3 guys standing in the backfield. As more and more teams went to the shield, I started seeing its benefits. Before deciding to implement it, though, I had to be convinced that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. What finally sold me on the Shield Punt was a Glazier Clinic presentation by Grand Valley State showing that in 2012 they only allowed 3 yards in punt returns. We all know that a punt is one of the greatest weapons a team has in changing field position. This past season we punted 31 times and allowed 12 punt returns for a total of 12 yards! This is the number 1 reason to use the Shield Punt – limiting your opponents return yardage. We also had one punt partially deflected due to poor execution by one of the shields.

The advantages of using the Shield Punt are as follows:

  1. Long Snapper has NO protection responsibilities.
  2. Get into coverage faster  à No returns!
  3. Can change block spot if needed.
  4. Rugby punt limits number of touches by returner.

The disadvantages that I had to work through are:

  1. Need to teach 3 different punts: Shield, Rugby, Tight
  2. Shield players aren’t reliable in coverage.
  3. Operation time must be a 2.0 or better.

The biggest stumbling block for me was teaching 3 different punts, especially a Tight Punt that we would use inside of the 20 yard line. Prior to this year, we had used the traditional double slot punt with zone blocking and we always had trouble teaching our defensive players the concept of zone blocking. One of the plusses of the Shield Punt is that your Punt Team really doesn’t block anyone, allowing us to put our best coverage players on the field. While we practiced the Tight Punt weekly, we never used it in a game.

Alignment

Our line lines up in a toe to heel relationship with the Center. We need to be careful that their heads break the plane of the Center’s waist, something that we didn’t always do. While we were never called for having too few men on the LOS, we certainly could have been. The Shield lines up with their heels at 7 yards. The Punter’s heels are at 14 yards. The Middle Shield, the Personal Protector, stacks behind one of the shields and steps between them. He is responsible for making the proper blocking calls and initiating the snap. Our line splits are as follows: C/G 2 yards, G/T 2 – 3 yards, T/E 3 – 5 yards. Early in the season we would split out both Ends to the same side when punting on the hash, but stopped doing this when we had protection issues.

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Coaching Low Hands in Pass Protection

Coaching Low Hands in Pass Protection

Posted by | Mar 2, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 By Justin Iske – @justiniske

Offensive Line Coach

Fort Hays State University

 

 

fthayesstEditor’s Notes: Justin Iske begins his fourth season on the coaching staff at Fort Hays State in 2014. Iske coaches the FHSU offensive line and serves as the team’s strength coach. In Iske’s first three seasons at FHSU, he has coached seven All-MIAA selections on the offensive line, led by two-time second team selection Hawk Rouse in 2011 and 2012 and second-team selection Mario Abundez in 2013. The Tiger offensive line helped produce an average of over 2,000 rushing and 2,000 passing yards per year in Iske’s three seasons. Iske came to FHSU after two seasons at Northwestern Oklahoma State University where he was the offensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and offensive line coach. His 2010 team won the conference championship and led the conference in rushing offense, sacks allowed and kickoff returns.

 

A debate that often comes up amongst o-line coaches is whether to set with high hands or low hands in pass protection. While there are several successful coaches that teach their offensive linemen to set with high hands to protect their chest, we are of the school that teaches low hands in pass sets. Much of what we teach has been stolen from Paul Alexander, the O-Line Coach of the Bengals and other coaches that have spoken at the COOL Clinic in Cincinnati over the years.

Note:  X&O Labs will be at the COOL Clinic this year.  Click here for more on this famed O Line gathering.

 

Why Low Hands?

In my playing days and early coaching career we were taught to pass set with our hands in front of our chest or eyes so that we could protect our chest and to execute a six-inch punch when the defender came within range. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but we now believe that we have found a better way of doing things. The preverbal light bulb went off when I worked a summer camp and was helping out with d-line pass rush drills. Every move that we worked on in that camp, the coach would set up the offensive player with his hands up so that the defender had a target to knock down. Common sense told us that if we set with low hands and don’t give the defense a target we can slow them down. And that is how we have taught it ever since.

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Training the Anchor, Wall and Kick Players in Pin and Pull Concepts

Training the Anchor, Wall and Kick Players in Pin and Pull Concepts

Posted by | Feb 23, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 

By Bobby Rosenthal

Tight Ends Coach

Wilkes University

 

 

OLineEditor’s Note:  Coach Rosenthal is the Tight Ends and Assistant Offensive Line Coach at Wilkes University. After graduating Wesleyan University and playing as a graduate student in the fall of 2010, I started my coaching career volunteering at Yale University, working with the offensive line during their spring practices in 2011. That summer I accepted a GA position at Endicott College, where I worked with the running backs for one season. That season I coached a CoSIDA 2nd Team Academic  All-American. After one year, I went to Wilkes University where I have spent the last 2 seasons. Both seasons I placed a different player on the All-Conference list and have placed multiple student-athletes on the Academic Honor Roll every year.

 

At Wilkes University we are a multiple-I formation, run first offense. We are very diverse in our formations and will motion and shift on many plays to try to put our offensive skill players in an advantageous position to do their job on a given play. At the beginning, we focused on gap scheme runs and found ourselves to be very tight end and inside run oriented. We knew we would need to add some diversity to our run game and began to look for effective ways to push the ball outside. After some research we decided on a few “Pin and Pull” run schemes, two of which I will outline in this article.

As a gap scheme team, we knew some of the adjustments and issues we would face from defenses. In our research for our outside run game, we wanted to be able to find schemes which not only fit our style of play, but could attack the adjustments defenses would make to attack our power scheme. The three reasons we felt comfortable adding the “Pin and Pull” series were the following:

  1. It is a great way to attack a 7 technique defensive end (inside shade of tight end),
  2. It fit well within our teaching of power.
  3. It helped us build formations.

The two plays I will diagram in this article are the “Toss Truck” and “Toss Taxi”. These two run plays are very well suited to be taught together, as the plays are so similar that many of the rules are the same. By teaching these two schemes together, you are able to reinforce the key point of the plays and have a better chance of the players retaining the information.

Toss Truck

Slide1

Truck Rules:

Anchor: Block the first defender inside of you, on or off the ball

Wall: Block the next defender inside of you. Build a “wall” on the defense

Kick: Block the CB. Chase the defender’s outside number

PST: Alley puller. Clear the Anchor and Wall and get vertical. Look inside-out, top-down. Block the first bad color in the alley. If Anchor or Wall fall off block, clean up the mess

PSG: Covered- Reach block the man on. Facemask through the outside number. Uncovered- Mike responsibility. Jump through and block him now if possible. If not, pull for width and work off of PST’s block

C– Covered- Reach the PS A gap. Bring the backside of the OL with you. Uncovered- Mike responsibility. Jump through and block him now if possible. If not, pull for width and work off of PST’s block

BSG– Scoop the BS A Gap. Must get the Will LB blocked

BST– Scoop the BS B Gap. Must get the Will LB blocked

QB– Reverse out to 5:30/6:30 and pitch ball to RB. Carry out boot fake

RB– 1st step: open-lateral, 2nd step: Cross-over, 3rd step: controlled lateral run for width. Keep shoulders square and push vertical once outside the Anchor and Wall. Run up the Alley

BS WR- Sprint for BS Safety. Find work down field

Notes: Must get the play started, by blocking the first level first. OT does not have an assignment, block the first dangerous color. If there is a 2nd puller, work off the OT’s block. Any unblocked defender takes precedent over Mike responsibility. PSG and C must communicate who has the Mike responsibility. 2nd puller is always responsible for any front side run-through.

Adjustments: If the Center feels he cannot reach the nose, he can call the PSG down and become second puller. If the PSG feels he cannot reach the defensive tackle, he can call the PST down and become the “Alley” puller.

Defining the Anchor, Wall and Kick: The Kick is always furthest inside offensive skill player and may come from the backfield. The Anchor is the next outside and the wall is the furthest outside.

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Teaching Inside Shade (6i) Reads

Teaching Inside Shade (6i) Reads

Posted by | Feb 23, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 

By Shaun Weaver – @sweaver22

Defensive Coordinator

Gettysburg College (PA)

 

CaptureEditor’s Note:  Coach Weaver enters his ninth season as a member of the Gettysburg coaching staff and his eighth as the defensive coordinator in 2014.  Weaver will also coach the linebackers for the seventh straight season this year. Prior to his arrival at Gettysburg, Weaver served as the defensive line coach at Bemidji State University in Minnesota from 2004-05. He also spent two seasons coaching the defensive line and serving as the junior varsity defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Wilmington College in Ohio, from 2002-03. Weaver guided his players to multiple postseason accolades at both Bemidji and Wilmington, including coaching one to All-America status at the latter.

 

Introduction

The C gap defender to your defensive line versus a TE is critical person in being effective at stopping a running game. With the C gap still being a focal point of attack for offenses the discussion on how you teach an inside shade player (6i) is extremely important. There are multiple options to stance, reads and reactions. This article will cover technique teaching options for your C gap players with block reactions for both options covered.

Stance

A defensive lineman’s stance is vital to having the opportunity to be successful every snap. A  poor stance will put a player at an immediate disadvantage. Having a good and simple stance progression to teach your players will give them a good base for having a comfortable and effective stance. The following is a partial stance progression that I currently use in teaching defensive lineman proper stance.

PRE-SNAP KEYS

Get every advantage your opponent gives you!

  • Before you get into your stance go through your C.A.A.R check.  (Note:  CAAR stands for C-Call   A- Alignment  A- Assignment  R- Read)
  • Down and Distance!
  • Check the Formation. Remember tendencies from the game plan
  • Read the Man across from you for hints to the play that’s coming. (White knuckles, the balance of his stance, size of splits, etc.)         

 

Right (Left) Handed Base Stance

  1. Feet shoulder width apart pointing straight ahead
  2. Right foot should be back and at a toe to instep relationship
  3. Put both hands on the ground 3 to 6 inches in front of your face mask
  4. Pick your left hand or “Flash Hand” up off the ground and put it to the side of your face mask with your thumb pointing up in a position to strike a blow
  5. Weight is slightly on the balls of your feet so you feel “air” under your heels
  6. Good Power angles in your hips, knees and ankles. Do not be stiff.
  7. Eyes up on man and Butt up slightly above head level, while maintaining flexed hips ready to explode off the ball

 

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Practicing Screens with Tempo

Practicing Screens with Tempo

Posted by | Feb 15, 2014 | , | 0 |

 

By Brian White

Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (IN)

 

 

 

Editor’s Note:  Coach White begins his third season on the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology coaching staff and his second season as offensive coordinator in 2013.  White also serves as the team’s recruiting coordinator and the offensive line coach. White joined the Rose-Hulman coaching staff after serving assistant roles at the University of Cincinnati, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Maryland.  In his first season at Rose-Hulman in 2011, White’s offensive line provided blocks that allowed Kyle Kovach to earn the NCAA Division III all-purpose yardage championship.  The Fightin’ Engineers also established a school record for total offense with 625 yards in a 53-50 win at Anderson as part of a second place season in the HCAC.  

 

 

whitescreensFor the Rose-Hulman offense, as with many offenses at every level of football, playing fast is of critical importance to our success.  In 2013, we averaged 85.5 plays per game.  However, we strive to ensure that we do not sacrifice speed for precision.  Our goal every year is to identify the plays we feel are critical to our success as an offense and then find ways to drill these plays.  Our staff works to develop drills that teach the requisite skills to execute the play and simultaneously emphasizing how to play fast.

Each play we install follows a similar teaching progression.  We will start with the coordinator presenting an overview of the play.  During this portion of the install, the coordinator will inform the offense of the purpose of the play, when and why the play will be called and the method by which the play will be relayed to the unit on the field.  Each position coach will then meet with his unit to cover all of the particular rules and skills required by that position group to execute this play.  All of the major coaching of the play is done in these meetings.  On the field, we want to be able to practice as many reps as possible without stopping the drill to coach.

During our individual periods, each position coach will drill the skills necessary for each play.  These periods are the last opportunity for the position coach to work with his players at a teaching pace.  Once we come together as a full offense, we want to play as fast as possible.  We will employ many different drill formats to practice our players.  One of our favorite ways to drill a play is in a Half Line format.  In this setup, one half of the offense preforms a rep of a play, while the other half of the unit will prepare for their rep.  Coaches can choose to work the same play in each group or they can choose to work complimentary plays.  For example, we will run the frontside of a Zone Read scheme on one side then flip to the other group to work the backside.  We will also perform the same drill with both groups work the backside (or read side).

Before detailing how we practice our Quick Screens, the rules of the screen should be covered.  We will run our Quick Screen to both the Boundary (Diagram 1) and the Field (Diagram 2).

Slide1Slide2

Offensive Line

For all Screens, the Offensive Line must understand a few important items.  The first of these is the protection that the screen is related to.  Next, the Line must know how long to block that protection for. We will run “No Count,” “One Count,” and “Two Count” screens.  Finally, each member of the Offensive Line must know his role in the screen.  If the Offensive Linemen is expected to release in the screen, he must understand the spot on the field where the screen is attacking.  We call the spot the “Sidewalk.”

“The Sidewalk” will differ based on the location of the ball, in terms of if the ball is in the middle of the field or the hash, and if the screen is being run to the field or the boundary.

– Ball on the far hash (Screen run to field) = Sidewalk is the near hash

– Ball in the middle (Screen run either direction) = Sidewalk is the logo (halfway between hash and numbers)

– Ball on the near hash (Screen run to boundary) = Sidewalk is the inside edge of the numbers.

Now that we have outlined the different criteria the Offensive Line must understand, we can apply these factors to our Quick Screen.

            – Protection:  Empty, with slide to the screen (Odd = Area)

            – Count: No Count

– Release:  Screen side Tackle, Guard and Center (Odd = Screen side Tackle, Guard and Backside Guard)

As the above rules mention, the Offensive Line will block Empty protection.  Our Empty protection is a Half Slide.  In the case of a screen, we will send the slide side to the screen and the backside Guard and Tackle will block #1 and #2 on the Line of Scrimmage, respectively.  For the linemen releasing into the screen, they are taught to “Club” or “Shove” their defender based on his alignment.  A defender aligned to the side of the screen will receive a Club from the lineman.  A Club is executed by first giving the “illusion of movement” on the set.  We teach our Offensive Line to throw their head and shoulders back and exaggerate their set without losing very much ground.  The lineman will take two little kicks and entice the defensive lineman to work his shoulder.  As the defensive lineman attempts to grab the shoulder, the Offensive Lineman will pull the shoulder back and simultaneously club the defensive lineman in between the back of his numbers before releasing into the screen.

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Utilizing a Comprehensive Check with Me System

Utilizing a Comprehensive Check with Me System

Posted by | Feb 15, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 

By Jay Wilkinson

Offensive Coordinator

Broken Arrow High School (OK)

 

How many times have you reviewed film the day after the game and said that a play you called was dead before it started because of the defensive look you got?  The freeze and check with me methods are a way to eliminate dead play calls. We use the freeze and check with me methods to take a quick picture of how the defense is lining up and making the best play call we have versus that look.  Some of our biggest plays have come from these methods.

On its most basic level, the “Check with Me” concept allows an offense to make the play call or change the play at the line of scrimmage.  We have two different ways that we have this built into our offense.  Here is a more in-depth look at each concept:

Freeze Concept

When using the freeze concept, we will signal in the formation and no play.  The QB will go through the pre snap process and signal for the snap.  If we don’t draw the defense offsides, then we will call a play from the sidelines.  This allows us to look over the defense and call a play based on the look we are getting.

Check Concept

The check starts with us calling a formation and a play and tag check to it.  The QB will dummy signal for the snap and look to the sidelines.  If we like the play called, we will leave it on and the QB will call for the snap and run the play.  If we don’t like the play we have called, we will tell the QB to erase it.  He will then tell the team to look to the sidelines to get the new play and we will signal the new play and run it.

We prefer this method as opposed to the fast as you can model because it helps us from running a play into a look we can’t be successful against.  We do have some plays that we feel like we can run vs. any look.  We include this plays in our fastest tempo mode.

Benefits

We have found that checking at the line of scrimmage gives us many advantages.  It allows us to look at the defense and call a play based on the look we are getting.  For example, if it is 3rd and 7 and we don’t know if we are going to get base defense or coverage.  We can freeze it, see how the defense is going to play us, then call a play that give us a chance to be successful.  Similarly, if we want to run the zone at the 3 technique, we can call zone right and tag check.  If the 3 technique is on the left, we can just flip the play.

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Varying the Backside of the Zone Read

Varying the Backside of the Zone Read

Posted by | Feb 10, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 

By Kyle Schmitt – @kschmittASHS

Head Coach

Archbishop Spaulding HS (MD)

 

77057420Each offseason our offensive staff evaluates our entire offense by play, formation and personnel in order to measure the efficiency of each. The goal of this evaluation is to fine tune the core of our offense.  Ultimately, we are looking for new ways to window dress and disguise our core concepts. This process includes:

  1. Blocking scheme/techniques within the play
  2. Change in backfield action
  3. Additional formations per play
  4. Run/Pass Combos with plays
  5. Addition/subtraction/change of scheme

Once we have completed our own offensive evaluation our staff collects as much tape as possible on teams that we would like to study throughout the offseason.  One of the concepts we were looking to study was 2/3 back Zone read concepts and triple option off of these runs (bubble, smoke, option pitch). Our purposes were to further strengthen our zone read play and continue to find answers for the defensive variations we would see. In the spring of 2013 we watched Sam Houston St, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins and the pistol concepts they had successfully installed. We found a common theme in their 2/3 back Zone scheme which we implemented this season and called “Joker.”

Slide1Slide2

Strengths of the Joker Concept  

 

  1. Fits with our Zone, Counter and Power Schemes (no guard pull in this scheme)
  2. Able to run from multiple formations vs multiple fronts and pressures
  3. Answer for gap exchange without over coaching the backside tackle
  4. Power zone read play with the ability to add option to 2 and 3 back sets

 

Blocking Scheme

Slide3

The Joker play is falls into our zone run family. However, our second level aiming points change due to the increased blockers on the backside of the play. Therefore, we taught Joker as a combination of the front side of a zone play combined with the front side of a gap play.

Frontside blocking

The front side (left side in Joker Left) is zone/gap blocking to the 2nd LB from the center playside. This is a change from our regular inside zone play where our OL is targeting the first LB from the center playside.   Below you see our Joker play blocked vs an odd, stack and even defense.

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Beefing Up Your Goalline Package

Beefing Up Your Goalline Package

Posted by | Feb 3, 2014 | , , , , | 0 |

 

By William Mitchell

Head Coach

Lewisville High School (NC)

 

 

lewisvilleEditor’s Note:  William Mitchell is entering his 2nd year as the Head Football Coach at Lewisville High School in Richburg, SC. With 18 years of coaching experience, Coach Mitchell has spent time on the collegiate and high school levels in three states, SC, GA, & NC. As a Defensive Coordinator and as a Head Coach, he has been involved in turning around four programs: Chester (SC), Brunswick (GA), Ardrey Kell (NC), and most recently the Lewisville Lions. Blessed to be around good players, Coach Mitchell has been involved in coaching 15 players that have gone on to the Division I-A level, and several others that compete at the lower levels. In addition, he has been a speaker on the Glazier Football Clinic circuit and has had several articles published online. Coach Mitchell currently resides in Fort Mill, SC with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, Cooper and Riley.

 

When we first arrived at our present school two years ago, we knew that offensively we wanted to be an up – tempo, spread to run football team. We felt like the kids that we had fit this type of offense. Many of our athletes were what most coaches call “tweeners”…aggressive but not big, quick but not super fast. Despite our lack of size, we believed that there were also going to be times that we needed to line up and smash people, most notably in short yardage and the red zone. In keeping with our philosophy of treating Goal Line like a special team, we formed a new package for these situations: The BEAST Package.

Over the past two seasons, we have run the BEAST Package 61 times in 22 games from anywhere on the field.  We usually use this in the red zone or short yardage situations, but it also has been an excellent change-up from our normal Spread against a tired defense. In that case we still play up-tempo. Our success rate on these plays speaks for its self.  Of the 61 plays that we have run, 20 of those resulted in touchdowns and another 21 produced positive yardage for our team. 

Personnel

Just like in our goalline defense <insert link to gorilla defense article> , all players on the team are available for use in BEAST, regardless of their other roles on the team. If we need the starting Mike LB, then we get him. The front line will consist of five linemen and two eligible “big skill” types. The three fullbacks must have one “big skill” and the other two can be linemen or skill. It is imperative that the most physical players on the team are on this unit somewhere. The most important attributes for the QB in BEAST are vision and strength. He needs to be a downhill runner. If he can throw, it only makes this package more dangerous.

Alignment & Rules for the Front Line (Diagram 1)

Slide1

We will align our best linemen all to the same side: Center, Guard, Tackle, Tackle, Tight End to the right and Guard, Tight End to the Left. We want the front line to align with very wide splits; when they line up we want them to literally raise and extend their arms fingertip to fingertip before they get into a stance. The front line has one very simple rule for BEAST. They are to aggressively block anyone in the gap away from where the play is going. They may have to drive almost lateral but that is okay, as long as they come off the ball hard. The QB has his heels at five yards off the ball. The fullbacks are numbered 1, 2, and 3 with 1 being closest to the ball. Their alignment will change according to the play, but they will always align in a gap one yard off the heels of the OL. The three players that must be “big skill” are the Right TE, the Left TE, and the 3 fullback. Everyone except the QB is in a three-point stance.

Edito’s Note:  For the purpose of this discussion, all diagrams and alignments will be BEAST Right, although the formation can certainly be flipped. We usually try to put the formation to our sideline, in order to make it difficult for the opponent’s sideline to see or adjust.

Plays

The nature of this package gives a variety of options for plays that can stress the defense.  We have found that the following set of plays provide enough variety and options for us to attack different looks that we see in gaolline and short yardage situations.  Below we have outlined each of these plays including some game film.

 

BEAST RIGHT ARROWHEAD (Diagram 2)

Slide2

Alignments:

The fullbacks align as follows:

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Cover 8 vs. Doubles and Trips

Cover 8 vs. Doubles and Trips

Posted by | Feb 2, 2014 | , , | 0 |

acu defenseBy Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

 

 

 

While we’ve found that the Alert and Palms principle was the best answer to 2×2 open formations, we did find another interesting adjustment that could be made to handle four vertical threat in the pass game.   Darian Dulin, the defensive coordinator at Abilene Christian University (TX) grew tired of seeing slot receivers get around his outside linebackers and between his Safeties to catch square in routes and skinny posts – which could be an apparent weakness in Quarters Coverage (Diagram 13).  So, he adjusted by walking his outside linebackers out further on the number two receiver and play his Safeties closer to the box- essentially, switching their responsibilities (Diagram 14).  What resulted was a top ten finish in total defense among all FCS schools in 2012, and a design he calls Cover 8. 

 

//www.xandolabs.com/members/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Slide143.jpg

Dulin told us that it’s a coverage used most effectively when your Safeties are your best secondary players.   It gives them the ability to get over the top of vertical routes, yet get involved in the run.   He would have his Safeties get as close as six yards from the line of scrimmage if they felt they can play both the run game and get over the top of number two.    They are asked to play Quarters responsibility in the pass (by playing number two vertical) yet still play the alley- the outside linebackers will have force- in the run game.   His Safeties will soft pedal out on the snap and read the Guard to their side to give us a little bit of a cushion on the run/pass read.   Dulin feels playing against Gun formation offenses, gives his Safeties a better run/pass indicator, allowing them to play both situations.  “We feel we have quick reads with the QB in gun based on whether he’s faking the zone read or he’s popping it up and throwing it to the seam route,” he said. 

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New: Research on How Successful Programs Win

New: Research on How Successful Programs Win

Posted by | Jan 25, 2014 | | 0 |

 


By Mike Kuchar – @mikekkuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

 

foreEditor’s note:  Veteran Athletic Director and former head high school coach Chris Fore, conducted a lenghty research study on what makes successful football programs.  Fore reached out to 108 head coaches from 42 different states nationwide and published the contents of his study in a book entitled Building Championsship-Caliber Programs which can be found here: http://eightlaces.org.  Senior Research Manager Mike Kuchar interviewed Fore on some common denominators on successful progams. 

 

MK: Briefly explain the premise of the book.  What was the purpose of it?

 

CF:  The premise of this book was to research the best practices of the 2011 State Champion Head Coaches.  It started with an idea I had to simply become better myself as a coach.  I reached out to ten state champions with three questions about their program.  Never set out to write a book. But once their responses started coming in, and I started sharing their responses, and getting great feedback from coaches, I started reaching out to even more champions.  The purpose started out for me to become a better coach during the offseason. It morphed in to helping coaches nationwide become better coaches by sharing with them what the best of the best were doing to build some of the best programs in the nation.

 

MK:  What were 3-5 common threads you discovered when interviewing these championship programs?  This can relate to on the field or off the field procedures.

 

CF:  I heard back from 108 Head Coaches from forty two states nationwide!!  I categorized all of their answers in to about thirty different categories, or what I call characteristics.   What developed were ten very clear common characteristics of the state champion programs.  The top ten characteristics serve as ten of the chapters for this book.  These top ten characteristics represented about seventy percent of their answers.  The top three common answers to my three questions were: 1. Off season program.  2.  Team chemistry 3.  Focus on the little things and fundamentals.  These three were the top three answers to my questions about what Head Coaches said separated their state champion team from others they faced in their league, conference and state.

 

MK:  Roughly, how many of the programs you spoke with had developed Mission Statements?  What were the general ideas behind these mission statements?

 

CF:  I didn’t ask directly if they had a mission statement, so this is a tough question to answer.  Some coaches voluntarily gave me their mission/vision statement as a part of their answer.  But as a whole, it was not a specific question, so I don’t know the answer to the question here.  The general ideas behind the mission statements I did receive were about putting team first, and outworking everyone they played through a determined work ethic.

 

MK:  What information did you find about the relationship between developing a system and adapting it to your personnel?  Did the majority of coaches change their systems from year to year or did they just adapt it to fit their personnel?

 

CF: One of the top five answers from head coaches, meaning the top five characteristics of Championship programs, was to “Stay The Course.”  By staying the course, coaches told me time and again that coaches who want to be successful need to find a system they believe in and stick with it.  A majority of coaches told me that they did not change their systems from year to year, but stuck with one system, got the kids, coaches and community to believe in it and then had success with it. 

The very first quote I thought of after reading this question was from Jeff Vanleur of Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan High School of South Dakota.  He has won five State Championships.  He said this about their offensive system:  “Continuity is something we do different than the other programs we compete against. We run the same offense year after year and ALL through our 7th -12th grades. I believe by the time our players become varsity players they know our system well.”

Another quote I thought of was from Jeff Gourley, from Olathe South High School in Kansas.  “I would assume every coach wants to win a state championship, but they also need to understand there isn’t a perfect system, a definite blueprint for a program to achieve success, or any other magic pill. Coaches should research all aspects of football, decide on their philosophical approach, and then implement a plan. Once the plan is deemed to be fundamentally solid, stick to it. Coaches that waffle will rarely achieve long term success.  In short, do what you believe and believe what you do. It is fine to “tweak” systems to fit personnel but stay within the parameters of your basic philosophy.”  I love what he says about “coaches that waffle will rarely achieve long term success.”  This research project most definitely agrees with what Coach Gourley claims here. 

 

A few more quotes in this area that speak to what you’ve asked:

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Perfecting the Shallow Cross Concept

Perfecting the Shallow Cross Concept

Posted by | Jan 18, 2014 | , , , , | 0 |

By Rich Holzer

Head Coach

Meade High School (MD)


 

Coach Holzer Head ShotEditor’s Note:  Coach Holzer has served as the Meade Mustangs Head Coach for two seasons from 2011-2012. He was named Coach of the Year by Varsity Sports Network for the State of Maryland as well as by The Capital Gazette, Baltimore TD Club, & Annapolis TD Club. From 2008-2010 Rich was Head Football Coach at Parkdale HS in Riverdale, MD. 2004-2008 Rich was Defensive Coordinator/ Strength Coach at Westlake HS in Waldorf, MD. 2002-2003 Rich was a GA at Hofstra University. Rich is graduate of Hofstra University with a BS in Physical Education, where he was also a 2x All League Offensive Lineman for the Pride, & has a Masters in Educational Administration from McDaniel College.

 

 

Here at Meade High School we are a Spread Zone Read based team. However, we felt as a staff that we needed a few key pass concepts on which we could hang our hats. These concepts had to have answers to any coverage we could see. We didn’t want to get into the business of packaging concepts to attack specific coverage’s. We felt this way because we are handed players who come from 3-4 different youth organizations which run a variety of different schemes not only by organization but within the organization as well. Also, we are on a military base so we have players transferring in that need to be brought up to speed asap and complex concepts will only slow he learning curve.

In our offense we currently hang our hat on 4 main drop back concepts and 5 quick throws. Today, I plan on discussing our “Shallow” game. When looking at different passing schemes we felt that the “Air Raid” shallow cross game was a very inexpensive play to install, but had a high potential for return on investment. We began making the shallow a staple of our drop back pass game. We run our shallow game from numerous formations. In addition, we run our shallow to any receiver on the field, which makes us almost impossible to key on. By running different receivers on shallows it allows us to break tendencies that may develop, but more importantly it gives us a way to designate our most explosive athlete the shallow runner. We are trying to get the ball to playmakers in space. Lastly, how we teach the concept is unique. We teach the concept as a whole to our receiving core not just their individual route assignments. Every receiver is inter-changeable in our shallow game. I feel this is what sets our shallow game apart from other high school programs is a multiple looks we give.

The rules for our shallow cross are fairly standard. They are as follows:

Shallow Runner: Be no more then 6 from the near OT at the snap of the ball. Upon the snap release immediately for the heels of the near DE gaining no depth. Run over his heels & through the tackle box with speed. Work for a depth of 1-3 yards on the opposite sideline. Don’t stop running.

Dig Runner: First slot opposite the shallow is the Dig runner. Be no closer then 5 and no further then 8 from the near OT. Release vertical for the outside shoulder of the Alley defender. Push through the outside shoulder of the Alley defender. This a non negotiable point for us. We must cause that defender to turn his head with our release. Push vertical 10 yards. At ten foot fire and bring it across. Run versus man & sit versus zone. If you sit find a window to the QB off the MLB and give him hands & eyes. (We teach our receivers to read zone or man coverage by peeking at the receiver coming on the shallow. If he has a defender trailing him it is man, if no defender is trailing it is zone)

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Hands & Footwork in the Run Game

Hands & Footwork in the Run Game

Posted by | Jan 11, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 

 

 

By Justin Iske – @justiniske

Offensive Line Coach

Fort Hays State University

 

 

fthayesst Editor’s Notes: Justin Iske begins his fourth season on the coaching staff at Fort Hays State in 2014. Iske coaches the FHSU offensive line and serves as the team’s strength coach. In Iske’s first three seasons at FHSU, he has coached seven All-MIAA selections on the offensive line, led by two-time second team selection Hawk Rouse in 2011 and 2012 and second-team selection Mario Abundez in 2013. The Tiger offensive line helped produce an average of over 2,000 rushing and 2,000 passing yards per year in Iske’s three seasons. Iske came to FHSU after two seasons at Northwestern Oklahoma State University where he was the offensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and offensive line coach. His 2010 team won the conference championship and led the conference in rushing offense, sacks allowed and kickoff returns.

 

Two of the biggest debates amongst offensive line coaches are whether to load the hands in the run game and whether to use a bucket step on zone runs. This article will take a look at the pros and cons of these two questions.

WHY LOAD THE ELBOWS?

Many coaches teach their o-linemen to draw their elbows back on their first step (grab your guns) and to throw their hands forward (shoot) on the second step. Three main reasons for doing this are shown below:

–          More powerful punch by drawing the hands back on the first step

–          Times up punch with the second step

–          Keeps the hands tighter for leverage

WHY NOT?

Other coaches teach their o-linemen to shoot their hands directly from their stance to the defender. Some of the reasons for doing things this way are:

–          Gets your hands on the defender quicker

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Utilizing the Tight End in Empty Protection

Utilizing the Tight End in Empty Protection

Posted by | Jan 11, 2014 | , , | 0 |

 

 

 

By Scott Girolmo – @CoachSGirolmo

Offensive Coordinator

Liberty High School (VA)

 

 

libertyEditor’s Note: Scott grew up as a player for his father Steve Girolmo at Livonia High School in Western New York. A graduate of Cortland State (D-III – NY) he has coached at Castleton State College, and Western New England University as well as made stops in high school at his Alma-Mater Livonia and Liberty high School in Bealeton, VA.  In 2012 he took over the offense at Liberty and has installed an ever-evolving hurry up no-huddle philosophy that mixes schemes from across the spectrum. As the Offensive Coordinator in their 2013 campaign the Eagles offense averaged 34.2 points per game, and was the 10th ranked offense in VHSL 4A. Scott is a diehard clinic enthusiast and encourages interactive Q & A regarding any of his contributions to the site. 

 

 

Using 01 ( zero backs and one Tight End) and 02 personnel packages (zero backs and two Tight Ends)  have helped to add a very powerful element to our offensive attack and have paid dividends on the scoreboard. In our little part of the football world, we play a very wide variety of defenses. Several of our opponents play defense at a very high level. Among them, we have seen our share of “all in” pressure, and we have also seen disciplined zone-based multi-front schemes. In both cases we have found that our ability to use our empty formations and schemes has been a major advantage. This article will explain how we have designed our formations, protections, and run and pass concepts to exploit space and move the chains.  Before we do so, there are some reasons as to why we use the Tight End in empty protections.

Reason 1: No Running Backs?  No problem!

At the high school level, our recruiting is limited to our hallways. For this reason, we are not always blessed with well-rounded running backs who are lights-out pass protectors, and explosive runners. Quite the contrary, there are probably a lot of you out there who don’t have this card in your hand. You do however have the other elements necessary to run 01, and 02 personnel. Wide receivers seem to grow on trees these days (don’t believe me; attend a college camp this summer). Furthermore, the Tight End / Hybrid position is an easy one to fill. Even the most destitute roster has a fullback, a thin tackle or bigger –slower receiver. Thus, 01 and 02 personnel’s allow your team an opportunity to play your cards with ultimate effect.

Reason 2: Protect a Playmaker or Utilize a Skilled Blocker

Here at Liberty we have been lucky to have very solid running backs. We do however; ask them to play on both sides of the ball. For that reason, we use these formations and techniques to lower the number of violent blows that they take in protection. We have found that we can save our playmakers and can get a better blocker in the game. That better blocker is often unused in spread, 10 personnel offenses. He is a fullback or Hybrid full-tight end [Diagram 1]. Utilizing these formations is great way to incorporate that kid in the schemes we already employ.

Slide1

 

Reason 3: Dramatic defensive responses

Finally, I have found that empty formations typically draw a very dramatic response from defenses. Defensive coordinators seem to fall under one of two schools of thought vs. empty. The first is to immediately check to man and blitz 6 in an attempt to get us OUT of empty [Diagram 2]. The other polar opposite adjustment is to check to the softest most base coverage and front that they have [Diagram 3]. In both cases, we have an opportunity to exploit the defense based on these very polarizing reactions.

Slide2Slide3

USING THE TE in EMPTY PROTECTION

Our biggest reason for calling 02 personnel is to attack the high pressure defenses on our schedule that play man coverage. After researching the way in which our successful opponents’ defenses were pressuring, we discovered that there was a unilateral trait. At the high school level, QB pressure is predominantly created by strong edge rush [Diagram 4]. In fact, in most cases all that was needed to rush throws were two fast edge rushers – interior pressure was secondary.  Recognizing this, we retooled our protection schemes to incorporate the two Tight Ends. The extra gap on both sides has created a more stable pocket for our quarterback, and made it much more difficult for our opponents to overload our weak side – which had previously been very effective against us. With 3 receivers wide, this still allows us to align in multiple formations and create favorable 1 on 1 match ups [Diagram 5]. Coupled with our ability to screen, and go no huddle hurry-up the 02 personnel formations have given us an edge against these ALL-IN style defenses.

Slide4Slide5

Pass Protection Fundamentals:

When I was a graduate assistant at Castleton State College, our Head Coach Rich Alercio used to emphasize the importance of a perfect protection demeanor, and the use of power angles. Editor’s Note: Rich Alercio further developed this with XandOLabs.com  in his Concept Blocking System which can be seen here. Thanks to him, I have been able to pass along some awesome coaching points to our kids. We still believe posture is paramount, and so we recite the following teaching cue to our guys until they are sick of hearing it. “FEET OUTSIDE OF KNEES – KNEES OUTSIDE OF HIPS – BIG BUTT – BIG CHEST!” Coach Alercio used to describe the powerful angles of a pyramid when teaching this concept, and we do the same, consistently reinforcing the importance of demeanor [Diagram 6]. Whether you utilize a two point stance or three point stance, the following cues can help you to dial in on the little things that put players in position to protect. The following is what we emphasize in the stance.

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