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Flexbone- Coaching the Offensive Line
The offensive line in any offense is the most important part, and the Flexbone is of no exception. Properly training the offensive line in the techniques needed to block defenses is paramount to any coach interested in running the Flexbone offense.
The flexbone offensive line is made up of five players with varying uniqueness to their positions. The center, by far, should be the best offensive lineman of the five. The reason for this is that the center may be called upon to block a noseguard by themselves, which is a tough task, especially with having to snap the football. The guards are the larger, more physically imposing, and stronger of all the linemen. The guards need to be able to move players aligned directly over them, but still be athletic enough to pull and trap or lead up on plays such as the Rocket Toss. The offensive tackles would most likely be tight ends or H-backs in other offensive styles. The tackles need to be athletic enough to block on the second and third levels off the offense, however they must also be decent enough of a lineman to block a defensive end or help out on a double or triple team block with the offensive guards.
Stance
The major difference in the offensive line, in say a pro-style offense versus the Flexbone is the stance. When looking at typical offenses the offensive linemen (OL) are allowed to have their buttocks’ lower and their chests more upright as they want to read and react to a defender’s movement. The Flexbone is not a reactive offense, yet it is a proactive offense that attacks the defense before the defense knows what has hit it. The stance of the OL in the Flexbone is one where the buttocks is higher than the head and is more of a traditional sprinter’s stance.
To start, the OL should have their feet no wider than shoulder width apart. By utilizing this framework the OL can move laterally as quickly as they can forward. The OL wants to have at least a 60 percent to 40 percent weight ratio of weight on their down hand versus weight on their feet. If this is a problem, the OL is recommended to utilize a four point stance (both hands on the ground instead of one). This weight ratio, ideally, should be in the 70 percent on the down hand, and 30 percent on the balls of the OL’s feet. The weight ratio described is one that sets the Flexbone OL apart from many other offenses, because of so much weight forward. The idea behind this technique is again, that of a sprinter. The OL, in the Flexbone, want to knock a hole in the defense, not react to the defense’s movement and get in their way. The OL’s back should be flat with the buttocks rising slightly above the level of their helmet (as shown in Figure 10-1). The down hand should be out in front of the facemask with the appropriate weight placement. A good test is to take and slap the OL’s hand and see if he rocks forward. If the player falls forward at a steady rate then there is plenty of weight on the down hand. If the player does not fall forward, then the player needs to put more weight on the down hand. If the player falls rapidly forward, then the weight needs to be adjusted back from the down hand and transferred to the balls of the feet.
Figure 10-1 (Basic stance)
Footwork
In all of football there is no greater component to success than footwork. More football players are defeated in their first step than in any other progression of their footwork. The offensive line is no different, in that the first initial step is as critical as it is to any other position on the field.
The first step, or initial step, for the offensive linemen is a six-inch power step. This step, should be in the direction of the play, and should be a step that gains ground into the defense. The chest should not elevate on the first step, yet should stay centered over the lineman's center of gravity, or be slightly forward. The hands should come from their normal position and move to that in a ready-to-punch motion (figure 10-2). The head and eyes should be focused on the aiming point, depending on the type and direction of the block. This first step, if too long in stride, will cause the offensive lineman to become off balance, and they will thereby lose power in their striking ability, or ability to adjust to the defender's movement. If the initial step is too short, then the lineman cannot get to his aiming point before the defender has reacted, making the block that much more difficult to control. This initial step is the most crucial part of the blocking process and must be conditioned through countless repetitions.
Figure 10-2 (Hand placement)
The steps an offensive lineman will take will vary depending on the type of block that is being made. For instance, a lineman on the front side of a play, executing a base block, will take a more forward and direct step attacking their landmark. On the backside of an offensive play, if the lineman is scoop blocking, then the initial step will be much flatter, as the angle of attack by the offensive lineman is much greater when they are attempting to cut off any backside pursuit. No matter the type of block, the initial step, cannot be too large or too small, or the block will surely fail, leading to the demise of the integrity of the play.
Types of Blocks in the Flexbone Offense
The types of blocks in the flexbone offense vary depending on whether or not the offensive lineman is on the play side or the backside of the play. Technique may vary, but the goal is the same for any of these types of blocks, stop the defender from gaining an advantage over the offense by stopping his initial charge and then moving him in a direction that gains the offense yardage by reestablishing the line of scrimmage.
Play Side Blocks
Play side blocks are of the following types:
Base
Veer
Loop
Scoop or Zone
Double/Triple Team
Fan
Pulling
A base block is simply as the term implies, basic. What this means is that the offensive lineman will be attacking a defender, with either inside or outside leverage, depending on the direction of the play, and will be attempting to lock on to the defender and stay engaged in the block for the duration of the play. The base rule for a player having to execute a base block is to check outside, on, over, inside when looking for who to block. Once the assignment is calculated by the lineman, then they will step with the play side foot and engage the near shoulder of the defender. This defender, may or may not be on the line of scrimmage, so it is unwise to tell players who to block, but better yet give them a hard and fast rule on where to block instead. Base blocking is a very simple block to imitate in practice by the use of such drills as King of the Boards (figure 10-3), or the chase linebacker drill (figure 10-4). These drills, though basic in nature, will solidify the principle of base blocking.
Figure 10-3 (King of the boards drill)
Figure 10-4 (Linebacker chase drill)
Veer blocking is a block that will called upon by the flexbone offensive lineman quite often, because of the direct nature of an option offense and the need to not block certain defenders. When executing a veer block, the offensive lineman will do very similar to the technique employed by defensive linemen when they utilize the rip technique. The offensive lineman, will step with the foot opposite of the direction play and then take an elongated second step, turning the shoulders and dipping the outside arm to the ground in an attempt to get skinny and not make contact with a defender on the line of scrimmage. The lineman will then use the rip technique to drive their arm up through any contact that may be made by a defender aligned over them or to the outside and attempt to get the shoulders back square and replace the defender (figure 10-5). It is of the utmost importance that the veer blocking lineman, not allow themselves to be moved or washed down the line of scrimmage when executing this technique. This washing technique is utilized by defenders in hopes of having a linebacker or secondary player run free by utilizing a two-for-onementality. When the defense can play two-for-one the impact of the triple option is greatly reduced, if not negated.
Figure 10-5 (Veer block, replacing the defender)
Loop blocking is similar to veer blocking, in that the offensive lineman will try to elude the defender aligned over them, however instead of stepping away from the direction of the play, the offensive lineman will step in the direction of the play. The steps for the loop block are exactly the same as the veer block, except that the lineman will step with the play side foot, use the rip technique and then attempt to get the shoulders back square as they go to block a second, or third level defender (figure 10-6).
Figure 10-6 (Loop block)
Scoop blocking is very similar to the traditional inside zone block. The lineman will step with the play side foot and attack their aiming point in an attempt to engage the defender and maintain the block for the duration of the play. The lineman has a simple rule, they will block anything that crosses their path in an area that goes from their nose, to the nose of the next offensive player in the direction they are blocking (figure 10-7). If the defender, stunts away from the offensive lineman's path, the lineman does not block this defender, yet merely gets a hand on them to allow the next offensive lineman to overtake the defender. Scoop blocking is more common on the back side of plays, than the front side, however certain plays in the offense do require that the front side players also scoop block.
Figure 10-7 (Scoop block reads)
The double team block is one that occurs quite often, and sometimes goes hand-in-hand with veer blocking. Each offensive lineman will step in the direction of the defender to be blocked. The idea here is that both offensive lineman will weld their hips together as they attack their respective aiming points, which is usually the near shoulder or near number. As these lineman come together, they are to get hip-to-hip and work to drive this defender off of the ball and into the next level, blocking any second level defender with the defender they double teamed. Some coaches teach this block where one player is to come off at some point and block the second level defender. The preferred method, is to block this second level defender with the initial push of the double teamed defender. The only time an offensive lineman will leave a double team is once the block has moved to the second level and the offensive lineman can clearly disengage the first level defender. This is a key component to double teaming a defender, as many times when a lineman leaves the first level defender, the double team block breaks down, and the first level defender has a chance to make the play for a minimal gain. By securing the first level defender, and altering the second level defender's path to the ball, whether blocked or not, the play now has a greater chance of gaining positive yardage, than if the double team was not allowed to fully develop.
The triple team, is also very similar to the double team in that movement of the first level defender is paramount, however there are now three components to the block instead of two. In a triple team block, as illustrated in figure 10-8, there is a point blocker, and two supporting blockers. The point blocker is the blocker who has the first level defender aligned over them once the ball is snapped. This blocker will execute a normal base block, attacking their normal aiming point as if there were no help on the play. The support blockers will take a step with the foot closest to the defender they are to triple team, and just like with the double team, the three offensive lineman will attempt to weld their hips together. By getting the hips together, there is little chance the defender can split the block and get any penetration. As with the double team, the triple team block should look to block second level defenders with the body of the first level defender. The unique point about the triple team block, is that a blocker can come off quicker to block a second level defender than if the block were a double team. This is due to the nature of the block having an extra blocker involved and allows for the point blocker to better gain control of the defender, quicker than they would had the block been a double team.
Figure 10-8 (Triple team block)
The fan block is a type of block that is only used on certain plays, but is best defined as a block that requires a blocker to block a defender that is one full man in the direction of the play. The midline play is one play where this type of block is required in the flexbone offense. On the fan block, the offensive lineman will step with the play side foot and attack the near shoulder of the defender in an attempt to wall off this defender. The idea here is that it is okay if the defender gets up field penetration, just do not let this defender fall back in on the play (figure 10-9).
Figure 10-9 (Fan block)
Pulling involves having a lineman remove themselves from their current position and lead a play, usually to the outside. An example of this can be found in Chapter Seven under the play Rocket Toss. In this play, the play side guard will pull out and around the formation to help cutoff backside pursuit. When pulling, a lineman will open with the play side foot, pointing down the line of scrimmage, and use the back foot to push and gain ground. The chest remains over the thigh on the first step, much as the blocker would do when executing the normal initial step. The play side arm of the blocker should rip open quickly as the blocker throws this arm towards the play side hip, in an attempt to get the shoulders to open up and now be perpendicular to the line of scrimmage (as shown in figure 10-10). Once the blocker has opened up and is running down the line of scrimmage, they must read where the first opening is, and look to turn up in this opening. When they turn up, the blocker should read the defense looking inside to outside for the first opposite colored jersey to show. When this defender shows, the blocker should attempt to step on his toes as he blocks the defender in space. The offensive lineman does not need to make a vicious, or overpowering block here, they simply need to put their body between the defender and the ball carrier.
Figure 10-10 (Pull technique)
Backside Blocks
Backside blocks in the flexbone offense are of the following types:
Scoop
Trap/Log
The trap block can be executed by a tackle or guard depending on how the coach wants to block this type of play. Trap blocking involves the offensive lineman opening in the direction of the play, by turning their first step either perpendicular to the line of scrimmage, or slightly into the line of scrimmage. The blocker then pushes off of the back foot and heads into the line of scrimmage looking to block an unblocked first level defender coming across the line of scrimmage. The blocker should attempt to get their head on the up field shoulder of the defender as well as having their up field hand on the back or hip of the defender to prevent this defender from falling back in on the play.
With defenders being taught the wrong-arm or spill technique, trap blocking has become increasingly more difficult. This is where the log block comes into play. The log block is simply where a trap blocking offensive lineman, will work for outside, instead of inside leverage on the trap defender. What this does, is basically take the defender and use their momentum against them, and attempts to washthem down inside opening up a run lane outside of the defender’s position. The blocker should execute the log block exactly like the trap scheme, however upon contact, the blocker should work the head and hands into an outside position on the defender, as shown in figure 10-11. Once outside leverage has been made, the blocker will now move their feet in an attempt to wash the defender down inside and create an opening in the defense.
Figure 10-11 (Log block)
Pass Blocking
Although not a staple of the flexbone offense, the flexbone offensive lineman is not unlike any other offensive lineman in that they need to be able to protect the passer and be proficient in the various pass protection schemes within the offense. There are three basic protections in the flexbone offense as discussed in Chapter Eight, and these are as follows:
Slide
Big on Big
Turn back
The technique utilized by the offensive lineman varies between the protections, so in this section the technique for each type of protection will be broken down.
Good pass protection involves that a lineman does not get their head too far forward, and this must be stressed in individual pass protection drills. The lineman, should utilize their normal stance, however they may shift a bit of their weight back on their heels if in Big on Big (BOB) protection.
For slide protection, the lineman is only focused on knocking the defender back off the ball in an attempt to stun the defender's rush, and to give the appearance to second and third level defenders of a running play. The offensive lineman can maintain a normal stance, and on the snap, fire off the ball in a manner consistent with that of a run block. The lineman should step in the direction of their respective gap with the corresponding foot, as shown in Figure 10-12. The lineman will deliver a controlled blow to the defender and drive the defender backwards for two steps. Any more than two steps, and the lineman could be called for an ineligible receiver downfield. A lineman that is uncovered should also fire out the standard two steps, again to give the defense the perception of a run play. The ball should be away by the time the defender has a chance to react to the pass, so the lineman needs little in the way of pass protection technique after the initial blow has been delivered, however it is wise to teach the players that once the second step is met, then regular pass protection techniques can take over.
Figure 10-12 (Slide protection)
In big on big or BOB protection, the lineman will use a slightly more passive approach to protecting the quarterback. The lineman should put be in a more balanced stance than their normal stance, with less weight out on the down hand. On the snap, the lineman should push off with the down hand, and pop their head and shoulders back in a rapid, single motion. The lineman, should attempt to bull the head and neck back as far as possible so that they may still see their defender, yet keep the head out of the block. The hands should also come up in this first step and be in a cocked, coiled, ready to strike position. The back should be straight, and there should be no forward body lean (see figure 10-13). Forward body lean is what gets an offensive lineman beat when protecting the quarterback. The lineman should look as though they are sitting in a chair once they have popped out of their stance.
Figure 10-13 (Proper pass protection technique)
The footwork for BOB protection is very simple. The lineman should drop their outside foot, keeping the shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. Another area lineman get beat is by turning their shoulders, allowing an easy inside move for a defender. As the defender approaches, the lineman should strike a controlled blow to the near peck of the defender in an attempt to stymie the rush. Once this blow is delivered the lineman must now read the rush of the defender.
If the defender is on a hard charge, the offensive lineman, should sink the buttocks, lock the hands on the chest pad of the defender and actually sit down in order to slow the rush. The offensive lineman does not want to be pushed back into the quarterback, so he must slow this bull rush technique in a manner that slows the defender, yet keeps the head and shoulders out of the block. Once this initial charge has been stopped the lineman should now be ready for the defender to make a counter move such as a rip, swim, push-pull, or spin.
If the defender comes off the ball hard, and makes a rip move (figure 10-14), the offensive lineman should leave the near hand on the defender's near pectoral muscle, while sliding the off hand down to the defender's hip area. Once the hands are in place, the offensive lineman should push back in the direction the defender came from with the near hand, while pushing in the opposite direction with the off-hand. This hand placement and push technique should create quite a discomforting twisting motion of the upper body of the defender. Once the hands are in place, the offensive lineman can now turn his shoulders in an attempt to run the defender by the quarterback.
Figure 10-14 (Rip move)
The swim move is defeated in a similar manner to that of the rip move, in that it is done with proper hand placement. When the offensive lineman recognizes the move, they should again, leave the near hand in its original position on the near peck of the defender. The off-hand should now come off and attempt to grasp the forearm area of the defender. The feet should keep shuffling in order to keep leverage on the defender, and the off-hand should continue to push the defender in an attempt to get the defender off balance.
The push-pull move is one of the deadliest moves a pass rushing defender can utilize because of the quickness in which the move happens. The push-pull is a very deceptive move in that the move appears to mimic a bull rush, but once the defender has made contact and gotten a hold of the lineman the snatch the lineman in one direction or the other in an attempt to clear the blocker on their way to the quarterback. The key to stopping the push-pull is that the offensive lineman not allow the defender to get their hands in proper position to grab the offensive lineman. The defender is taught to get the hands inside and extend and then snatch the offensive lineman. The push-pull move cannot be initiated if the hands of the defender never reach their mark, or the hands are removed before the defender can execute the snatch portion of the move. The technique utilized by the offensive lineman is quite simple, if the defender does get their hands into the chest of the offensive lineman, they may use either a downward chopping motion, or an uppercut motion to free themselves from the grips of the pass rusher. This move is down by releasing the defender and then either slapping the hands downward, or ripping the hands upward through the forearms of the defender. Once free, the offensive lineman should reset and be ready to deliver another blow to the rusher. A key defeat point of the push-pull move is that the blocker gets their head and shoulder too far forward and into the defender, allowing the defender to use the blocker's weight and lack of momentum against them. For this reason, it is imperative that the pass blocker keep their head and shoulder back at all times.
The spin move is another move utilized by pass rushing defenders, however this move is not all that hard to defeat. The spin move is usually fairly easy to spot due to the lack of contact that a defender will make prior to executing the spin. Once the offensive lineman feels the spin move being executed, they should push off the defender and slide the foot nearest the defender back quickly to regain leverage on the defender. As the defender has their back turned to the blocker, the blocker can execute short choppy pops to the back and kidney area of the rusher. The key here, is dropping and resetting on the spinner. If the blocker does not get enough depth, then the spin will roll right off of their near arm and shoulder and the defender will now be past the blocker and on their way to a sure sack.
When utilizing turn back protection, the technique is no different than BOB, only the initial steps are different. The offensive lineman should take a step, similar to that of when they execute a scoop block on their first step. Once the play side foot is in the ground, the blocker will now pivot off that play side foot, and drop the backside foot, so that now the shoulders are perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. Once this initial footwork is complete, the blocker can execute the normal pass protection as described prior. The key to winning with turn back protection is that the lineman must understand they cannot lose a defender to their up field shoulder. The rule here is always make the pass defender go around the blocker and through the backfield to get to the quarterback. The quarterback will be sprinting away from this rush, and the defender's efforts are negated (see figure 10-15).
Figure 10-15 (Turn back protection, correct and incorrect)
In all pass protection schemes as with any scheme for that matter, footwork is essential. When involved in pass protection the offensive lineman cannot allow their feet to ever be less than shoulder width apart. Nor should the offensive lineman ever stop their feet when blocking a pass rushing defender. The feet should be kept moving, and all weight should be on the heels so that the blocker's weight cannot be used against them, as when a defender executes a pass rush move, such as the push-pull.
This is not meant to be an end-all-be-all guide to how to block in the flexbone offense, yet more of a starter's guide. With the advent of vertical set pass protection and other styles of blocking techniques the sky is the limit when it comes to teaching the techniques of blocking in the flexbone offense. The key here is proper technique that can be taught clearly to the players, and executed without fail by the players. The offensive line is by far the most important unit on the field in anyoffense, and the flexbone is no different. The head coach or offensive coordinator that does not see that the offensive line is coached properly, will surely fail at whatever offense they so choose to run.
Duece
Duece
Kamis, 19 Maret 2015
Flexbone-Goalline and Short Yardage
One of the common misnomers about the Flexbone offense is that it is not a good goal line or short yardage offense. This statement is completely false and very misleading. The Flexbone is a great goal line and short yardage offense, due to the fact that any time the base offensive play is actually three plays in one, the offense already has the defense on its toes. Many coaches feel that the absence of two or three running backs aligned in the backfield doesn't allow the offense to have a power running game which is a complete farce. In this chapter, the author will put to rest all of the coach’s short yardage offense questions.
Formations
Some of the regular formations that are good in short yardage situations are:
· Base
· Tight
· Over
· Bone
· I
However, the most common formation to utilize in these short yardage situations is the Tackles formation shown in Figure 9-1. Tackles is a formation that simple moves the tackle from one side of the offense to the opposite side. The tackle that moves, will align outside of the offensive tackle that is currently aligned there to give the line a three man surface to that side. The X receiver will move down and align in a three point stance, three feet from the offensive guard. Everyone else in the offense aligns as they would normally.
Figure 9-1 (Tackles right)
When looking at the Tackles formation, one can clearly see the main advantage the offense still has all of its receivers as eligible receivers. The offense is also now presenting the defense with not only a three man surface to contend with, but an unbalanced three man surface at that. To note, a three man surface is any time the offense employs three players to the immediate right or left of the offensive center. The reason this three man surface is such an important factor is that there are only two other offensive formations in the Flexbone that utilize this three man look. When opponents are practicing how to defend the Flexbone, they put in little time working on three man surfaces. The unbalanced look also serves to the offenses advantage, as the defense may not notice this and will not adjust, leaving them a man down to the strong side of the formation.
Tackles Run Game
The run game out of the Tackles formation is endless, but with the slight change in the offensive structure, there are a few rule tweaks that must be practiced. To keep this formation, and its run game simple, the following is recommended:
· Run this formation to the right or left only, especially early in the season. This will allow players to become more comfortable in executing their assignment if they only have to learn how to execute in one direction. This also involves moving the same tackle over every time as well, so the new teaching is limited to only one player instead of two.
· Use a substitute at the X receiver if available. In the years the author ran this offense, there was always an offensive lineman or two that had some decent hands, but was a good blocker too. The author has put backup B backs here as well too. Sometimes the X receiver can double as a receiver or a tight end type, if this is the case that's great however it was never the norm in the author’s situations.
· Keep the plays to a minimum. This is not the base offense, so don't attempt to run everythingout of it.
The latter key in the list above is very important to note. The run game used on a year-to-year basis out of the Tackles formation was:
· Quarterback Follow
· Zone Dive/Give
· Counter Iso
· Rocket
· Quarterback Sneak
Quarterback sneak is not listed in the primary run game, but is an easy install as all players, including the slot backs will simply scoop block in toward the center as the quarterback looks for an opening on either side of the center. All of these plays are fairly easy installs, as they are staples out of the Base formation. One question a lot of coaches have is why not run the triple option? Well, the reason is, the offense doesn’t have to in these situations. Short yardage, especially goal line is one area on the field where the offense is actually at a disadvantage due to the lack of space in which the offense has to work. Plays that involve a bunch of reads, or a bunch of moving parts in this area of the field, tend not to work as well, because the defense can overplay them, and can play much more aggressive than normal. All of the plays listed above, are quick-hitting, simple plays that still give the offense the illusion that it is running the triple, which the defense must honor at any time.
 |
| Don't get too complicated |
The Tackles formation is not limited to just short yardage. This formation is quite useful against odd defensive fronts, in setting these fronts up to run the Outside Veer. Many coaches have questioned the Flexbone's ability to run the Outside Veer, however, with some minor tweaking, the Flexbone can easily run this deadly offensive play.
The first component to adding the Outside Veer to the Flexbone offense goes against one major rule talked about in earlier posts, and that is reducing the offensive line splits. On the play side, which out of the Tackles formation, would be to the overload side, the splits should be reduced to one foot. All other players can remain the same with their normal three foot split alignment. Reducing the splits, keeps the reads the same for the quarterback on Outside Veer as it would on the Inside Veer play. This reduction in splits also keeps the aiming point for the B back the same as well in terms of the angle that the B back takes to get to the line of scrimmage. The Outside Veer, as illustrated in Figure 9-2, is very simple to run, and the rules are shown below:
· PST (Inside tackle)- Base
· PSG- Base to Ace with center
· C- Scoop/Ace
· BSG- Scoop
· BST (Outside tackle)- Inside gap, playside linebacker, backside linebacker (same as Veer)
· PSWR- Stalk
· PSSB- Seal playside linebacker to near safety
· BSWR- Cutoff
· BSSB- 2 step motion, pitch course
· B back- Dive path (middle of inside tackle)
· QB- Veer steps and reads
Figure 9-2 (Outside Veer)
Another good play to run coupled with the Outside Veer, is the Outside Veer Wedge. Wedge, as drawn in Figure 9-3, changes only the playside guard’s assignment. The guard will now scoop block to assist on the defender aligned over the inside tackle. This is a good play if the defensive tackle is a very good player and if the center can handle the nose alone. The latter point is very crucial to the offense’s ability to run the wedge play. If the center cannot handle the nose, the offense can simply run Outside Veer instead.
Figure 9-3 (OSV Wedge)
Tackles Pass Game
Playaction passes out of the Tackles formation can catch the defense off guard as to the defender’s eye, the Tackles formation looks like a run formation. The position of the X receiver is one of clever deception, and allows for quick strike routes down the middle of the defense from this alignment.
Veer pass is the common playaction pass utilized in the Tackles formation in short yardage situations. The veer pass play can be run to either side with very good efficiency. Pass protection remains the same as do the routes shown in both Figures 9-4 and 9-5. It should be noted max protection is needed when running veer pass to the nub side of the offense.
Figure 9-4 (Tackles veer pass strong)
Figure 9-5 (Tackles veer pass weak)
The idea that the Flexbone offense is not a good goal line or short yardage offense is a complete myth. The Flexbone and its plays are a great way to force the defense to defend the entire field in these short yardage situations.
Duece
Senin, 16 Maret 2015
Flexbone-The Passing Game
One of the typical misnomers of the Flexbone offense, is that it is not a passing offense. This myth is completely false! How can an offense, that utilizes the basic Run-and-Shoot offensive formation, not be considered a passing offense?
The truth of the matter is, most teams that run the offense do not typically do a lot of passing. However, the Flexbone offense, can be a very formative pass offense that spreads the defense both horizontally and vertically.
Playaction Passing-The Routes
The staple passing game of the Flexbone offense is the playaction passing game. Since the base play is the inside veer, the playaction passing game is based on this play. There are other runs, within the offense that have playaction passes off of them, however the main focus of the Flexbone playaction pass game, should be the Veer Pass (Figure 8-1).
Figure 8-1 (Veer Pass)
There are three versions of the veer pass that should be utilized. These three pass plays have routes that mimic the perimeter blocking schemes that are utilized. When facing an eight man front, the front side route combination is the whip route by the play side slot, and a takeoff route by the play side wide receiver. This route combination looks very similar to the perimeter blocking scheme utilized on the inside veer play when facing eight man fronts (Figure 8-2).
Figure 8-2 (Seal perimeter scheme)
If utilizing the arc block scheme, as discussed in earlier, then the play side routes are altered by having the play side slot also run the takeoff route (Figure 8-3).
Figure 8-3 (814 Veer Pass)
Lastly, if the offense has been using switch blocking on the perimeter, then the choice of routes is also called switch. Switch routes, shown in Figure 8-4, have the play side wide receiver running a deep post route to mimic the crack block on the safety, while the play side slot runs the wheel route to mimic the arc block on the cornerback.
Figure 8-4 (Veer Switch Pass)
On a side note, to keep things simple, the backside of playaction passes follow a very simple rule. If there is only one receiver to that side, then that receiver runs a deep post route. If there are two receivers on the back side of a playaction pass, then the widest receiver runs the post, and the inside receiver runs a drag route behind the linebackers. If there are three receivers backside the widest receiver runs a post, the second receiver runs a deep drag (behind the linebackers) and the inside most receiver runs a shallow drag in front of the linebackers (Figure 8-5). This rule also holds true for sprintout passing as well.
Figure 8-5 (Backside playaction routes)
Another playaction pass off of a common run in the Flexbone offense is the Waggle. The Waggle is run off the Rocket Toss play discussed in an earlier post. As shown in Figure 8-6, the play side wide receiver will run a Sally route, or what some call a corner route. The play side slot will fake the Rocket Toss play and run a wheel route up the sideline opposite of the play. The backside slot runs a drag, and the back side wide receiver will run a deep post. The B back will chip block the first defender outside the play side tackle, and will run a flat route. The quarterback will fake Rocket and boot out to the play side and read high to low (deep to shallow) for his reads on this passing play. The quarterback should be schooled to throw the Sally first, drag second, and lastly hit the flat route to the B back if the deeper routes are covered. If pressured quickly, the quarterback hits the B back in the flat immediately.
Figure 8-6 (Waggle Pass)
Another good playaction pass in the Flexbone offense off Rocket Toss is the screen to the B back. This is a good playaction screen that involves getting the ball to one of the offense’s best athletes in space. The beauty of this play lies in the fact that it attacks one flank of the defense with the Rocket action, and then immediately attacks the opposite flank with the screen, as shown in Figure 8-7.
Figure 8-7 (838 B Screen)
Playaction Passing-Pass Protection
A pass play is only as good as the scheme utilized to protect the quarterback. Both the Veer Pass and the Waggle Pass have different schemes, that are utilized to keep the signal caller protected so that the play may succeed. Here are the rules and scheme for both Veer Pass and the Waggle.
Veer Pass
When running Veer Pass, the offensive line utilizes a simple slide protection scheme. The rule for the offensive line is simple, slide protect one gap away from the direction of the play. So, if the offense is running Veer Pass to the right, the offensive line, will run slide protection one gap to the left. Now, this usually leaves at least one, and possibly two defenders unblocked on the play side. How these defenders are handled is up to the coach. You can have the slot that goes in motion, run a swing route and throw hot if the widest defender comes on a pass rush move (Figure 8-8). If this method is not preferred, or this defender rushes every time, then the play can be tagged with a max call. Max, is a call that tells the backside slot to go in tail motion and block the first threat outside the B back's block to the play side, as illustrated in Figure 8-9. Either method of protection is acceptable, however the Max protection scheme is the preferred method of running the Veer Pass.
Figure 8-8 (Veer Pass-Swing)
Figure 8-9 (Veer Pass Max)
Waggle Pass
The Waggle utilizes a scheme taken from Wing-T coaches that run a very similar play. As shown in Figure 8-6 the offense will use a mixture of slide protection, and a backside puller to help if the defense chooses to overload the play side with rushers. The play side tackle and guard will both slide protect one gap away from the direction of the play. The center must block back for the pulling guard, while the backside tackle executes a hinge block. The hinge block, is similar to a scoop block used on run plays in that the offensive lineman will zone step toward the playside, looking for anything threatening the inside gap. Once there is no imminent threat to the inside gap, the lineman will drop step and hinge, putting his back to the action and look for any pressure coming off the backside edge of the offense. The pulling guard looks to run a sickle pull where on the second step of the guard's track, the guard will bow or bend into the backfield looking to get depth. The guard is looking to hook or log block any defender that comes free outside the play side tackle. If the guard cannot execute the log block, then the object is to simply drive this player wide so that the quarterback can step up inside this block and make the throw.
The B back has a special job in that the back must chip or bump the first threat that is encountered outside the play side tackle. This slows down any rusher that may be coming off the edge of the defense, and allows the guard time to get around in position to execute the log block. Once the B back has slowed the edge defender down, then the B back can release and run the flat route. If two defenders are present on the play side, then the B back cannot release on his route and must help block the perimeter of the defense.
Three Step and Five Step Passing Game-Routes
The routes used for both the three step and five step passing games are shown in Figure 8-10 and 8-11. These routes are numbered one through nine. There are also tagged routes that are shown in Figure 8-12 and 8-13. Any combination of these routes may be used however some routes combinations are better than others.
Figure 8-10 (WR passing tree-numbered)
Figure 8-11 (Slot passing tree-numbered)
Figure 8-12 (WR passing tree-tagged)
Figure 8-13 (Slot passing tree-tagged)
For the three step passing game, routes are adjusted to shorter depths than if running a five step route. The receivers know to adjust the depth, based on the protection called (70, 60 or 61 protection). An example would be the five route combination (Figure 8-14). If the play were called 560 then the wide receiver (X and Y) would run the fade route, while the slots (A and Z) would run five yard out routes. If 570 were called, then the out routes would deepen to a depth of ten yards. Three step plays end in either 60 or 61 with the last digit telling the side of the offense that the quarterback is to read first. So in the play 560 play, the quarterback will drop three steps reading to the right side of the offense first.
Figure 8-14 (5 route example)
Five step protections are all tagged with the final numbers of 70 in them. Passing plays that end in 70 are to have deeper routes than those with a 61 or 60 in them. This allows the passing tree to span both the three step and the five step passing game.
There are some plays that are not universal to either pass drop scheme. The universal routes are listed below:
1. 1 route
2. 4 route
3. 5 route
4. 7 route
5. 8 route
The two, and three routes are for the three step passing game only. The six route should only be used in the five step passing game.
If the zero route is called in the huddle, then all the receivers are running the tagged route. Some examples of the zero route with tags are shown in Figure 8-15. The zero route is an easy way to utilize a common passing concept known as spacing, and is very effective against zone pass defense.
Figure 8-15 (Zero routes)
Three Step Pass Protection
Three step pass protection is very simple. The scheme used here is known as a full slide (Figure 8-16) protection, where the offensive line slides one gap in the direction of the play. The B back is the sixth blocker and will take the first gap outside the backside tackle. Any wider defenders than the B back's block, are accounted for with the speed of the three step drop. The idea on three step passes is that by the quarterback's third step, the ball is in the air, or the quarterback is running with the football.
The offensive linemen and the B back are all assigned a gap in the protection scheme, any defender to enter this gap is blocked. If a defender leaves this gap and stunts, they do not get chased (Figure 8-16). Slide protection is a very simple scheme that does not take a large amount of practice time to perfect.
Figure 8-16 (Slide Protection vs. stunts)
Five Step Pass Protection
The scheme utilized in the five step pass game is called BOB, for big-on-big (Figure 8-17). BOB protection puts the offensive linemen on the defensive linemen, reducing the chances of a mismatch (such as a running back on a bigger defensive lineman). The rules here are that the side of the offensive line that has two defensive linemen past the center will have the guard block the number one defender and the tackle block the number two defender (see Figure 8-18). If there is a side where there is only one defensive lineman, then the guard and the center will combo block any lineman aligned on the center and look for an inside blitz to their side (Figure 8-19). If there are two linemen to each side of the center, as in Figure 8-20, the both sides adhere to the one-two rule. If there is a side with three defenders to it, the offensive tackle to that side must make a one-two-three call to alert the center to take the number one to the side of the call, and the guard now takes number two, while the tackle will block number three.
Figure 8-17 (BOB Protection)
Figure 8-18 (Shade/Five Protection in BOB)
Figure 8-19 (BOB vs. inside blitz to shade)
Figure 8-20 (BOB vs. Double Eagle)
The B back is the extra blocker, and must know where to insert. As a general rule, the B back always protects away from the quarterback's throwing arm. However, the B back should also know the calls the offensive linemen are making, as he is asked to protect away from any one-two-three call as well.
BOB is somewhat more complicated than teaching the full slide, and is therefore a little more time consuming. BOB pass protection is a good scheme, however, as it handles a lot of what the defense can throw at it, and it pits the offense with some very good matchups having the offensive linemen blocking defensive linemen.
Additional Protections
There may be some cases where the offensive line will need additional help in pass protection. This scheme can be utilized if the defense is bringing pressure, or there is a mismatch between the offensive tackle, and the number two rusher. The call by the offense is simply to tag the pass play with the word stay. Stay, by itself, tells both slot backs to stay in and block as shown in Figure 8-21. A specific slot can also be tagged to stay in and block while the other slot executes the route called. In Figure 8-22, the A back has been tagged to stay, while the Z back runs the route called.
Figure 8-21 (Stay Protection)
Figure 8-22 (A stay only)
Passing Game out of the Trips Formation
The Flexbone offense utilizes a mirrored route concept when in the base formation. What this means is that when a play is called, the route combination called is run to both sides of the formation (Figure 8-23). The Trips formation is a very popular way to get a defense to roll coverage, putting the offense in a more favorable position to attack this rolled coverage. The mirrored route rule holds true when passing out of the Trips formation. The wide receiver and flexed slot (middle receiver in the Trips formation) will run the called route as they normally would from the base set. The inside slot will run the route called, but will run to his landmark from across the field as shown in Figure 8-24.
Figure 8-23 (Mirrored Routes)
Figure 8-24 (Trips mirrored routes)
This mirrored concept from the Trips formation still allows the offense to attack the areas on the field with the routes called without having to use some special tag system to get the receiver where they are needed. This system also threatens the defense by forcing a rolled coverage, but uses balanced routes attacking back to the side opposite of where the defense rolled their coverage.
The Use of Tags in the Passing Game
The Flexbone offense has the flexibility to modify any route combination by simply tagging a receiver to run a different route. As shown in Figure 8-25, the call is 870 Y Dagger. The tag is Y Dagger which tells the Y receiver to run the Dagger route. The tag system is also very prevalent in the sprintout passing game.
Figure 8-25 (870 Y Dagger)
These tagged routes were illustrated in Figure 8-12 and are very useful for attacking a defensive coverage. The possibilities are endless when it comes to tagging routes. The zero route is used when all the receivers will run a tagged route, which can be a useful tool for attacking zone coverages.
Sprintout Passing Game-Routes
The routes do not change in the sprintout passing game, however the use of the tag system is much more prevalent. Figures 8-26, 8-27 and 8-28 are three popular sprintout passing concepts used by the Flexbone offense.
Figure 8-26 (888 Y Comeback)
Figure 8-27 (888 Z Comeback)
Figure 8-28 (888 Z Whip)
All three figures are popular Run-and-Shoot concepts that fit easily into the Flexbone passing game. Some other popular routes that do not involve tags are shown in Figures 8-29, 8-30, 8-31, 8-32, and 8-33.
Figure 8-29 (188)
Figure 8-30 (488)
Figure 8-31 (588)
Figure 8-32 (788)
Figure 8-33 (888)
The backside routes in the sprintout passing game follow the exact same rules as used in the playaction passing game.
Sprintout Passing Game-Pass Protection
The pass protection scheme that is used in the sprintout passing game is commonly referred to as hinge protection, or turn back protection. The offensive line, will use zone or scoop step technique on their first step, stepping to the play side. Once this first step is in the ground, the line will then drop their outside foot and hinge off their inside foot, so as to be turned 90 degrees to the line of scrimmage. The rule for hinge protection is that each offensive lineman is responsible for any defender that enters the first gap away from the direction of the play. For example, as shown in Figure 8-34, if the sprintout pass is being run to the offense's right side, then each offensive lineman will protect the gap to their immediate left.
Figure 8-34 (Hinge Protection)
The running backs, both the A and the B backs also have a role in pass protection in the sprintout scheme. The slot back, is a very critical blocker, in sprintout protection. The slot back is to hinge as well, protecting the inside gap. The slot back will do this for a two count, and then will release into the flats on a delay route. The delay route is a route that starts behind the line of scrimmage, and ends up no deeper than three yards downfield. This route is to be used as an outlet route for the quarterback, and to put three receivers on three different levels to one side of the defense. The slot back cannot release however, if the slot back cannot gain outside leverage on the defender to the inside. If this defender, widens, the slot back must work to gain outside leverage, and can only come off on the delay route once outside leverage is gained (see Figures 8-35 and 8-36).
Figure 8-35 (Slot back delay route)
Figure 8-36 (Slot back blocking)
The B back will run a deep loop block (Figure 8-37) and will look to wrap around the block of the slot back. The B back will block the defender assigned to the D gap, or the player assigned to contain the quarterback. The key coaching point in this instance, is that the B back maintains this block. If the B back loses this block, the worst that can be done is to lose this block to the inside.
Figure 8-37 (B back loop block)
If slot back is needed to stay in and block on the sprintout pass play, then a simple stay call is used to let this player know that they are to stay in and block their assigned gap. There is no need to tag who stays, as the rule here is that the action side slot will be the only slot who will stay in and block (Figure 8-38).
Figure 8-38 (Stay protection in sprintout)
The Screen Game
Screens are a valuable asset to the Flexbone offense. The screen game is valuable tool that can be used to slow down a tough pass rush, and get the football to some of the best athletes in the open field. There are four types of screens in the Flexbone offense, and they are:
· Playaction screen
· B screen
· Middle screen
· Quick screen
The playaction screen was discussed earlier and is off of Rocket action, however there is also another playaction screen off the triple option play, as shown in Figure 8-39. This screen mimics the Veer Pass play, but involves the quarterback reverse pivoting and throwing a middle screen opposite of the playaction fake.
Figure 8-39 (814 X Middle Screen)
Blocking in the screen game is quite simple. For middle screens (Figure 8-40), the rules are as follows:
· PST- 70 protect for a two count, release defender outside and block corner back.
· PSG- 70 protect for a two count, release defender outside and block the alley defender.
· C- 70 protect for a two count, release defender, and block linebacker to near safety.
· BSG- Same as PSG
· BST- Same as PST
Figure 8-40 (Middle screen blocking)
An important note is that the offensive linemen do everything they can to release their defender outside. This puts the rusher further from the quarterback and allows the play to develop.
Screens that have a direction, such as the B screen (shown in Figure 8-41), are blocked as follows:
· PST- 70 protect for a two count, release defender outside and block corner back.
· PSG- 70 protect for a two count, release defender outside and block the alley defender.
· C- 70 protect for a one count, release defender, and block linebacker to near safety.
· BSG- 70 protection
· BST- Same as BSG
Figure 8-41 (B Screen Right)
With directional screens, only half of the offensive line needs to screen block. The B back will also block in this case to the side the screen is called to. After a two count, the back releases his defender and sets up where he releases the defender and awaits the pass from the quarterback.
The quarterback on both middle and directional screens will drop back five steps and take a quick pause. The quarterback will drop and additional one and a half steps, and then deliver the ball. This extra drop, allows the blocking to set up, and gets the pass rushers further up field so they cannot play both the receiver and the quarterback.
The middle screens can be run to any receiver, as shown in figure 8-42. The B back will always run a flare route away from where the receiver is coming from. So if the X is coming from the offense's left side to run the screen, the B back will run a flare route to the offense's right side. The quarterback, once he hits his fifth step will pump fake to the B back, then drop the additional one and a half steps and deliver the football. This pump fake further adds to confusing the defense, by forcing the defense to honor the back out of the backfield. Obviously, if running the middle screen to the B back, there is no flare route needed.
Figure 8-42 (Middle screens-all)
The receiver running the middle screen will drive up field hard for one step, then plant on the outside foot and work back down the line of scrimmage. It is imperative that this receiver catch the football behind the line of scrimmage. Once the ball is delivered, the coaching point to the receiver on how and where to run is much like that of a kickoff return. The ball carrier should turn up field as soon as possible, and stay in the middle of the blockers as long as possible. Dancing around or attempting to juke defenders at or near the line of scrimmage is a recipe for disaster, and should be avoided. If the defense has sat on the screen, and the quarterback still throws the ball to the receiver, this receiver should drive up field quickly and get all the yardage they can get out of the play.
All other receivers will run the eight route. By running the takeoff route, these receivers will draw the attention of the defensive backfield away from the receiver running the screen. These receivers, once they read their defender stop honoring their route, now turn into blockers. The coaching point to make to these decoy receivers is similar to blocking for a punt return. Take the defender wherever he wants to go, but maintain the block. This scheme also holds true on the directional screen pass as well.
The final screen is the quick screen. The quick screen is a very useful play that can be called in the huddle, or read by the quarterback on the field. Protection is very simple, the line will slide to the direction of the call, as show in Figure 8-43. The B back blocks opposite of the call, looking for the first defender outside the backside offensive tackle. Both sides of the offense will run mirrored screens. This keeps both sides of the defense honest, and slows down any backside pursuit by the defense. The slots will release outside and attempt to block the cornerback to their side. This is a simple shield block, and is very important that the blocker has the head in front, so as not to have a penalty called.
Figure 8-43 (Quick screen)
The receiver will drive up field hard for one step, then plant, and drive back to the line of scrimmage, turning their body 90 degrees to the line. The receiver will await the football, looking inside to the quarterback. Once the ball is caught, the receiver should set up the slot's block, by taking the ball slightly outside, then cutting inside off the block.
The quarterback simply takes one step back, turns the shoulders to point at the receiver, and delivers the football. If the quarterback comes to the line, and sees a defensive back aligned deeper than normal over the receiver, then the quarterback can check into this play at any time utilizing an audible. If the quick screen was called in the huddle, and the defense comes out in press coverage, then the receiver and quarterback should each tap the side of their helmet, and check the screen route into an eight route (takeoff), as shown in Figure 8-44.
Figure 8-44 (Quick screen check to fade)
Trick Passing Plays
Though not being a staple of the Flexbone offense, a coach should always have an ace up his sleeve for certain situations. Here is a couple of nice trick passing plays that will keep the offense guessing.
The hitch special play is a knock off the hook and lateral play, where a wide receiver is thrown the football down field, only to pitch the ball to another receiver as they run by. In Figure 8-45, the offense aligns in the Flex formation and both the Y and X receivers run hitch routes. The slot backs run wheel routes, but run them very close to the receiver to their side. Once the Y or X receive the ball, they then turn and pitch the football underhanded to the slot, who then takes off getting all the yardage they can get.
Figure 8-45 (Hitch Special)
The other trick passing play is one the author ran as a youth coach, and really stressed defensive coaches with. The players love this play as it has so many possibilities. Rocket Pass is a wild trick play that is fun to install, and easy to run. As shown in Figure 8-46, the offense will run the Rocket Toss play, but instead of the running back working down field, the back will work flat and look to throw the ball to the receiver running a lazy takeoff route down the field. If this route is not open, the back has two options. First, the slot back could simply keep the football and run for what they can get, or the slot can turn and throw the ball back to the quarterback. One element, that must be stressed to the quarterback is that after the initial pitch, the quarterback must bow deep into the backfield, so that if the slot passes the ball back to the quarterback it is not a forward lateral. Once the quarterback has the ball, there are also two options. The quarterback can either throw the football down field to the receiver, who has run the corner route, or take off and run. Again, this is not an every down play, but a very fun and exciting play that will have the players begging to run it every down.
Figure 8-46 (Rocket Pass)
Something to remember here is that when this play was run it was worked on at least once a week during the rest of the season. When running trick plays, one of the Achilles heels is that coaches don't spend enough time installing and mastering these plays. If either of these trick plays are going to be used, then the author suggests putting in the time to perfect them.
Duece
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