For starters, I cut my teeth in coaching running the flexbone from under center. We had moderate success running mostly man blocking schemes, or showing triple option, but making the call for the QB as to who would carry the football. We were very good running iso, power, dive and counter, but we lacked any explosiveness and the passing game was merely an afterthought.
The next season I moved up to the Offensive Coordinator role as we had a head coaching change. We worked hard to diversify the flexbone offense. We added a whole new passing attack based upon the work of Andrew Coverdale and Dan Robinson, and we also installed a "true" triple option with the QB making the reads. We also added some shotgun formations. This is where the light bulb went on in my head.
From the shotgun we were able to run all of the plays that were successful from under center and some became even more successful. Jet sweep took on a whole new dimension and our passing attack flourished. We added Mr. Tony Demeo's version of triple and "flip" option that same season and we were off. The next three seasons we had one of the most prolific offenses in class C West football.
For personal reasons I took a three year hiatus from coaching, but I never stopped learning the game. Through the wonders of the Internet and the coaching fraternity that flourishes on here, I was able to look at what we did during those years at Jay High School and try to find more concepts and packages that could potentially fit into an offense that I would bring to my next position.
In the spring of 2009 I interviewed and was named the Head Football Coach here at Madison Area Memorial High School. During my interview I presented my version of the shotgun spread offense as we ran it over the years at Jay. I was still looking for a new wrinkle though. I found it when I ordered the videos on the "Potomac" offense, developed by Anthony Pratley.
Once again, a figurative light went off in my head. Here was a shotgun based offense that featured the option (both veer and zone read) and a downhill running game. My old shotgun formations were easily altered to fit this system and my passing game (which I really like and feel comfortable with) did not change at all. I had found my offense.
The Basics
The Pistol Spread Option Offense revolves around the veer. As you can see from the diagram below, the veer is a "triple option" with a twist. Since there is often no second back to be the "pitch" man, we have the slot to the play side run a bubble screen behind the stalk block of the outside receiver. The QB first reads the EMLOS (end man on line of scrimmage) for the give/pull read to the "H" back. If he gets a "pull" read, he then attacks the force defender who is put in a tremendous bind. This player's responsibility on pass plays is generally the flat (where our slot receiver has run his bubble route), but he is also often the player assigned with attacking the QB on option. So if the force player attacks the QB, the QB makes a quick throw to the slot who has remained behind the los. Alternately, if the force player runs with the slot to the flat the QB should have a nice lane to get up the field. The following diagram illustrates this.
Many coaches and players have asked me, "can't you do the same thing from traditional shotgun formations?" My answer is yes, but the added advantage of having the H back directly behind the QB is that you do not tip the defense as to which side you are going to run. As you can see from the diagram, we can run H veer either right or left. Also, the next play in the series is what truly aids in the defensive confusion.
On veer the QB is reading the play side EMLOS in order to determine whether to give or pull, but on the Read play, while everything looks like veer, we are going to read the backside EMLOS. Everything looks the same as veer, but the H back will plant his outside foot after taking a hand off or being faked to, and he will cut back in the other direction. This counter type action gets the linebackers taking a wrong step (hopefully) so that they find themselves in a trailing position from the start of the play. The diagram is below.
There are many other factors that eventually led me to choose this unique offensive system, but the two base plays, their simplicity in execution, yet their complexity to opposing defenses and the ability to retain my established passing concepts ultimately sealed the deal for me.
I will show more of our version of the Pistol Spread Option Offense in later posts. I hope this first attempt to explain our offense will be of interest to some out there.
The Pistol Spread Option Offense revolves around the veer. As you can see from the diagram below, the veer is a "triple option" with a twist. Since there is often no second back to be the "pitch" man, we have the slot to the play side run a bubble screen behind the stalk block of the outside receiver. The QB first reads the EMLOS (end man on line of scrimmage) for the give/pull read to the "H" back. If he gets a "pull" read, he then attacks the force defender who is put in a tremendous bind. This player's responsibility on pass plays is generally the flat (where our slot receiver has run his bubble route), but he is also often the player assigned with attacking the QB on option. So if the force player attacks the QB, the QB makes a quick throw to the slot who has remained behind the los. Alternately, if the force player runs with the slot to the flat the QB should have a nice lane to get up the field. The following diagram illustrates this.
Many coaches and players have asked me, "can't you do the same thing from traditional shotgun formations?" My answer is yes, but the added advantage of having the H back directly behind the QB is that you do not tip the defense as to which side you are going to run. As you can see from the diagram, we can run H veer either right or left. Also, the next play in the series is what truly aids in the defensive confusion.On veer the QB is reading the play side EMLOS in order to determine whether to give or pull, but on the Read play, while everything looks like veer, we are going to read the backside EMLOS. Everything looks the same as veer, but the H back will plant his outside foot after taking a hand off or being faked to, and he will cut back in the other direction. This counter type action gets the linebackers taking a wrong step (hopefully) so that they find themselves in a trailing position from the start of the play. The diagram is below.
There are many other factors that eventually led me to choose this unique offensive system, but the two base plays, their simplicity in execution, yet their complexity to opposing defenses and the ability to retain my established passing concepts ultimately sealed the deal for me.I will show more of our version of the Pistol Spread Option Offense in later posts. I hope this first attempt to explain our offense will be of interest to some out there.
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