Option Theory 101

8/13/2019 Option Theory 101

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Option Theory 101by Mike WilsonElectrical Engineer / Future CoachWhite Hall, A (diagrams by Mike Wilson)

WH! THE O"T#O$%

This list has been done time and time again in every book ever written on the Optionoffense, and is normally followed by a paragraph rebutting some of the commoncriticisms of the option. think it!s more of a list for the "non#believers$ than forpeople who know how powerful the Option offense can be. %ere!s yet another list toadd to the pile&

1. The Option puts tremendous pressure on the defensive coordinator by forcinghim to teach principals he doesn!t teach every week, and by forcing him to besound, despite being forced into ' on ' and on ' matchups.

2. The Option puts tremendous pressure on some of the defense!s best playersby isolating them and forcing them to make a decision, either of which arewrong.

3. The Option puts tremendous pressure on the secondary, because one falsestep could mean the difference between a yard gain and a touchdown.

4. The Option puts pressure on the interior defensive lineman, because they willbe fighting off double#teams and combo blocks, and *ust when they thinkthey!ve won the battle, we have a complimentary play that will put themface#first in the dirt.

5. The Option puts pressure on linebackers, because it makes them want to bailout and neglect their primary responsibilities.

6. The Option puts pressure on the defense as a whole, by forcing them todefend the field from sideline to sideline, all + and '- yards of it.

7. The Option allows average players to be good, and good players to be great.

8. The Option O/012 the offense to play as a T13M. ( ailure to play as a teamin the Option offense results in failure).

9. The Option gives the offensive coordinator a weapon that can be used in anysituation, kind of like the button directly tied to the 3#bomb.

10. The Option gives a lesser team a chance to compete against superior talent.

11. The Option takes advantage of a smart player!s abilities, and takes advantageof not#so#smart defenders.


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12. The Option gives the offense an identity& they will be known to everybodythey play as "3n Option Team$

O"T#O$ THEO !

The basic goals of the option are to seal off inside pursuit, account for perimeterdefenders, and isolate one or two defenders at the point of attack, putting them inassignment conflict. Triple options isolate two playside defenders, while doubleoptions will only isolate one player. 3ll other playside defenders must be accountedfor with blocking.

The inside pursuit will be accounted for by the offensive line. On inside veer, anddive options, the offensive line will veer block playside and 4one block the backside,climbing to linebacker depth. On trap options, the playside linemen will gap block,and the 526 will trap block, with the 526 pulling and either logging 7' (if he8s in a+#techni9ue), or turning up past the :2T8s block and looking inside for scrapinglinebackers.

The playside secondary defenders will be blocked by the playside halfback andplayside end. There are two types of schemes that will be used to block the playsidesecondary defenders, the arc scheme and the load scheme, which will be discussedlater.

Once inside pursuit and the playside secondary support are taken care of, that leavesthe defensive lineman at the point of attack, and the ne;t defender outside him. Ontriple options, these two will be unblocked. On double options, the defensive linemanwill be blocked (e;ception& +#tech on speed option) and the ne;t defender will beread.

&'MA$ F O$T()

3s a general rule, we will use the 3/0 blocking scheme against a


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=ersus the # or >#' defense, the offensive line will seal everything inside of 7'(the dive key). 3ll linemen will work the first level to the second level to the backsidesafety. The playside halfback and end will combine to block the secondary supportplayside. This leaves 7' and 7 (the pitch key) isolated. Triple options will put bothplayers in conflict, while double options will block one of the two, and read the other.

' +'*.

=ersus the +# or # defense, the defensive line will seal everything inside of 7'(the dive key), working all three levels from linemen to the backside safety.?epending on the alignment and ability of the nose guard, we may be able to usethe playside guard to help with the playside linebacker. 3gain, the playside halfbackand playside end will combine to block secondary support players.

'2an Fronts)

=ersus these types of fronts (@#man fronts), we will try to use a load blockingscheme whenever possible. The only time we shouldn8t be able to use the loadscheme is to the strong side of a rotated secondary (Monster side of monsterdefense). 3s long as the playside halfback and get a good angle on the playsidelinebacker, the load scheme is a good play for us. ?uring the game, we will have touse play action passes to keep the free safety at bay, but we also have the playsidehalfback and playside end tracking him (playside halfback through load path andplayside end with read#crack techni9ue). f the free#safety is beating us to the alley,it8s time to run a post to where he came from.

*'* -' .


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$OTE3 The line between nside :ursuit and 2econdary support is dotted vs. @#manfronts because the ree 2afety can either be accounted for by the playside tackle,playside halfback, or the playside split end, depending on the defenses optionresponsibilities.

' Monster "re' otate4 (econ4ary.

$OTE3 To the strong side of the rotated secondary, this gives the defense a


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$OTE3 There are two ways we can attack the # #+ defense. We can count thelinebacker as 7 (the pitch key), and "read the stack$ with an arc block on thestrong safety or we will not count the linebacker, and load block it with a smallmodification. 3s long as the playside guard is uncovered, we will isolate thedefensive tackle and the 22. This will allow our playside tackle to take best release(inside or outside) to the playside backer, and our playside halfback will take thesame release (inside or outside) to help BtrackB the backer. Whichever of the two(:2T or :2%5 doesn8t block the backer will climb to the free safety.

) # or illustration purposes, all diagrams are based on inside veer to the right

78OC9#$: THE "E #METE O$ THE O"T#O$

5ecause our offense is based solely on the option, we must have an answer to everyway that our opponents will try to defend us. To attack the various types ofdefensive structures we will see, we have two main types of perimeter blockingschemes for the option. These two perimeter schemes are the arc scheme, and theload scheme.

The first version, the arc scheme, is what we prefer to run to a #across secondaryor to the strength of a pre#rotated secondary (i.e.


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The second version, the AO3? scheme, is what we prefer to run to a #deepsecondary, or to the weak side of pre#rotated secondary (i.e. @#man fronts). n theload scheme, the split end is responsible for the secondary support (he uses a read#crack techni9ue to block support), while the playside halfback is responsible forsealing off the inside, looking first for a scraping linebacker, and then for a freesafety running to the alley.

8OA5 (che2e

;sing the Count (yste2

To determine which option scheme is best suited to handle the defense we are facedwith, the D5 must count both sides of the defense and run to the side with the leastnumbers. %is count will begin with an imaginary line that runs perpendicular to theline of scrimmage and runs through the inside foot of the playside tackle. The D5starts the count with 7', which is the first defensive lineman on or outside that line.%e then looks for 7 & the ne;t defender outside 7' and-or stacked (Eote&linebackers stacked behind a #techni9ue are not included in the count). The D5then counts the secondary players on or outside the imaginary line. f the D5 counts


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defenders, one of the secondary players will be 7 (the secondary support player)and one will be 7 (the deep C defender). 6enerally, the playside halfback isresponsible for 7 , and the split end is responsible for 7 . 2ometimes the playerscan be identified by alignment, with 7 being closer to the line of scrimmage than7 , but if their alignment doesn!t give their responsibility away, then the playsidehalfback and the playside split end will read it on the run, with the split end using a

read#push techni9ue, and the halfback using an arc#read techni9ue. f the defense isin an eight#man front, then the free#safety will be considered 7 (e;ception& to the

"Monster$ side of a pre#rotated secondary).

f the D5 counts or less on or outside the line, he should check to a load scheme tothat side. On a load scheme, the playside split end will use a read#crack techni9ue,meaning he will drive off the ball watching both the corner and the near safety(normally the free safety). Whichever of these two players first comes up for runsupport, the split end will block him, using a crack techni9ue for the near safety, anda stalk techni9ue for the corner. The playside halfback will follow his load path andseal off pursuit to the inside.

These principals also apply to the tight end side of the formation. The D5 uses thesame count system to determine if a load scheme can be run to the tight side.%owever, because the tight end is aligned inside the halfback, and is in a betterposition to seal the inside, he will be the blocker blocking the load path, and thehalfback will arc the run support. The tight end will take best release to block thefirst linebacker inside of him. f the load scheme is not called, the tight end will takehis best release to near safety, and the halfback will arc block the cornerback.

T/ :A1 O:T OE2&

7'#?ive /ead7 #:itch /ead:2%5 and 21-T1 will block 05 and near safety

?OF5A1 O:T OE2&

7 #:itch /ead:2T- 5-526#will block 7':2%5 and 21-T1 will block 05 and near safety

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3s long as we are in a balanced formation, then the D5 will look for a #count side torun the AO3? scheme to. f we get into an FE53A3E01? formation, then our thought

process changes.

To the 2trong side of the unbalanced formation, we now will have one more blocker,so instead of a #count, we can AO3? to a #count or less. On the weak side of theunbalanced formation, we have one less blocker, so we can only run AO3? to a #count or less. 3s long as the D5 understands that we have added a blocker to oneside and taken one away from the other, he will still be able to get us into a goodplay attacking a numbers advantage.

/unning /1G and A1O formations allow us to have a halfback in position to arc thesecondary support player, but also gives us a tight end in position to release toeither the playside linebacker or the near safety. f the defense doesn!t ad*ustcorrectly to the unbalanced set, we will have a numbers advantage.

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3s you can see, the count method doesn!t change. The only thing that changes is theamount of playside defenders we can account for with blocking. We are still readingtwo players (one on double options) and block the rest.

:eneral Consi4erations 6or "lay'Calling

0alling plays in the spread option offense should not be over#complicated. irst andforemost, you have to remember that the inside veer is your best play. Houshould always be confident in the inside veer, no matter what the down anddistance. n fact, in passing situations such as rd and long, the secondary may beplaying *ust loose enough to allow the inside veer to break loose. Hou should alwaysrun the inside veer at least once on the first series, and play close attentionto how the defense reacts to it . Hou should note any pre#snap ad*ustments theymake, and always know who made the tackle and where he came from. f the sameperson is consistently stopping you for little or no gain, you know you have to makean ad*ustment to get him blocked, or take advantage of his "hyper#activity$. This canbe done with play#action or counter action. f you are playing a


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f your offensive line is having trouble accounting for inside pursuit in the front < ,its time to run some counter action to slow them down . f the defensive lineis reading and not penetrating, you want to run counter action with base blocking,such as the counter# 2O, or the 2O 2ame side. f they are penetrating and givingyou trouble on your mesh points, then go with the trapping game. Always try toattack great defensive linemen with traps. f you can get him looking for that

1.2 ("1arhole 2pecialist$), it!ll slow him down *ust enough to make him an averageplayer.

?on!t get into the rut of running on ' st and nd down and heaving a pass on rd andlong. With an option offense it is C !C"A# to keep the secondary at bay withthe pass . 1ven if you!re not completing >IJ of your passes, you!re still keepingthem from being run players first. f they are forced to look for the pass first,theyre not at the line of scrimmage when the ball gets there.

#astly, dont leave common sense in your office when you head to the field.Work to get the ball in the hands of your best player. f you!re faster than the teamyou are playing, run them sideline to sideline. Fse speed sweeps, 9uick pitches, and

double options to stretch them to the limit. f you!re not faster than the opponent,pound them and slow them down with misdirection. f they are a smart, well#coached team, give them false keys, if they!re not, use your counters, reverses, andtrick plays to get a few 9uick scores. ?on!t lose sight of the primary ob*ective ofoffensive football& 20O/1.

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/un counter action to force safety to hesitate before chasing tail motion man. f youcan get him to hesitate, it will slow down his pursuit on the option. f he doesn!thesitate, he will overrun the counter play. (e;& + Tackle#Trap)

* Tackle'Trap

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5ase block the dive. %ave the playside tackle take a veer step inside, then turn hiships and fan block the +#techni9ue. :uts a lot of pressure on the playside

linebacker to make the right read.

1* 7ase 5i>e.

Trap the dive key. Fse a "spinner$ techni9ue with the D5 to simulate the inside veer.1verything else looks the same as the inside veer. (Eote& This play may not be agood choice against a team that is using a cross#charge between 7' and 7 . Theplayside tackle must account for the MA5. (Hou could possibly teach the pulling guardto read the defense on the run and block first threat to the dive)

Trap @ith B(pinnerB Action.

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The cross#charge confuses the D5!s dive read

The cross#charge threatens the mesh immediately

2olution

0hange the D5!s thought process. We know that 7', 7 , and 7 are responsible fordive, D5, and pitch. We may not know which player has which responsibility untilafter the ball is snapped. We know that our perimeter blocking will take care of 7 .This leaves 7' and 7 to handle responsibilities. nstead of automatically

reading 7' for the dive, the D5 will instead read the seam that the 5 will berunning through, and if either 7' or 7 attack that seam, the D5 will pull the ball. fneither attack the seam, the dive is a good play for us. f the dive is accounted for,the D5 must 9uickly identify which defender did not take dive, and what hisresponsibility is. %e must be prepared to pull the trigger 9uickly.

+ >s? Cross'Charge

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#1lectrical 1ngineer with 1ntergy 2ervices in :ine 5luff, 3/#6raduate of Aouisiana Tech Fniversity ( II')#Webmaster of http3//@@@?louisiana1a6ootball?co2 #2tudent 0oach at Mangham (A3) %igh 2chool in III

Mike can be reached for comments or 9uestions at& W#8(O+ entergy?co2
http://www.louisiana1afootball.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.optioncentral.net/members/OCMembers.phphttp://www.louisiana1afootball.com/mailto:[email protected]

Option Theory 101

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