By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

In this case, we wanted to present our data on the varying methods coaches are using to teach the mesh game in both midline and veer option concepts.  Decades ago this never would have been a topic of conversation or an interest of research because all option coaches were operating under Center.  But with the advent of the Pistol formation, which XandOLabs.com presented an entire special report on its dynamics- we’ve found many coaches are either committing fully to running option exclusively out of the Pistol formation or finding a way to integrate both.

But before we submit our research, it’s important to decipher the difference between midline and veer option.  To most option coaches, the difference is as follows: 

• Midline Option is, for the most part, a double option concept in which the first level B gap defender is the HOK (hand off key).
• (Inside) Veer Option is a triple option concept in which the first level C gap defender is the HOK (hand off key).
• (Outside) Veer Option is a triple option concept in which the first level D gap defender is the HOK (hand off key). 

Editor’s Note:  Coaches will utilize all three of these schemes based on what defenes present.  Now, as you will find out in Case 2, there are some coaches who will run midline against an A-gap down defender and run veer to a B-gap down defender.  This will all be covered in Case 2 of our special report. 

Below are just a couple notes on our research about both the veer and midline option concepts.  We wanted to ask our readers how productive their option concepts were.  Here’s what we found:

• 59.4 percent of coaches say their midline concept averaged 4-6 yards per attempt last season.  Only 8.5 percent said that it netted 0-3 yards per attempt.

• 58.7 percent of coaches say their inside veer option concept averaged 4-6 yards per attempt last season.  Only 5.8 percent said that it netted 0-3 yards per attempt.

• 53.4 percent of coaches say their inside outside veer option concept averaged 4-6 yards per attempt last season.  Only 6.0 percent said it netted 0-3 yards per attempt.

It should be noted that our survey on the option game was one of the more responsive surveys we conducted, with over 500 coaches (at all levels of football) chiming in with their feedback.  When it came to whether or not coaches preferred to be under Center or in Gun- our results were basically split down the middle.  They are as follows:

• 46.5 percent of coaches prefer to utilize the option game purely in under Center alignments.
• 23.7 percent of coaches will mix both Under Center and off-ball alignments but mainly operate Under Center. 
• 22.9 percent of coaches prefer to utilize the option game exclusively in off the ball (Shotgun or Pistol) alignments.
• 7.1 percent of coaches will mix both Under Center and off-ball alignments, but mainly operate in shotgun or Pistol.  

The Case for Being Under Center

Old habits die-hard.  This is particularly true of football coaches and perhaps none more evident than the responses we got as to why coaches choose to run the midline and option game purely from under Center alignments.  We’ve found that there have been many arguments in support of using under Center alignments in the option game.  One of the stronger explanations came from Lou Cella, a 19-year football coach and option consultant who heads the website Triple Option Football Academy and runs numerous option camps around the country prepping both coaches and players on the triple option system.  Cella, who is also studying to receive a doctorate in mental conditioning, recently conducted a study on the Naval Academies production per play both under Center and in the Pistol.  “If you study Navy’s average yards per play from Pistol and under Center it’s astonishing,” he told us.  “They are averaging less than three yards per carry in Pistol sets.  When they run the triple option under Center, their yards per play is close to 8 yards.” 

By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

In this case, we will present our research on some of the varying blocking techniques coaches are using to block the midline and veer concepts.  Like many other option principles, the core roots of the blocking system are sacred and we’ve found the majority of coaches still abide by those rules.  But as the system continues to develop, there is a faction of coaches still finding ways to tweak some blocking assignments to get the most production out of the offense.  It was our intent to find those coaches through our research and present what they are doing differently.

But before we do that, we felt it was important to convey the grass roots of the system and there is no better way to do that than to give attribution to the Naval Academy, one of the forefathers of the option offense.  The Naval Academy started its option premise on a count system, one that basically entails reading number one and pitching off number two.  For all intents and purposes, those numbers can change based on the scheme- midline or veer. 

In the midline option, those numbers are as follows:

Number 1- The first level defender in the play side B gap.  Or as some coaches referenced it, the down lineman touching the Guard.

Number 2- The first or second level defensive player outside of number one. 

Now, truth be told, the midline scheme is usually a double option concept.  The facts is 55.8 percent of coaches rarely or never use the pitch phase in midline option.  Only 35.2 percent of coaches will use it sparingly.  But we have found coaches that do utilize a midline triple concept and we will present their ideas later on in this case. 

In the veer or triple option concept, the numbering system is as follows:

Number 1- The first level defender in the play side C gap or as some coaches referenced it, the down lineman touching the Tackle.  

Number 2- The first or second level defender outside of number one.

Of course, those numbers can change based on defensive structure.  But if we’re talking about grass roots here, the following is the count system Navy used (and still uses today) in its option system.  Below is an example of the count system, straight from Paul Johnson’s playbook, on how Georgia Tech identifies several different defensive structures.

50 DEFENSE

44 DEFENSE (8-MAN FRONT)

43 DEFENSE

33 DEFENSE

As mentioned previously, this can be altered based on game plan and personnel.  We will present how some coaches are manipulating the system to their advantage later on in the report.  For example, some coaches prefer to run midline to a 2i or 2 technique (which would be an A gap defender, not a B gap defender) and some coaches prefer to run inside veer to a 3-technique (which would be a B gap defender, not a C gap defender). 

Offensive Line Splits

Option football is synonymous with large line spits and reason is simple- they want to gap you out as far as you will allow them to.  This opens up run lanes inside for the dive back.  In fact, our research has shown that the majority of coaches- 54.5 percent- choose to use three-foot splits along its front in the option game.  Only 18.7 percent of coaches use the traditional two-foot split layout most common among offensive lines in other systems.    Rob Harris, the head coach at Broadneck High School (MD) actually will expand his offensive line splits up to 3.5 feet depending on the concept.  “ We run 56 percent of the time and throw 44 percent and only gave up 14 sacks this year with these splits in 11 games,” Harris told us.   So the benefits of wider splits not only help in the run game but in the pass game as well. 

By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

This particular case will focus on the most advantageous formation structures offenses can present when utilizing the veer and midline concepts.  While we understand that coaches will predominantly use what they are accustomed to, we did find that certain formations would place more stress on defenses than others.  So, after distributing our surveys and conducting our research, we found coaches will use the following 18 formations most frequently in the option game

General Philosophies

Before we detail the specific formations there are some general principles that option coaches adhere to when deciphering which of their option schemes are most beneficial.  Some of the more general responses we received are centered on the following:

1. “Run the midline concept to a B-gap down defender, or 3-technique.”
2. “Run the inside veer concept to a C-gap down defender, or shade/5-technique.”
3. “Run the outside veer concept to a D-gap down defender, or 3/9-technique.”

Of course, there were some responses that centered around personnel matchups as well and we discussed most of them in Case Two last week.  Paul Murphy is one of those coaches who feel that his ball carrier is the impetus behind which play to run.  “Whether we use the veer or midline scheme for us has more to do with the personnel match-ups,” said Murphy.  “We like running the midline if we have a fullback type that can find the seam since we will triple team the NG vs. a 3 man front and we will trap an even man front that plays a 3 and 1 tech.”

One of the more common methods of deciphering to run the veer or midline scheme is identifying the outside inverts; it’s a method we learned while talking to Jerry Campbell (http://stores.jerrycampbellfootball.com).  In it’s simplest sense, if there are two inverts (or eight man front) it makes sense to run towards the Tight End because of a numbers advantage (Diagram 1).  According to Campbell, “any offense is most flexible and at its toughest point when it has two running backs, two wide receivers and a tight end.”  According to Campbell, he would have his quarterbacks make his choices based on the following:

• Inside Veer (Open side)- when there is no invert (a second level player- either linebacker or safety) outside the open side Tackle (Diagram 2).  If there is an outside invert, run it the other way.
• Midline- only versus a two or three technique

Mike Judge, the fullbacks coach at the Naval Academy, told us he will go into each game with an average of nine formations, but most times he’ll only use two or three.  “We may run three formations all game if we’re successful,” said Judge.  “If we are getting what we want out of 2×2, then we don’t start tinkering with it.  “We get into different sets because of what the defense is doing.  If they are going to match personnel, like an 8-man front team taking Corners over, that’s why we get into different sets.”

Judge expounded upon his no-huddle system which allows the QB to put them in the best play call possible.  “Our QB knows that when we get certain looks, these are the three plays I want to check to,” said Judge.  “We may only have one check to each look.  We don’t give him a ton of things.  We’ll say if you get a three-technique with a two backer set we want to run midline.  If we get a shade five nine to the three-man surface then we want to run inside veer.   Ninety-nine percent of the time we know what we’re going to get.  Teams are not going to play seven different defenses against us.  Once we have an idea of how they are going to line up, we’ll say ‘when we go Over (unbalanced), these are the two plays we want.  Here’s one strong and here’s one weak depending on how they put the front.’”

So, we asked our readers which of the following formations do they feel are most beneficial when running the option game, most specifically, the inside veer.  We’ve found that 61.2 percent of coaches prefer to use the traditional flexbone formation more than any other formation.  Split backs and “I” formations were second with 10 percent. Since it is the most popular formation in the option game, we will start there. 

By Matt Mishler
Head Coach
Rolling Meadows High School (IL)

Introduction

The jet sweep has been a big part of our offensive package for years. As teams become more accustomed to how we ran the play, they began to use running back alignment and the paths of the offensive linemen to get a jump on our jet sweep. Since the jet sweep is a fast flow play, they were now more quickly getting to the outside on us with fast flow from their linebackers and decreasing the effectiveness of the play.

As a tendency breaker, we began running jet motion and then running zone read back away from the motion. This allowed us to offset the running back and give the defense all the keys they would get on jet sweep, but then run inside zone instead. We are able to run jet sweep with inside zone blocking up front as well. This became an extremely effective way for us to run the jet sweep as there were no fast flow keys for the defense. As a result, the linebackers stayed home which allowed our jet back to get the edge. The third phase of the play is making the jet back our “pitch” man in our triple option scheme. We can either throw bubble to him, or throttle him down and pitch it to him.

Jet Sweep Give

In this base concept, when we call give we are saying that we believe based on alignment or personnel that the jet back can out run the 5 technique (Diagram 1) for at least 5 yards. The offensive line will block inside zone away from the jet sweep.

To watch this concept in action, click on the link below: