By Kahn Chace
Head Football Coach & Offensive Coordinator
Tri-County RVT High School (MA)
Twitter: @kahnchace
Our running concepts are designed to attack a defensive structure, defensive personal, and adapt to our current personal. We found having too many different blocking schemes creates spending more time teaching whom to block, rather than teaching how to block. The defensive schemes we see each week in our area can vary from week to week. So, our philosophy is to have fewer running concepts for the lineman to learn and put more meshes for our backs to learn. Having mesh tags for our backfield action makes our offense multiple, yet simple to learn.
We tag 3 of our main run concepts. Auburn is power, Arizona is the inside zone (pin and pull), and Oregon is the outside zone (pin and pull). Our bubble and fast screens are married to the Oregon concept as well. This reduces the amount of time needed to teach our running game during a full-team period, and players get more repetitions.
Auburn is the power blocking scheme for the line, and we tag that 3 different ways. Read is power read, Kick is a traditional power, and Speed is an outside option.
Mesh Tags
“Auburn” Tags:
Auburn “Read” (Power Read)
With “Read” the QB will take three shuffle steps with eyes on the play side on end man on the line of scrimmage (EMOL). If the EMOL widens, QB keeps in C-gap. If the EMOL squeezes on the down block by our tackle the QB gives to F back and continues his fake through C-Gap. The F back does not want to look for a turn up until he is at the numbers. We run the play with motion and without motion. Numbering all the backs allows us to have any one of the skill positions run this play with the QB.
We like to run the “Read” mesh if we feel the EMOL is either too slow to chase down our F back or plays too far upfield. This concept is great for a quicker F and or a downhill running QB.
Auburn “Kick” (Traditional Power)
When we want to just line up and run a traditional power at the defense, we use the tag “Kick” That tells our QB he is giving the ball and no longer reading the play. We use multiple formations, so we also tag who is doing the kick-out block. If we wanted to run power with our QB we would tag the F back to kick out.
If we want another back to run power, we tag our H back or Y to kick out the EMOL. We teach our RB’s, TE’s and H backs how to kick out EMOL during their individual and group periods. We like to run the “Kick” mesh when the EMOL is not as strong as our players kicking out or plays too far upfield.
Auburn “Speed” (Option)
When we want to option the play side EMOL we tag the word “Speed” to Auburn. This tells our QB we are reading the EMOL play side. He attacks the end downhill. If the EMOL plays the QB he pitches to the F back, if the EMOL plays the F back the QB keeps the ball on the same path as Power.
We teach our H and Y backs a shovel technique as well if we want to run Auburn speed out of two-back sets, or from his sniffer position. We tag the word “Shovel” We like to run "Speed" mesh when the EMOL is squeezing on the down block, and or an undisciplined player. We like to run this away from 3x1 when teams over-rotate towards the strength.
To study game clips of this concept, click on the video below:
Head Football Coach & Offensive Coordinator
Tri-County RVT High School (MA)
Twitter: @kahnchace
Our running concepts are designed to attack a defensive structure, defensive personal, and adapt to our current personal. We found having too many different blocking schemes creates spending more time teaching whom to block, rather than teaching how to block. The defensive schemes we see each week in our area can vary from week to week. So, our philosophy is to have fewer running concepts for the lineman to learn and put more meshes for our backs to learn. Having mesh tags for our backfield action makes our offense multiple, yet simple to learn.
We tag 3 of our main run concepts. Auburn is power, Arizona is the inside zone (pin and pull), and Oregon is the outside zone (pin and pull). Our bubble and fast screens are married to the Oregon concept as well. This reduces the amount of time needed to teach our running game during a full-team period, and players get more repetitions.
Auburn is the power blocking scheme for the line, and we tag that 3 different ways. Read is power read, Kick is a traditional power, and Speed is an outside option.
Mesh Tags
“Auburn” Tags:
Auburn “Read” (Power Read)
With “Read” the QB will take three shuffle steps with eyes on the play side on end man on the line of scrimmage (EMOL). If the EMOL widens, QB keeps in C-gap. If the EMOL squeezes on the down block by our tackle the QB gives to F back and continues his fake through C-Gap. The F back does not want to look for a turn up until he is at the numbers. We run the play with motion and without motion. Numbering all the backs allows us to have any one of the skill positions run this play with the QB.
We like to run the “Read” mesh if we feel the EMOL is either too slow to chase down our F back or plays too far upfield. This concept is great for a quicker F and or a downhill running QB.
Auburn “Kick” (Traditional Power)
When we want to just line up and run a traditional power at the defense, we use the tag “Kick” That tells our QB he is giving the ball and no longer reading the play. We use multiple formations, so we also tag who is doing the kick-out block. If we wanted to run power with our QB we would tag the F back to kick out.
If we want another back to run power, we tag our H back or Y to kick out the EMOL. We teach our RB’s, TE’s and H backs how to kick out EMOL during their individual and group periods. We like to run the “Kick” mesh when the EMOL is not as strong as our players kicking out or plays too far upfield.
Auburn “Speed” (Option)
When we want to option the play side EMOL we tag the word “Speed” to Auburn. This tells our QB we are reading the EMOL play side. He attacks the end downhill. If the EMOL plays the QB he pitches to the F back, if the EMOL plays the F back the QB keeps the ball on the same path as Power.
We teach our H and Y backs a shovel technique as well if we want to run Auburn speed out of two-back sets, or from his sniffer position. We tag the word “Shovel” We like to run "Speed" mesh when the EMOL is squeezing on the down block, and or an undisciplined player. We like to run this away from 3x1 when teams over-rotate towards the strength.
To study game clips of this concept, click on the video below:
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