Game Shots

All other things being equal, why would a well coached front 7 want to play against either of these teams?

Game Shots Photos demonstrate FUNdaMENTAL coaching points that EQualizer the playing field: www.goo.gl/RdlvO.

DIVE OPTION PASS

The Dive Option Pass has been THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PASS PLAY I have called over a 4 decade coaching career. It works. When I was in school back in the 50s, we ran this play from the old Iowa Wing T series and it worked. We have ‘modified’ it every decade to “fit” the system we were running at the time, right up to the end with the unbalanced EQualizer Offense.

Again, you can read about the plays online at www.addy.com/coachfree. Again the first four steps are the same as on the base play(s). On Dive Option 48 Pass, the QB on that 4th step pushes off and drives for a point 7-9 yards deep behind where the SE aligned. AT that point, he is to turn upfield and attack the LOS. His read progression is: short, middle, long.

Here are some critical coaching points on the play:

(1) there has to be a good fake on the play. The better the fake, the more wide open everyone will be.

(2) On his 4th step, the TB must locate the defender who is the threat to contain the QB and AGRESSIVELY block him. He must attack him and drive that person back. Ideally we would want him to block the defender’s outside number with his inside forearm and get the hips around to seal him inside. Younger, inexperienced players have to tendency and to slow down or stop and wait for the defender to come to him. That means that his feet are screwed into the ground and the defender is moving and will plow through the block and get to the QB. There needs to be a separation between the block being made and the path of the QB.

(3) The SE needs to come down the LOS and STRIKE the end defender on the LOS. After hitting that guy he needs to run an arrow route (45 degree to the sideline). When he gets to a point that is 15 yards deep, he is to square out his pattern to the sideline. When the SE executes in this manner, he comes open 90% of the time or more.

(4) The WB who is in motion, either short or extended motion, at the snap of the ball breaks upfield, and runs a deep corner route. He is to get to a depth of 25 plus yards. The receivers are to stack up: FB at 5 yards, SE at 15 yards and WB at 25 yards and getting deeper on every step. Often the play action freezes the defense and the WB has a chance to beat everyone deep for a huge gain or an easy score. The fake brings up the force man for pitch, and when the FB releases and crosses his face out there in the flat, that force man most of the time plays pass and picks up the FB in coverage. Due to those two factors, the SE has a chance to ‘sneak’ behind the under coverage and open under the over coverage and come open over 90% of the time. If he does not come open, that means usually that the deep coverage is up on him and the WB is open. You do not have to tell the QB to look deep; they will do that on their own. You need to teach them to look short middle long first. The deal is that if you teach them to look long first, they will never look short and see a wide open receiver.

This pass play has produced more first downs, and more touchdowns, than any other pass play run over that 40+ year time period: play action flood pass to the wide side of the field. It is the play to call when you are in a 3rd and long situation. Even if you do not run the EQualizer, there is a play in your scheme that you can modify according to these principles and your offense will be more productive.

View game cutups at: http://goo.gl/Dbj6s.

Be 11!

RF

DIVE OPTION

The play that logically follows the dive is the option. In our terminology, when we say "option" we will fake to the FB and option the end man on the LOS. When we say "veer" we will run a true triple option where there is a "read man" and an "option man."

First, “Why run the Option?” Simple answer: To Equalize the LOS for your players. The further question is how is this achieved? The option offense allows us another advantage. There are people on the defense we do not have to block. Remember, they have to defend the LOS with 9 defenders spread out across the field. They have two deep defenders who take those read steps or align deep enough “not get beat deep.” So when you run option (1) or triple option (2), there are defenders who are not blocked. They are read by our QB and defeated with the mind. We force the defense to make a decision, which we render wrong with our reaction (reading) of that decision. That means that we can double team and wall off the inside, screen the outside defenders, and not block but read defenders at the point of attack. This is the reason that our offense is to place their DE on an island at the end of the LOS. Our Ts are free to Double Team their tackle and seal the LOS to the inside. The WR in motion and the SE then run off and block the secondary. The QB reads the isolated defender and plays off his reaction.

How is the LOS Equalized? With the option offense, or the THREAT of the option, we have 6 offensive players going against 3 of their defenders. When we have 6 of us going against 3 of them, we feel we have a better chance for success.

How does this work? Watch the video: http://goo.gl/ugisG

Lots of coaches nationwide talk about how difficult the option is to coach and teach. It really isn't - when you sell it this way. Probably the most successful play in Pop Warner football is the QB takes the ball and runs around the end, right? The Option play here is just that: get the ball and run around the end; here we just throw in a fake to the FB along the way to get the defense to suck in on him, so your QB can run and gain more yards. And Oh, if he is threatened by a defender on that sweep, just pitch the ball to the TB right before you get tackled and let him run on the outside.

DIVE OPTION: (fake the dive and run the option) When we use the same alignment and motion as we do on the dive play (to make everything look the same) the play develops as follows:



1. The WB's motion will take him into the bastard split. When the ball is snapped, he will continue to a point behind the SE and then he will arc up field. He is responsible for blocking the force man who is usually responsible for the pitch back. This defender usually has some pass coverage responsibility as well as the pitch back, and for the first 2 seconds after the ball is snapped must honor the release of the WB and will drop for pass coverage. The WB will drive to the outside shoulder of the SS, take him as deep as he can in pass coverage and then stalk block him keeping him to the inside.

2. The SE releases down field and has the same responsibilities as he does on the dive play. If a "loaded" call is heard in the huddle, SE would block the first man to his inside on or off the ball. In this case it would be the DE.

3. Everyone else on the LOS (except for the TE who has the same assignment as on the dive) blocks the first man to his inside on or off the ball and executes a cut off block on that man.

4. The FB executes a good fake into the line. A good fake involves making a pocket for the QB to set the ball into, and after the ball is removed by the QB, the FB will close his arms together and roll his inside shoulder while hitting the line. This movement will get the LB’ers on the defense to step up to the LOS making it easier to wall them off. Many times the FB will be tackled at the LOS (a good fake is worth 3 blocks). If he is not taken down, the FB will continue through the LOS, veer to the outside and look for a LB’er to block.

5. The QB's steps are the same for the dive and option. First step is a 45 degree step back to the FB. The second and third step continue this action. The third 45 degree step is a "plant" step. This step is a critical step for the option and the veer to be run properly and requires a great deal of practice for the QB. Most QB's, especially young, inexperienced ones, have the tendency to rush this play. We want to give the defense time to react to the dive fake. The third step by the QB is a plant step, therefore, actually stopping his movement away from the LOS much like a plant step on a three step drop for pass. His fourth step is a "ride" step toward the LOS with the FB. During the fourth step, the QB places the ball in the "pouch" created by the FB thereby giving him a ball fake. This ball fake is crucial. The ball must be placed into the pouch of the FB. Using a "soft ball" technique, the QB removes the ball from the pouch. A soft ball means that the QB, keeping both hands on the football, uses very flexible elbows to draw the ball out of the pouch. The flexible elbows allow the QB to move with the FB as the moves to the LOS. This is the point where the effectiveness of the option has a tendency to break down with young QBs. Most inexperienced people will want to rush through the fake to the FB actually not stopping to fake and running through the FB forcing the FB wider that he should go. Running through the FB fake will also put the QB too deep and too wide for an effective option to take place. When the QB pulls the ball from the FB's pouch, it would be naturally pointed directly at the DE. The QB should step directly at the inside shoulder of the DE. The next number of steps (short choppy controlled steps) should be along the same path to the inside shoulder of the DE. Correct execution of these steps will get the QB to "run downhill" as they say in the option game.

On or around the eighth step the QB will reach the "option point." the option point is one yard deeper and one yard outside where the DE lines up. At this point the QB must have either pitched the ball to the TB or have made the decision to carry the ball up field (north and south). If the QB is carrying the ball wider than the option point, the defense has time to pursue and jump on the QB's back. As he moves to the option point, the QB keeps both hands on the football and "seats" it, extending his elbows and swings them side to side.

By running to the inside shoulder of the DE in this fashion, the DE is forced to make a decision. He must either take the QB or move to pitch. If the DE steps to tackle the QB, he immediately "squats" and pitches the ball to the TB who continues to run the ball on the outside.

The role of the QB on this play is to carry the ball on the inside running lane until such time that the defense makes a play on him. When this happens he is to pitch the ball to the TB. The TB's role on this play is to carry the ball on the outside. The inexperienced QB has the tendency to try to run too wide and to try and cut around defenders in the secondary. When this happens, the whole play slows down and pursuit tackles the play from behind. The man usually responsible for the QB on the option is the DE or the FS in the defense that is drawn.

If we put the WB into extended motion and widen the SS and get a soft corner, many defenses assign the DE to pitch figuring they can cover the QB with the FS. This is a common adjustment made by many of the colleges against the option. How many times have you seen an option called on the goal line and the QB scores easily because no one is assigned to the QB on the goal line LOS? The Washington Huskies used to do it all the time. So does Notre Dame. Defensive people believe they can cover the QB with a FS. It just does not happen, especially in high school.

When a defense plays three deep in the secondary, has the philosophy of not getting beat deep, and coaches "read steps" (take three steps back as you read for run or pass), not even the above average FS is going to make all the right decisions, react and stop the play on the LOS. In fact, we are counting on our FB after carrying out a great fake to knock off the FS by locating himself in the pursuit lane.

A word about pitch relationship: when a defensive player (hopefully the DE or FS in the force area) commits to tackling the QB, he is to pitch the ball to the TB. We do not get real technical with this pitch. We want the QB to "squat," i.e., slow down and sit down, look at the TB, pitch him the ball, and fall backward when the defender hits him. This technique results in far fewer injuries to the QB. Some QB's ego will not let them use this technique in a game, but it only takes one or two good licks by the defense to change his mind.

The pitch itself is just a flick to the TB. There are those who will spend hours talking about how the QB should pitch the ball, end over end, thumb down, and all that. Our QB is going to be one of our more skilled athletes. Since he is an athlete, we expect him to get the ball to the TB at the proper time. We do not want him thinking, "Now should I have my thumb down here or . . ." we need to have the QB make a correct read on the option man and pitch the ball. That's enough to think about.

Over the years we have had a difficult time maintaining proper pitch relationship between the QB and TB. Having the pitch back begin from a seven yard depth means he not only get the width he needs, but he also can start moving up field like he naturally wants to do. The major concern with the TB is rushing the play. Due to the dive fake and the read, the TB must "take his time" moving down the line with the QB. He may be at only 50% speed. That is ok. We want the TB to accelerate with a burst of speed when he receives the pitch. A good pitch relationship is around 4 yards outside the QB and two yards behind. Many people are going to tell you 4 x 4, but that is a very difficult relationship for high school programs to maintain.

We do not make a big deal out of it. The TB needs to be deep enough and wide enough so that no defender can play both the QB and make the tackle on the TB. 6. The TB cross over steps to the play side and immediately works to get into a good pitch relationship with the QB (as explained above). Always be under control. Speed is not important at the beginning of this route. We want you to accelerate after receiving the pitch not before.

Comments here from experience:

First: One of the things we started doing more of was to put the WB into extended motion beyond the SE. This automatically would give us a 'soft corner' most of the time. After all, when you motion wide, someone has to cover him, right? Even a QB with poor skills could "shot-put" him the ball out there if no one covered him. What we would do is to stand on the sidelines and look at the DE. When he would step down to take the FB, we would then call Dive option 48. The QB would pull the ball on the fake (and I would tell the QB to ride the ball in there till the DE would step down when this play is called), he then 'bubbles' around the collision made by the FB & DE, and then options the force man out there somewhere int he flat. It is the job of the QB to run at the inside shoulder of the Force man - forcing him to make a decision. If he takes the QB, he pitches it to the TB running wide. If the force man goes to pitch, the QB continues to run. Simple. The deal is this: We want everything on the first 4 steps of this play to look exactly the same as it would be on the dive play and for other "companion plays that we have, like Dive Option 48 Pass (which by the way is the most successful football pass play I have run over a 4 decade career - we will talk about that play later), the counter play, the bootleg etc.

We also want the steps to be the same as for our Veer play which is our triple option. And also the same steps for our counter play and out Dive option 48 pass which is the most successful pass play we ran over a 4 decade experience.

Some years you have a QB that makes good decisions and can run the veer. Other years, not so good. Those years we do not run the veer, but the defense does not know that everything is predetermined. To them it all looks the same. The QB just gets the ball and runs around the end like he always has done . . . and maybe pitch the ball right before he gets tackles to gain more yards. The key point is the steps of the QB, especially the ride step into the line, and the bubble step away from the line on step 5.

I would tell the QB to put the ball in the FB's belly long enought to get the DE to step down. Then bubble around. But I repeat myself, you get the point. Remember to read the details from the playbook: http://www.addy.com/coachfree/Option.



Have Fun.

RF

Horizontal Stretch:

The major reason we run the formation we do is that it forces the defense to account for more than they are accustomed to handling on the LOS. In a normal pro offensive set the defense must account for 8 slots on the LOS that can easily be attacked.



Against our base formation the defense is forced to account for 2 more slots on the LOS which usually forces some major changes in their alignment.



If you are defending one of those 4 or 5 wide offenses without a TE, there are even fewer slots on the LOS that have to be defended. Of course, that means that all zones in the secondary have to be defended. People like to talk about the vertical stretching of the defense in order to gain an advantage.

The EQualizer base formation stretches the defense horizontally. For example, if you place a defender in each of the areas along the EQualizer LOS, there can be only 2 defenders left to cover the deep secondary which the SE, TE and WB can easily get to, especially on play action pass.

In addition, as you have seen with the Dive Play videos, once the ball carrier breaks the LOS he is ‘off to races’ with everyone on the defense trying to run the ball carrier down before he can score.

Another thing that happens with the formation is that there are only so many ‘looks’ that the defense can give you at the POA. The looks are generally ‘man-on,’ ‘gap,’ or some combination of each. If they gang up on any particular hole along the LOS, they will weaken themselves in another which is not good for them.

Remember, using the option (or the threat of the option) forces the defense to account for the dive back, the QB and the pitch back on each and every play. That means that three defenders on each side of the formation are tied into those responsibilities. Combine that with two deep defenders; eight people are locked down on the defense. There are only three other guys on the defense that they can play ‘chess’ with.

As it say in the playbook (http://goo.gl/liQlG):

There is an old coaching cliché that states, "Whoever has the chalk last, wins." An offensive coach who has the chalk after the defensive coach has aligned his forces can design a play to defeat it. Conversely, a defensive coach who has the chalk after the offense has designed their attack can position his forces to stop the assault. And the debate rages on and on. Of course, the offense has the ability to audible, but the defense can adjust to the audible.

This back and forth is what makes coaching great. It is a giant chess game between the OC and the DC. The EQualizer advantage is that the defense is locked in to responsibities that they normally are not responsible for and because of the unbalanced set, they are having to adjust and align in a position that they normally are not playing from.

Consider the DE who normally is playing in a 7,8,or 9 techniques on the LOS. That makes him normally the third man out from the center. The EQualizer formation may place him one, two or three guys wider (in distance) from the center. The normal defensive adjustment is to slide the defense over half a man. That puts him out into the 5 yard gap between the OOT and the SE. That puts him up to 7 feet farther out from the ball than he normally plays.

This places him on an island all by himself making an option read easier for the QB to make, especially when you consider that more often than not, he is responsible for the QB and will come across the LOS and work upfield. This action, in effect, “opens the door” for the FB on the dive play.

Now look at the week side or the formation. Just as the strong side DE is placed out on an island, the short side DE plays much closer than normal and things come at him faster than he is used to seeing. He has to make decisions faster as he is also playing out of position.

In essence, the same hold true for everyone on the defense. Look again at the dive 34 play. You see that the LB’ers are executing a blitz into the center of the formation while we will run just to the outside of the blitz. Defenses generally do not adjust their blitz package and continue to blitz the interior. A blitz here is easier to block than any other. Just wash it down to the inside and then run on the outside edge of the formation.

In fact, we have found that very often, we do not get a man freed up to block a LB’er, but the offense will double or combo block a D-Lineman and drive him back into the feet of the LB’ers disrupting their pursuit angle to the ball carrier. I call this creating a covey of defenders that run into and trip over each other near the center of the formation while the FB from the offset I Formation gets to run on the edge toward that running lane we talked about previously.

Be 11!

RF

What can you become absolutely excellent at?

THE WINNING EDGE
by CoachFree

I get lots of email daily from the corners of cyberspace and much of it makes me think, "How can I adapt this to BFS/Be An 11 Principles?" Recently I received a piece of mail aimed at salespeople by Brian Tracy entitled 'The Winning Edge' which led to this adaptation.

Thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been spent studying the most successful people in our society. They have been interviewed exhaustively as have their teammates, coaches, trainers and fans. Today we know more about what it takes for you to become one of the best than we have ever known before. And the one most important thing we have learned is that succeeding, winning, is more psychological than anything else.

THE KEY TO HIGH PERFORMANCE

One of the most important concepts every discovered in the field of human performance is called the "winning edge concept." This concept or principle, states that, "small differences in ability can translate into enormous differences in results." What it means is that if you become just a little bit better in certain critical areas of performance, it can translate into enormous increases in results. In fact, you may on the verge of a major breakthrough in your overall performance at this very moment just by learning and practicing something new and different to what you have done before. The something could be a grip adjustment in golf; a slightly different angle while in the starting blocks in track; just one new or slightly different aspect of your game that propels you in first place rather than out of the money.

SMALL DIFFERENCES MEAN BIG REWARDS

Does this mean that the horse that wins by a nose is ten times faster than the horse that comes in second, by a nose? Of course not! Is the horse that wins by a nose twice as fast, or fifty percent faster, or ten percent faster? The answer is "NO" to all of these. The horse that wins is only a nose faster, but that translates into ten times the prize money. In economics class when discussing the characteristics of money we talk of . . . . money being used as a method of accounting. When we look at golf and money used as accounting measure, in the light of "small differences meaning BIG rewards," consider the following.
The shot leader on the PGA Tour in the year 2000 was Tiger Woods shooting a 68.81 average number of strokes per round of golf. Phil Michelson finished number two shooting 69.06 average strokes per round of golf. The difference, therefore, between first and second on the tour was .25 shots per round of golf. That is a difference of three tenths of one percent (.3%) or a difference of one shot in every 333. Since the typical golf course on the tour rates a par 72 for eighteen holes of golf, that means a one shot difference in just about five rounds of golf. WOW! That's not much of a difference, especially when you consider all the sand traps, water hazards, trees, and all the other sinister things lurking for you on the golf courses of America.
So what did this three tenths of one percent difference translate into in terms of PGA Tour earnings? Tiger Woods finished first in tour money at $9.188,321; Phil Michelson came in second at $4,746,457. So . . . that quarter of a shot difference; that difference of three tenths of one percent; one shot per five rounds of golf resulted in a $4,441,864 difference. Small differences DO result in enormous differences in results. Carrying the argument out further, a difference of just one shot brings us to Scott Hoch's average of 69.8 and $1,368,888. Shooting just one shot better per round of golf in the year 2000 translated into a reward of $7,819,433. That truly is a BIG REWARD.
What about a high school football game? An average high school football game consists of perhaps 60 offensive and defensive plays: 120 plays a game. This past season our football team was a top 10 offensive team in the state. We were also a top ten defensive team in the state. Our 6-3 record, however, was not good enough to be a qualifier for the playoffs. In talking with some of the lads, we determined that if we could change the outcome of just two plays, our record would move to 8-1, and we would definitely be in the playoff/state championship picture.
How much of a difference is this? Well, over a nine game schedule our team participates in around 1080 plays. Just two plays amounts to eighteen tenths of one percent. That's .0018 (.18%) of a difference, certainly not very much.

TO BE 100% VICTORIOUS

So there are teams that make the playoffs and more teams that do not. Are the teams that get to the playoffs 100% better than those that do not? Absolutely not! (Their fans might think so and thank goodness for loyal, rabid fans.) Using that line of reasoning would mean that there's only one good team at the end of the season, the team that wins the State Championship. Teams that qualify for the playoffs and those teams that do win State Championships are not vastly better than their opponents. They simply have the "Winning Edge." They are eighteen tenths of one percent better on a particular day, but that translates into a 100% victory.

ACTIVATE A PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

To help develop your own Winning Edge here are some winning edge action exercises to assist in developing your own competitive advantage. First, identify the important things you do from the beginning of your performance training to the final event of your season. Think about what you can do to improve in each area. Second, select one specific area where you feel you are weak and make a plan to become 'Absolutely Excellent' in this area. This decision alone could change your career.
Billy Allen comes to my mind when I think of 'Absolutely Excellent.' Billy was a wrestler on a team I helped coach years ago. Billy wrestled somewhere in the 130 range or thereabouts. He was very strong, bench pressing close to 275 pounds. He possessed tremendous upper body strength. Back then a wrestler could not avoid being in the down position in the second or third period. Billy would wrestle even with the opponent or perhaps be behind on points; he would just be marking his time till he got the up position. He would then just hammer his opponent with a three quarter stack move and the match would abruptly end. He was, "Absolutely Excellent" with that move. He was so incredibly strong no one could counter that move. The three quarter stack was his 'Winning Edge.'

What is it that you can do to develop yours (your Absolutely Excellent Winning Edge)?

BASE Play: Dive 34

Note: The number of people in the box at the start of the play-how many do you count?

See how the running lane opens up for the FB to hit the seam and 'Run to Daylight'

It's important for you as a coach to know what happens 1.5 seconds (that's how long a high schooler can hold his block) after the ball is snapped.

EQualizer Football Faxuals: EQualizer Coaching Clinic #1

Click on the link to view the complete post - Video of Base Play: Dive 34 at the end.

EQualizer Football Faxuals: EQualizer Coaching Clinic #1: The EQualizer Offense: The EQualizer Offense was born out of necessity. I coached at a number of schools that were, for whatever reason and...

EQualizer Points 3&4: Split/Opton

3. Bastard Split: When you go to a clinic to talk defense, the general rule of thumb on splits is that if the end splits up to 5 yards, the DE is to go out with the offensive end. If he splits more than 5 yards, jump inside and play defense from there. So my question for the defense is ‘what will you do if we split 5 yards?’ It forces the DC to show his hand on DE play. If they put the DE inside, he is out flanked and easily blocked to the inside; if they play him out over the end, that makes his gap 5 yards wide – a pretty big hole by alignment, don’t you think?

Which leads us to the point that the defense must adjust and that adjustment places all level 1 & 2 defenders out of their normal position, especially the DE. He is aligned as much as 5-7 yards wider than he normally plays. He is easily placed on an island on the edge of the defense which leads us to point 4: the Option.

4. Triple Option Football: Option offense forces the defense to play more disciplined. It limits their aggressiveness. You have to eliminate much of your blitz package or run the risk of having the dive back, the QB or the pitch back break a big gain into the hole you just created by blitzing.

So, when we break the huddle and come to the line of scrimmage, the defenders have to answer the following questions. Keep in mind these are 15-18 year old kids and they have to answer these questions and adjust in the few seconds before the ball is snapped.

a. Are they unbalanced, if so which way, how am I to line up? We tended to be unbalanced about 75% of the time. That means there was enough variance that they had to make a decision.

b. What are my option responsibilities?

c. The secondary has to think not only about option responsibilities but also pass responsibilities.

d. When we put a man in motion, the defense will have to adjust. This means that the above questions about option and pass defense have to be answered on the fly. How does that motion affect my alignment and responsibilities.

NOTE: One of the things that the spread offense coaches do not do enough of, in my opinion, is to take advantage of motion. Some coaches use motion “because it looked good on TV” and do not have a clue as to the real advantage of motion. One thing I learned for certain is that you can eliminate “press” coverage on your best receiver if you put him in motion, especially wide motion. Defenders will cushion off the man in motion. They will widen and deepen due to their fears of ‘not being beat deep.’ This give your guy lots more room to operate in.

What we did then was to think about what plays are we going to run. Over the years I ran a bunch of schemes: Wing T, Twin Veer, I Formation, and more. What I did was to think about what was the most difficult to defend. I saw it again last night on TV when a spread offense, college team got close to the goal line, they got into a jumbo set and ran outside belly option. Worked for them. Works for us.

Bill Walsh in his book said when you need to make a first down, or score from inside the 5 yard line, give the ball to your best back and have him run behind your best lineman. We just do not wait for that situation; that is what we do from the get-go.

RE: Best Back: I have been a Bigger Faster Stronger (http://www.biggerfasterstronger.com/) coach for over 30 years. What I have discovered is that we can generate fullbacks, guards and tackles, as well as TE’s in the weightroom. If we got a real tailback (which we would get about once every 7 years), we considered it a bonus. However, since we did not coach in schools with large talent pools, we had to “generate” players out of the weightroom.

There were times when we would have a good QB, probably good enough to run the spread, but no one to catch the ball. Or we would have people who could catch, but no one to throw it accurately. But we always had someone who wanted to take the ball, explode the hole, and run to daylight.

So, our offense is based on giving the ball to our best back and letting him run behind our best blockers. In the beginning we ran this out of an unbalanced I formation. The backfield would run the steps for the belly option out of the wing T – FB needed to lead, crossover, bend into the hole for the mesh. This was always a difficult thing to get down in practice. I can even remember staying out late in practice in high school waiting for Mark and Wade to get their steps down.

What I discovered by accident one day, was that it was much easier to offset the FB, aligning him 5 yards deep behind the IOT in a 2 point stance. All he had to do from there was to run straight ahead and read the block of the IOT. Made things much easier. The only thing he had to do was to step first with his inside foot – so that the mesh with the QB has an open hip. The two point stance is important because it means the FB does not get as fast a start as he does from a 3 point stance. This makes for a better mesh, also makes for better timing at the POA. It puts him in the hole when the block is being made. Timing is so very important for the offense. One of the things we stress on defense is that “Everyone gets blocked; what matters is how long you stay blocked.”

Did you ever think about how long a high schooler can sustain a block, on the average? I have found out over the years that an offensive lineman can sustain a drive block for about 1.5 seconds after which it breaks down. So it is very important to have the back in the hole when the block is being made.

So the defense not only must defend 10 areas on the LOS (horizontal stretch), they must also defend option. This accounts for 6 defenders, 3 on each side of the LOS to cancel the diveback, the quarterback, and the pitchback.

Due to these factors, the aggressiveness of the defense is limited. Their blitz package is drastically limited. We have Equalized the LOS and placed out players into a position where they can be more successful.

Put Them in Motion

EQualizer Principle #2:

2. Men in Motion: Men in motion change responsibilities for defenders. It changes assignments. Motion changes the strength of the formation and the defense must adjust or they can be out flanked. We have seen as many a 7 defenders change their defensive position (and therefore assigned responsibilities) when we put someone in motion: “How does that motion affect my pass responsibility? My run support responsibility? My option responsibility? Etc. These questions have to be answered by a 16 year old kid, on the fly in few split seconds.

A couple things we found out early with the use of motion: 1. Motion eliminates press coverage and produces a ‘soft’ corner. Take a WR and motion him across the formation, especially to the wide side of the field, the defender responsible for him will cushion wider and deep in order to ‘not get beat deep.’ 1a. This also would mean that you have a softer corner to run sweep toward as well. Running sweep behind wide motion gains yards. 2. Playing you best receiver at WR means you can put him in motion and that means he can shake coverage and get open much easier than having him start from a ‘set’ position.

We put all eligible receriers in motion http://goo.gl/mHIb9. Once we even put the QB in motion which was flagged by stripes. I said "WHAT?" He said he had never seen it before but . . . . striples strike again.

Base Unbalanced Formation:

The bastard split of 5 yards along with the unbalanced line produces a unique problem for the defense. This alignment produces a horizontal stretch that they normally do not see. A traditional pro set produces 8 areas on the LOS to defend. The base EQ set produces 9 areas on the LOS to account (see picture below). Therefore, with the current, gap control defenses, that means that 9 defenders have a gap or contain responsibility…..that leaves just 2 defenders deep against the pass. So, with a play action pass keeping defenders close to the LOS and those 2 pass defenders not wanting to get beat deep, holes or large windows to throw to open up at the 9 yard depth. Even a QB of limited capability can be schooled to execute a 9 yard pass play.

Right click on pic & choose to view larger picture.

In addition, what we have discovered with this formation is that DCs do not like to fully adjust the defense to the strength of the formation. Instead of moving over a full man (the middle of the offensive set is the SG) they go over only half a man meaning they align people in the gaps. What that does is open the door to allowing our line to down block (the easiest block in football to execute) to the inside and wall off the defenders.

Of course, if they do adjust fully, that means that the two receiver side is to the short side of the formation giving us a short corner to run to while out flanking the defense, especially with FB motion creating trips weak.

The EQualizer Offense Basic Principles, #1:

The EQualizer Offense Basic Principles, #1:

The EQualizer Offense was born out of necessity. I coached at a number of schools that were, for whatever reason and they were many, outmanned. So in a search for a scheme that would put our outmatched players and teams on the field in a position that would help them be successful or as successful as they could be, I sat down and thought, “What would a defensive coordinator not like to see?” And I came up with the following:

1. An unbalanced line: At the time, and even today, virtually no one ran an unbalanced line [Although today you see more of it sneaking into various schemes as a change up formation]. An unbalanced line means that the defense must adjust. It also means that the defenders will have to play ‘out of position.’ They will be playing in a spot that is not their regular position. Their keys, reaction and pursuit will not be the same, especially for the front 7. (Question: What was the last major college program to feature the unbalanced line as a regular set?)

Another reason for unbalanced was due to a lack of creditable linemen. We had perhaps three that could play. If we ran a ‘regular’ scheme, we would take one of our best blockers and put him on the left side of the line and run at him maybe a third of the time. What a waste. By taking our three best linemen and playing them in a “tandem” they would always be playing together. We flip flop them to one side or the other. That also meant that the Center, Weak Guard and TE also work as a team of their own.

As a DC, how would you adjust to an unbalanced line?

BLOG UpDate KickOff

OK: Here we go with our first post, requiring a respose to make this an interactive BLOG.

When I was faced with coaching a team going up to the state's big school division things were really tough, especially on the LOS. Skilled players basically cancel each other out - my best on your best, etc. The biggest difference is on the LOS where week to week we took a pounding. So I sat down and asked myself, "As a DC, what were the things I did not want to see on the other side of the LOS?" The answer to this question laid the foundation for the EQualizer.

So I ask you, "What are the 5 offensive things you do not want to see their offense run which would make your job most difficult?"

Post or email me your answers and we will kick off the discussion.
CF

How can you turn up the heat this week?

One Hundred Goals? YES! One Hundred Goals!

Was this speaker stark raving mad? One hundred goals? He thought I could come up with 100 goals for my life?

One Hundred Goals? YES! One Hundred Goals!
The speaker, Mark Victor Hansen, compiled the hugely successful Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books with Co-Author Jack Canfield. He challenged the assemble throng at the Women's Business Conference to brainstorm 100 life goals.
Further, he encouraged us to work with a partner with whom we would swap lists. Together we would encourage each other to develop our list. We would hold each other accountable. We would help each other eventually reach these 100 life goals.
Seeing that he was where he was, and I was where I was, I decided to take his advice! How many best sellers does Mark Victor Hansen have anyway?
Exactly my point! He was a best selling writer, highly paid motivational speaker, darn good dresser too! And me? I was an employee of local government who read a lot of inspiring books. The kids in my Sunday School class
were motivated by my speaking. That was certainly worth something. My
wardrobe? Usually bought on sale, or at the end of the season on clearance.
If Mark Victor Hansen got where he was by writing 100 goals? Then I figured it would not hurt to try! My co-worker and I buddied up to walk together through the process.
The next day I sat at my keyboard. At first I thought I would have difficulty in thinking up goals. Soon, though, I was on a roll. My goals were as diverse as "Have lunch with a friend one time weekly" to "Host a radio talk show" to "travel to Europe".
I approached my co-worker to share my list with her. I also wanted to do my part as her buddy. I knew I needed to encourage her to write her own 100 goals. She read through my list, saying "Great! Oh, and you wrote 'Learn French twice!' ". With that, she went back to the tasks on her desk.
"Ummmmm.....how is your list coming, buddy?" I tried to sound as positive as I could on this one. Never sound accusatory towards your buddy, I thought.
She looked out her window and replied, "My 100 goals are to get up tomorrow and the next 100 days!" She laughed at her humor. Me? I didn't understand.
Then again, her dream in 5 years is to still be working in local government. Perfectly respectable. Nothing at all wrong with that goal.
It is just not something that I could be particularly passionate about.
Not something that I would be especially inspired by.
So where does that leave you, today?
Can you think of your 100 goals? Where would you like to be in 5 years? If you had a magic wand and your life could look like anything, what would I see when looking at you? What would it feel like to live that ideal life? What would others think of your life? Would you inspire people? Annoy people? Learn from people?
In other words, what do you really want to do with your life?
Start slow if you think you can not possibly think of 100 goals. Take out a piece of paper or open a new document on your word processor. Go for ten goals at first. No set order of preference, just let your mind go.
Let the ideas and thoughts flow.
You may find you need to write more than ten goals as your ideas start moving less like a trickle and more like a deluge. If you run into a roadblock? Stop working. Walk away. Save the goals you have written. .Promise yourself that you will come back later.
And then do exactly that! Come back later. Challenge yourself to finish your list of 100 goals.
Finally, find someone with whom to share your goals. A buddy to encourage you as you grow. Do you have anyone who would encourage this kind of challenge? If not, ask around or look for a group on line that discusses goal setting.
When I first wrote this article, I was still working as a government employee. I have gratefully been an entrepreneur, coach and writer full time since November, 1999. As for me, I am on my way to reaching more and more of my 100 goals. I spend my hours caring for my precious babies (one goal was to have another baby, who is now 4! This May I was blessed with another baby, my first son). Just this past week I bought four new website domains to add to my main website, www.5passions.com. It is all about Living a Passion Filled Life. My second book is about to hit the market.
"I have not yet made reservations for a European Trip, nor have I
hosted aTalk Radio program, but listen to your local station. You just never
can be sure." Were the words I wrote back in 1998. In fact, that needs to be updated. In January I begin hosting my own radio show, so now I will have to say, listen for when my show hits syndication!

100 Goals? YES! 100 goals!

What's first up in your imagination?