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 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.

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 would 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.

2. Men in Motion: Men in motion change responsibilities for defenders. It changes assignments. Motion change the strength of the formation and the defense must adjust or they can be out flanked.

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?

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.

1. Are they unbalanced, if so which way, how am I to line up? We tended to be unbalanced about 75% of the time. Sometimes maybe 2/3 of the time. That means there was enough variance that they had to make a decision.

2. What are my option responsibilities?

3. The secondary had to think not only about option responsibilities but also pass responsibilities.

4. When we put a man in motion, the defense would have to adjust. That meant 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? Ii 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.

From this formation, therefore, we run our base play: Dive 34.



Dive Play: Fullback gets the ball and runs straight ahead reading the blocks of the line ahead of him, especially the block of the IOT. In talking with some DC’s in college, they would say that the dive play is the hardest to defend because: 1. it hits so fast, 2. it is easier for the o-line to block, 3. just need a seam however small to run at. And remember in this scheme the FB has a 5 yard running start at the POA which is right in front of him.

Another advantage the unbalanced line generates is that DC’s hate to move over a full man because it creates such a short corner on the weak side if they do. Therefore, they generally in over 95% of the cases will only go over half a man, placing defenders in the gaps – especially if they are gap control in their scheme.

By placing the defenders in the gap, they make it easier for our offensive linemen. Because, what is the easiest block in football to execute? The down block, of course, What we ask out line to do is to get off the ball and get on a defender according to rule. And the first rule for them to block is the inside gap. If there is a defender in the inside gap, he is to block him down – to wash him down to the center like the Denver Broncos do so well over the years.

The rule for the OOT and WB in motion is this: If there is a man on or to the inside,, the OOT blocks him. If there is a defender on the OOT’s outside eye or wider, the WB will screen him to the outside. Now this is usually the DE whose option responsibility is the QB, therefore, he is usually coming upfield across the LOS or is ‘slow playing the QB on the option to the outside. All the WB has to do is to ‘screen’ this guy and keep him on the outside. We have had 115# wrestlers play this WB position successfully because all that is needed is a screen more than a block. Use the martial arts idea of using the force of the defender to take him further out of the path of the play.

Now look at the DT on the playside. He aligns outside of the initial running path of the FB. When he sees the ball in the belly of the FB, he steps down to make the play. This makes the down block of the OOT even easier, just wash him down in the direction he wants to go – easiest block in football, right?

The FB then, through repetition, recognizes this and “bends” to the outside – not a cut, but a bend. This is an old ‘run to daylight’ principle. By alignment, there is a natural running lane that opens up in the defense beyond the front 7.

1.5 seconds after the ball is snapped against a two deep secondary, the above running lane opens up because . . . the deep secondary is coached to take those read steps and therefore take at least three steps backwards at the snap of the ball. Now if you go out on the practice field and witness these read steps, you will see that 3 is really 5+ before this defender could get himself into proper run support. Go try it. You will see. So if the deep secondary lines up 7-10 yards off the football, by the time they see the run, react to it, and get into run support, they are as much as 10-15 yards away – and that FB has a head of steam built up making him very difficult to tackle. Same goes for the SS. He takes those read steps and his option responsibility will take him initially to the outside for pitch. Then he will have to recognize that the FB has the ball, wheel and try to run him down.

That running lane could also open up between the deep safeties as well, but more often than not it is as shown.

The last thing here for the FB is this: he hits the hole quickly, picking up speed, and gets into the running lane. Everyone on the defense is trying to run him down from an angle. This means that they will try and arm tackle him. A BFS FB will break lots of these arm tackles. Our FB’s averaged over 8 yards a carry over a 20 year time period. That’s a pretty good average, don’t you think?

From the playbook:

WHEN THE BALL IS SNAPPED:

1. THE DE, DT, AND M LB'ER MOVE TOWARD THEIR ASSIGNED GAP THAT IS THREATENED. OUR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN FIRE OUT, STRIKE THE OPPONENT, AND DRIVE THESE DEFENDERS DOWN THE LOS AND EXECUTE A CUT OFF BLOCK PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING BACK TO THE OUTSIDE.

2. THE SECONDARY FOR THE DEFENSE EXECUTES THEIR "READ" STEPS. THESE READ STEPS START OPENING UP THE RUNNING LANE.

3. THE DE COMES ACROSS THE LOS LOOKING TO COVER THE QB FOR THE OPTION. THE WB WHO HAS BEEN IN MOTION, BREAKS DOWN AND SCREENS THE DE TO THE OUTSIDE. THE IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE FOR THE WB IS TO KEEP HIS BODY BETWEEN THE FB AND THE DE. HE USUALLY USES HIS HANDS AND PUSHES THE DE TO THE OUTSIDE AND USES THE MOMENTUM OF THE DE TO ALSO PUSH HIM DEEPER. THIS ACTION OPENS THE DOOR OF THE RUNNING LANE. THE RULE FOR THE WB IS TO SCREEN OUT ANY DEFENDER THAT ALIGNS ON THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER OF THE OOT OR BEYOND. THIS ACTION FREES THE OOT TO BLOCK DOWN THE LOS GIVING HIM A GREAT BLOCKING ANGLE ON THE FIRST MAN TO HIS INSIDE ON OR OFF THE BALL. IF SOMEONE ALIGNS HEAD ON THE OOT, THE OOT WOULD BLOCK HIM AND TAKE HIM THE WAY HE WANTS TO GO AND THE FB WOULD READ THE BLOCK OF THE OOT AND BEND OPPOSITE HIS BLOCK WHILE CROSSING THE LOS. THE FB WOULD THEN LOOK TO HIT THE RUNNING LANE TO THE OUTSIDE, OR HE MAY WANT TO HIT THE RUNNING LANE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE HB AND FS.

4. THE SE AND TE RELEASE OFF THE BALL DOWN FIELD. FOR THE 1.5 SECONDS AT THE START OF THE PLAY, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE RELEASING FOR A PASS ROUTE. THIS ACTION FORCES THE SECONDARY DEEPER AND WIDER. AFTER HE HAS DRIVEN THE HB AS DEEP AS POSSIBLE, THE SE BREAKS DOWN ON THE HB WHEN THE DEFENDERS BEGINS TO REACT TO THE RUNNING PLAY THAT IS DEVELOPING. THE SE'S JOB IS TO SCREEN THE DHB OUT OF THE RUNNING LAND BY EXECUTING A GOOD STALK BLOCK. THE TE NOT ONLY DRIVES THE FS AS DEEP AS HE CAN, BUT HE MUST ALSO START MOVING CROSS FIELD TO POSITION HIMSELF BETWEEN THE FS AND THE BALL CARRIER. MANY PEOPLE CALL THE BLOCK OF THE TE A "DOWN FIELD" BLOCK. ACTUALLY IT IS A "CROSS FIELD" BLOCK BECAUSE WE WANT THE TE TO GET ACROSS THE FIELD IN ORDER TO MAKE HIS BLOCK ON THE SECONDARY PERSON CLOSER TO THE BALL CARRIER.

5. THE REST OF THE LINE EXECUTES A CUT OFF BLOCK ON THE DG, OTHER DT AND W LB'ER.

6. THE FB MOVES STRAIGHT AHEAD TOWARD THE LOS. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FB TO MOVE STRAIGHT AHEAD TO GET THE HAND OFF FOR SEVERAL REASONS. SINCE THE DT IS ALIGNED OUTSIDE THE PLANE OF THE FB AT THE SNAP OF THE BALL, BY MOVING STRAIGHT AHEAD THE ACTION OF THE FB GETS THE DT TO STEP DOWN THE LOS MAKING FOR AN EASIER BLOCK BY THE OOT. THE 5 YARD DEPTH OF THE FB ALLOWS HIM TO MOVE STRAIGHT AHEAD TO RECEIVE THE HAND OFF, SET THE BLOCK OF THE OOT AND THEN CUT OFF THAT BLOCK TO THE OUTSIDE AND GET INTO THE RUNNING LANE. THE CUT IS NOT A DRAMATIC ONE - MORE LIKE A BEND TO GET INTO THE RUNNING LANE. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FB TO BE "UNDER CONTROL" WHILE RECEIVING THE HAND OFF AND THEN TO ACCELERATE OFF THE BLOCK OF THE OOT INTO THE RUNNING LANE.

7. THE QB TAKES THE SNAP FROM THE CENTER, SEATS THE BALL, STEPS BACK AT THE CORRECT ANGLE TO MESH WITH AND HAND OFF TO THE FB. AFTER THE HAND OFF IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE QB TO CARRY OUT A GREAT OPTION FAKE. A GOOD FAKE IS WORTH THREE BLOCKS.

8. THE TB CROSS OVER STEPS TO THE SIDELINE AND GETS INTO THE SAME PITCH ROUTE THAT HE EXECUTES ON THE OPTION PLAY. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE TB TO RUN THE EXACT PATH HE WOULD ON THE OPTION. AGAIN, A GOOD FAKE IS WORTH THREE BLOCKS. GOOD OPTION FAKING BY THE QB AND PITCH BACK WILL TAKE THE DE, SS AND HB OUT OF THE PLAY AND/OR PROVIDE BETTER BLOCKING ANGLES FOR OUR PERSONNEL. THESE DEFENDERS NORMALLY HAVE SPECIFIC OPTION RESPONSIBILITIES. THE FEAR OF THE OPTION IS A GREAT TOOL.
WHEN THE DEFENSE KNOWS WE RUN THE OPTION, DEFENDERS WILL BE ALIGNED TO DEFEND THE OPTION AND BE GIVEN CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES. SOME DEFENDERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIVE BACK, OTHERS FOR THE QB AND PITCH BACK. WHEN OPTION ACTION BEGINS, THEY MUST RESPECT THAT ACTION FOR AT LEAST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AS THE PLAY BEGINS. THIS ACTION ENABLES OUR BLOCKERS TO GAIN A BETTER ANGLE AND GETS THEM INTO POSITION WHICH RESULTS IN GREATER SUCCESS. IT IS SIMILAR TO A DEFENSIVE BACK BEING TOLD, "DON'T GET BEAT DEEP!" A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WE HAD A FS WHO WAS A FINE ATHLETE. OUR DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD COACH AT THE TIME MADE SUCH A DEAL OF "NOT GETTING BEAT DEEP" THAT HE TOOK HIMSELF OUT OF ALMOST EVERY PLAY. DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. HE WAS ALWAYS THERE; HE WAS ALWAYS IN POSITION TO MAKE A PLAY. BUT HE WAS ALWAYS ONE OR TWO STEPS AWAY FROM MAKING THE TACKLE. HE ALWAYS HAD A CORRECT PURSUIT ANGLE, BUT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD ALWAYS MAKE THE TACKLE BEFORE HIM. HE NEVER GOT BEAT DEEP, BUT HE WAS NEVER IN ON MANY OTHER PLAYS.

You can see the base play in action at: www.maxcast.com/EQUALIZER. Just click on the ‘Base Play’ links in the playlist. The video quality of the complete film is not the greatest right now. I will upload better video when I get back to Oregon in a few weeks. I have singled out some of the better quality clips for the initial cut ups.