Blast 34
This one play has contributed more to our success since its implementation than any other. Our teams developed the idea that this play could not be stopped. Indeed, the only way that it was every stopped, was when someone blew an assignment which would happen only if we had not practiced the play enough.
The secret of your success lies in your daily routine. If you want to do something well, like pick up critical first downs, you must practice picking up critical first downs every day. We would run EDD’s in practice – Ever Day Drills. The foundation of your success can be found in your every day drills.
If ever there was a need demonstrated for a short yardage play, one just needs to remember what happened to the NY Football Giants this year when they tried to pick up a critical first down in a 4th and one situation with Manning running a QB sneak and not using their All Pro Running back. What a coaching blunder that was!
Here are some critical points about short yardage offense we have learned over the years:
1. The line must narrow down their splits. You cannot allow an inside penetrator in this situation; six inch splits or even going toe to toe is required to prevent the penetrator.
2. The line executes the easiest block in football to execute: The Down Block. Ask any offensive line coach what the easiest block in football to execute is and he will tell you the down block.
3. Use a lead blocker at the POA.
4. We have found that using the man in motion to seal the outside and keep the door open to the play is a better way to go than to pull an offensive lineman. When you pull a guard, you open the door to the possibility of an inside penetrator.
If you do not have backs that can adequately perform the blocking assignments, substitute other players to get the job done. Over the years we have seen the use of the 3 tight end offense by the Pros and colleges all the way to the use of the Frig by the Bears. Bottom line? They convert.
In our unbalanced offensive set, we have our best linemen positioned at strong guard, inside tackle, and outside tackle in narrowed down stances. At the snap, they drive the inside gap. They wedge down to the center, in effect, creating a wall of blockers, shoulder to shoulder that washes everything down to the center of the formation.
Note: the point of attack for these blockers is the hip of the defensive lineman to their inside. If you put your shoulder pad on the hip of the DT to the inside, he caves down to the inside. This one thing, I believe, is one of the main reasons why so many systems today cannot convert: Coaches No Longer Teach The Classic Shoulder Drive Block. The shotgun, one back offenses use far too much hand fighting and have their hands and arms extended for pass blocking. You cannot use this technique in short yardage situations and expect to be consistently successful.
From the EQualizer Playbook:
There is one more basic play that forms the heart of our offense. It is our basic short yardage/goal line play. For this play we change the formation by placing the FB behind the QB in a three point stance, and the TB moves up to a position three yards deep behind the IOT. This formation is called "power right."
From this formation we run a lead play with the FB carrying the ball over the IOT with the TB leading. Some years we may substitute another player for the TB in order to get better blocking at the POA. It depends upon the blocking capabilities and size of the TB.
Since this is a short yardage play where the object is to gain 1-3 yards, the defense usually aligns in a goal line defense. To maximize our blocking and prevent any inside penetration we narrow down the splits to as little as 6 inches. All linemen are to drive their inside gap. The WB from motion will step to the butt of the OOT when the ball is snapped and seal off the inside shoulder of the DE. The SE will drive down the LOS just behind the DE and drive the LB’er to the inside of the formation. The TB leads the FB through the LOS. By the time the TB gets to the line, the OOT will have made contact with the DT and have knocked him down the LOS at least a step. The TB scrapes the butt of the OOT and blocks the first odd color jersey he sees. The FB's first two steps are cross over and plant. His first step is a cross over step to get lateral distance to the POA. On his second step he plants with his right foot, receives the ball and drives into the LOS running on the outside hip of the TB.
This play is as much a hallmark of our offense as any other. Everyone knows the play is coming when we get near the goal line or need 1 yard to make a first down. It is probably our most successful play when you consider that the object is to gain 1-2 yards. It is just plain flat out hard to stop for less than a yard.
These plays - dive, dive option, dive option 48 pass, and blast 34 - are the heart and soul of our offense. We will run these plays far more than any others in the offense. We will spend as much as 50% of our practice time on these four plays and they will account for as much as 70% of our offensive production.
Remember that if you want to be successful doing something, you must practice it everyday. Just as we cannot tire of running the base offense during the game, we cannot tire of practicing the base on the practice field. We must take great pride in both activities. Several years ago we were playing a good football team. In fact, they just the week before had made USA Today's top spot for total offense with over 450 yards of passing offense. Our game plan was to control the ball on offense and keep their offense off the field. In that game the FB carried the ball close to 30 times and gained over 200 yards.
During a point in the second half while our offense was getting into position to run the next play, our linemen heard the defense saying that, "over here, they're going to run over here." our IOT looked at the defense and said, "Yes. We are going to run the ball right here, and there's nothing you can do about it!" he and his tandem teammates were taking great pride in their abilities in controlling the LOS and the game which we went on to win by over two touchdowns.
This one play has contributed more to our success since its implementation than any other. Our teams developed the idea that this play could not be stopped. Indeed, the only way that it was every stopped, was when someone blew an assignment which would happen only if we had not practiced the play enough.
The secret of your success lies in your daily routine. If you want to do something well, like pick up critical first downs, you must practice picking up critical first downs every day. We would run EDD’s in practice – Ever Day Drills. The foundation of your success can be found in your every day drills.
If ever there was a need demonstrated for a short yardage play, one just needs to remember what happened to the NY Football Giants this year when they tried to pick up a critical first down in a 4th and one situation with Manning running a QB sneak and not using their All Pro Running back. What a coaching blunder that was!
Here are some critical points about short yardage offense we have learned over the years:
1. The line must narrow down their splits. You cannot allow an inside penetrator in this situation; six inch splits or even going toe to toe is required to prevent the penetrator.
2. The line executes the easiest block in football to execute: The Down Block. Ask any offensive line coach what the easiest block in football to execute is and he will tell you the down block.
3. Use a lead blocker at the POA.
4. We have found that using the man in motion to seal the outside and keep the door open to the play is a better way to go than to pull an offensive lineman. When you pull a guard, you open the door to the possibility of an inside penetrator.
If you do not have backs that can adequately perform the blocking assignments, substitute other players to get the job done. Over the years we have seen the use of the 3 tight end offense by the Pros and colleges all the way to the use of the Frig by the Bears. Bottom line? They convert.
In our unbalanced offensive set, we have our best linemen positioned at strong guard, inside tackle, and outside tackle in narrowed down stances. At the snap, they drive the inside gap. They wedge down to the center, in effect, creating a wall of blockers, shoulder to shoulder that washes everything down to the center of the formation.
Note: the point of attack for these blockers is the hip of the defensive lineman to their inside. If you put your shoulder pad on the hip of the DT to the inside, he caves down to the inside. This one thing, I believe, is one of the main reasons why so many systems today cannot convert: Coaches No Longer Teach The Classic Shoulder Drive Block. The shotgun, one back offenses use far too much hand fighting and have their hands and arms extended for pass blocking. You cannot use this technique in short yardage situations and expect to be consistently successful.
From the EQualizer Playbook:
There is one more basic play that forms the heart of our offense. It is our basic short yardage/goal line play. For this play we change the formation by placing the FB behind the QB in a three point stance, and the TB moves up to a position three yards deep behind the IOT. This formation is called "power right."
From this formation we run a lead play with the FB carrying the ball over the IOT with the TB leading. Some years we may substitute another player for the TB in order to get better blocking at the POA. It depends upon the blocking capabilities and size of the TB.
Since this is a short yardage play where the object is to gain 1-3 yards, the defense usually aligns in a goal line defense. To maximize our blocking and prevent any inside penetration we narrow down the splits to as little as 6 inches. All linemen are to drive their inside gap. The WB from motion will step to the butt of the OOT when the ball is snapped and seal off the inside shoulder of the DE. The SE will drive down the LOS just behind the DE and drive the LB’er to the inside of the formation. The TB leads the FB through the LOS. By the time the TB gets to the line, the OOT will have made contact with the DT and have knocked him down the LOS at least a step. The TB scrapes the butt of the OOT and blocks the first odd color jersey he sees. The FB's first two steps are cross over and plant. His first step is a cross over step to get lateral distance to the POA. On his second step he plants with his right foot, receives the ball and drives into the LOS running on the outside hip of the TB.
This play is as much a hallmark of our offense as any other. Everyone knows the play is coming when we get near the goal line or need 1 yard to make a first down. It is probably our most successful play when you consider that the object is to gain 1-2 yards. It is just plain flat out hard to stop for less than a yard.
These plays - dive, dive option, dive option 48 pass, and blast 34 - are the heart and soul of our offense. We will run these plays far more than any others in the offense. We will spend as much as 50% of our practice time on these four plays and they will account for as much as 70% of our offensive production.
Remember that if you want to be successful doing something, you must practice it everyday. Just as we cannot tire of running the base offense during the game, we cannot tire of practicing the base on the practice field. We must take great pride in both activities. Several years ago we were playing a good football team. In fact, they just the week before had made USA Today's top spot for total offense with over 450 yards of passing offense. Our game plan was to control the ball on offense and keep their offense off the field. In that game the FB carried the ball close to 30 times and gained over 200 yards.
During a point in the second half while our offense was getting into position to run the next play, our linemen heard the defense saying that, "over here, they're going to run over here." our IOT looked at the defense and said, "Yes. We are going to run the ball right here, and there's nothing you can do about it!" he and his tandem teammates were taking great pride in their abilities in controlling the LOS and the game which we went on to win by over two touchdowns.
1 comment:
Yes this is a great short yardage play but it's a great play anywhere on the field as well...if you've got the right guys. This past season this play was perhaps our most successful and often went for big yardage. You are after all out numbering them at the point of the attack, running behind your best 3 Lineman, with a lead blocker, to the unbalanced side, with the motion which makes it even more unbalanced. Simply a very godd play. Of course you don't have to tighten up the splits if it's not a short yardage situation and if they overshift to the strong side the counter and other weakside plays are there. I'm finally getting around to putting together our season highlight DVD and then will find out how to put some of our plays (EQ north...right Freeb?) up for you fellas to see.
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