Football Basics: The Option Game

Quick Hitting and Quick Thinking

What It Is

The option game isn't a formation or a playbook; rather, it is a concept. Practically every offensive playbook from any offensive system has some sort of option. This doesn't make the team an "option team", however, a system whose run game specializes in and frequently runs option plays is normally referred to as an "option team.

As you may be able to tell from the name, the option game specializes in run plays that give the quarterback two (or even three) options regarding who can run the ball. All of these options are affected by how the quarterback reads his keys (generally referred to as the read key, the pitch key, or both in one play). If a Quarterback is good at reading his keys, the option game is generally very difficult to stop because the only way to stop it is by having a defense that is aware of and plays their responsibilities very well.

However, if a team is very well coached playing against the option, the defense can then force the QB to take options he may not necessarily want, such as keeping the ball when he wants to pitch it, or handing it off to the dive man when he really wants to keep it. More below.

What it Does

As said above, option plays are plays in which 2 or more people could potentially end up running the ball. The point of this philosophy is to have multiple angles at which the offense can attack, and it is up to the QB to decide which one of these angles is the one that will result in the most yards. In addition, it can also take advantage of defenders who are too eager to go to where the play appears to be being run. 

Plays That are Run

• Read option
• This is the bread-and butter of any option playbook. It generally occurs out of a Shotgun set (with the running back offset to the side the play is going) or Pistol set (with the runningback directly behind the QB). The linemen block in the direction the play is called, and the running back goes on a dive path (getting ready to run a dive with the QB putting the ball in his stomach). The linemen do not block the last man on the line of scrimmage; this is usually a defensive end or a walked up OLB, and he is considered the READ KEY. If the read key crashes down on the line of scrimmage and pursues the RB, the QB quickly pulls the ball out and attacks the space where the read key just came from. If the read key sits still and plays disciplined, the QB gives the ball the RB.
• Zone option
• This is essentially the same thing as the read option, but now the offensive linemen are taking zone steps (lateral, playside steps, picking up whichever man surfaces first in that area). The running back goes to the direction of the play ACROSS the QB's face (as opposed to straight down into the LOS in the read option) on an outside zone path (attacking the flank and reading how the blocks play out in front of him, waiting for a gap to surface). Meanwhile, the QB reads the defensive end/OLB/read key to the backside of the play, instead of the frontside, like he did in the read option. If the read key to the backside chases after the RB, the QB keeps it and attacks the space where the read key came from. If the read key sits and plays disciplined, the QB hands it off.
• Midline Read Option
• Same as the read option, but now the read key is an interior DL instead of one on the edge.
• Triple Option
• With all of the option types covered so far, we have only had a READ key, giving us two options- either hand the ball or keep it off. For us to have another option, we have to have another key. In the triple option, we have TWO keys- a READ key, and a Pitch key. Typically, in the triple option the pitch key is the next second-level man outside the read key. This can be a rolling down safety, an OLB, or even a corner. The play works the same way as the read option, except when the QB decides to keep it and attack the LOS, he is waiting to see if the first defender to come up covers the QB or the Pitch man. If the defender goes for the Pitch man, the QB keeps it. If the defender goes for the QB, the QB pitches it.
• Wildcat Option
• You do not see the wildcat that frequently anymore, but it was semi-popular in the 2008 season . In the Wildcat, a RB or WR takes the place of the QB, the QB splits out as a WR, and a WR or second RB motions across the formation to make the play look like sweep. The ball is snapped to the RB playing like a QB, and he reads just like a QB would on Zone,

Who Runs it

• Smaller, faster, smarter teams (Regular Option)
• The option game is designed to be quick-hitting and confusing to a defense. Although easy to game-plan for in terms of responsibilities, nothing can truly ensure that the defense will have players in the right spots when they need to be. Also, since good teams do not run an option play EVERY single play, the option is a good follow-up to plays where you have been consistently handing the ball off and attacking the flank or interior of the line.
• An offense has to be intelligent to run the option and have good football IQ. A lot changes in the course of a play, and the OL and blocking backs have to be able to read on the run. 
• Some HS, Some College, Some Pro, occasionally. (Wildcat)
• You don't see it that much anymore because most coaches do not like the ideas of lining a QB out wide as a blocker, having a non-QB take and handle a shotgun snap, or wasting practice time to go over something they either will not use or will use very little. The Miami Dolphins did a great job of making the Wildcat a mainstay of their offensive package in 2008, until the Patriots wised up to it in their second meeting and forced them to pass with a sub-par QB.

Hope you learned a little!

Cheers

JG

Football Basics: The Spread Formation

Stretch Them Out

What It Is

The Spread Formation/Offense is generally run in 3 or 4 receiver sets. The example shown above is a 4-receiver set because there are two receivers split out wide (X & Z) and two receivers positioned as slots (Receivers that are positioned halfway between the last man on the line of scrimmage and the X or Z). It is also the base (the formation every team teaches first during camp) formation of the offense). Some teams have variants where the QB is in the Pistol (QB is 3 yds behind the center, TB is 2 yds behind QB), or when the QB is in the Shotgun (QB is 4 yds behind the center, TB is offset to the right or, as shown above, the left) The reason this is done is because the defense has to be forced to adjust their defensive backs to either reveal what coverage they're in or simply just spread them out to cover all the eligible receivers, hence the word "Spread". 

What it Does

The Spread formation predisposes itself to the passing game because of the number and arrangement of the wide receivers. 4-player routes are not uncommon. Plus, with a Tailback in the backfield, the QB has the option of keeping him in to beef up his protection to 6 men up front- more than enough to pick up your average 6-man, Cover 0 Blitz.

That doesn't mean to say that there isn't a run game either though. Since we only have 5 linemen up front, we have to make up for this imbalance either by fooling the defense- that is why many spread teams run trick plays, option, or zone run plays.

What is Run

• Passes
• Combination Routes
• Two routes run together on each side of the formation with the purpose of confusing defenders in their coverage.
• Flood Routes
• Routes in which the QB boots (breaks outside the pocket), and receivers run semi-horizontally in the same direction the QB is booting. The QB's running to the boundary gives him extra time to pick which one of the flood routes is open and throw it. If not, he can either scramble (run as a QB) or throw the ball out of bounds. 
• Quick Routes
• Pass plays that are thrown quickly as soon as the QB receives the snap. These usually consist of hitches and slants.
• Runs
• Option
• The last defensive man on the line of scrimmage in the direction the play is going to is the "Read" key. The QB receives the snap, sticks the ball in the TB's stomach, and automatically looks at the read key to decide what to do. There are two different basic types of read options we will cover here.
• Read option
• The QB reads the a specific man on the line of scrimmage on the same side as where the TB is offset to. If the read chases after the TB, who is diving into the line, the QB pulls the ball and attacks the area where the read just came from. If the read sits still, the QB hands it off to the TB.
• Zone Option
• The entire offensive line takes Zone (lateral) steps to, for example, the right. The TB, who is offset to the left of the QB, crosses the QB's face and follows the line's movement. The QB keeps the ball in the TB's stomach and reads the read key, who is sitting on the line unblocked away from where the play appears to be going. If the Read chases the TB, the QB pulls the ball and attacks where the read came from. If the Read sits or attacks the QB, the QB hands the ball off. From there, the TB looks for holes that the offensive line has opened up to the side the play is going to and tries to hit them.
• Zones
• Inside Zone
• All Offensive linemen take a short, 45 degree step to the side the play is going to and block whichever player ends up showing up in that gap. The QB hands the ball off directly to the TB, and the TB looks for any gaps that may open up in the interior of the line.
• Outside Zone
• All offensive linemen run semi-laterally for two steps to the playside direction, then block whoever surfaces in the immediate area. The TB runs wide with the linemen and keeps running laterally until he sees a hole open up- upon this happening, he hits it fast.
• Trick Plays
• Reverse, Draw, Toss Pass, End-Around, etc.
• A reverse is when the H (Or Y) goes in motion across the formation. As he is about to cross the midline (the imaginary line running from the middle of the QB's butt straight backward), the QB snaps the ball and hands it to the H/Y. Once the ball is snapped, the WR on the opposite side of where the motion came from starts running toward the outside shoulder of the ballcarrier. The ballcarrier hands the ball off to the WR running in the opposite direction.
• A draw is when the QB gets the snap, pretends he's passing the ball, and then at the last second either runs it or gives it to the Tailback, who is pretending to pass protect. When the QB runs the ball, it is called a QB draw. When he hands it off to the TB, it is simply called Draw. The purpose of this play is to get the defensive linemen to rush upfield on a pass rush and, by doing so, create escape lanes for the QB to run through, or gaps TB to run through.
• A toss pass is any play in which an offensive player receives a toss from the QB, and then passes it to a receiver downfield.
• End-Around plays are similar to reverses in that a receiver gets the handoff from the QB, but instead of handing it to another receiver coming back in the opposite direction, he just keeps it.

Who Runs It

1. Pro Teams 
2. College Teams
3. Some High School Teams
1. HS Teams must be fast at their skill positions, and strong up front to run this offense the way it's supposed to be run.

Have a good one!

J