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Offense

A Football Offense is like golf. It has tools and rules. The tools in golf are the clubs, and the rules for when you use which clubs. You use a sand wedge (tool) when you are in the sand (rule). Football is similar: The “plays” are the tools, and the “rules” dictate when you use them. You sweep (tool), when you play slower teams (rule).

The only difference is that football is like playing golf on the highway.

In order to not get run over, coaches need to remain calm, use well engineered plays that are executed by trained, fundamentally sound warriors utilizing rules that have been developed over years of trial and error. Pretty simple until the X’s and O’s start moving and then a thoughtful game plan turns into a controlled riot. The coaches and teams that have the discipline to stick with the plan will have success.

Offenses need to be simple enough to allow the players to perfect the plays, and flexible enough to attack a defense up the middle, off the tackle, around the end or in the air.

In this book we will lay out our offense with all of the plays and rules. We are not saying it is the best, but it has consistently worked for us at all levels and allowed us to win multiple championships on the local, regional and national level. You will be there to see it win all three.

Football Plays

The play comes in from the bench designed to attack the defense based on their weaknesses, the down, distance and game situation. The ref blows the whistle and the plan is put in place. The Offense charges to the line. The defense is unimpressed. The linebackers call out formations and strength calls. The quarterback reads the defensive formation for any last second changes. The O line reviews its blocking rules in their head. The defense digs in.

On command a well engineered plan turns to chaos. The time for thinking is over. Instinct and training take over. The O line takes the critical first step to gain leverage on the defense. The defense resists. The linebackers (the pack leaders), prowl linebacker alley taking away any lanes of escape. The back tries to retreat to the outside. The backers stalk their prey. There are other members of the pack who will not let them out. The back sees the point is not an option and freezes: judgment time- bail out of bounds, or take your whipping like a man. Too late, the defense has made his decision for him. The next second and a half will not be pretty.

The whistle blows, and the 7 seconds of violence and chaos are over, the battle is done for now, but in 30 seconds it will all happen again.