DC Wing T and the Option Game

[DumCoach]

I just spent Wednesday (well, sort of) and Thursday with MarkHansen's team and got back today.  I say "sort of for Wednesday" because I forgot to allow for the time zone change from Washington to Idaho.  So I arrived an hour late for practice first night (One of my "Dum" moments.).  To correct, Mark and I got together Thursday morning and planned how to use me "pre-practice" with as few as two kids at 5:00 PM until actual practice began at 6:00, then working with a few select stragglers after practice ended at 7:00 PM until 8:00 PM.  We actually finished at 7:10 PM allowing the entire team to come and leave without violating any league rules.  Mark was very careful about this and I say cudo's for him because I don't like helping a coach who violates his league rules and at no time did he do so.   

Wednesday night I opened with "38 Option".  If you have "47 Speed", this is a GREAT play to have.  If the corner follows your WB in motion, run "Jet 38 Option" and you are running this play into EMPTY SPACE.  This play is so devastating if they follow your motion that after I first ran it in my league, no one one would dare follow my motion for the next THREE YEARS.

Because the entire team was there and practice about to end, I couldn't begin with a QB pitch drill.  So I did things in reverse order.  I ran the play on Wednesday night and then drilled the QB on how to pitch on Thursday night.  We had missed pitches everywhere Wednesday night.

Nonetheless, that night I installed "38 Option" and then "16 Option".  And then time ran out and for which reason I looked like the south end of a north bound horse for not remembering the time zone change (Hey!  It's only 233 miles away!).  If you get the film on this, what I installed I did in freaking MINUTES. 

For those of you reading this, this is a GOOD THING.  Most youth coaches bypass option because they think it takes too long to teach or think they can't teach it.  I am in frigging HURRY UP mode and I actually teach "38 Option" Wednesday night in about TEN MINUTES.  I cover HB path and pitch relationship to HB and he has this down in about three reps.  DCWT is the absolute SIMPLEST OPTION formation there is!  In the Abbotsford DVD I taught that QB how to pitch like a pro in about 5 minutes.  So things moved along really fast here as Mark had that DVD and his QB knew how to pitch.  I ACTUALLY spent most of the reps in teaching the QB to protect himself after the pitch.  Understandably, he was not good at this.  I had to get him STOPPED with his hands up and his knees bent so some hard charging DE didn't cream him.  I played DE.  Like most first time option QB's, he let me get too close to him before he pitched.     Oh!  He'd have gotten the pitch off.  But he wouldn't have gotten his hands up and knees bent before I drilled him into next week.  This was where the majority of my time was spent and this needs to be reinforced after my leaving by Mark.  He had a rib protector on his QB but I didn't inspect it.  There are only two kinds of rib protectors - Those that work and that that don't.  The one's that work are too HOT to wear on a September Saturday afternoon game.  The ones that don't work are of no use on a September or October afternoon game.  So I trained him as if he had no rib protector on at all.  Because, if it works he'll be so hot he'll be begging to take the rib protector off in September and, if it doesn't work, I covered him for how to stay alive with a garbage one anyway.

After teaching him "38 Option" I taught him "16 Option".  The difference is simple.  On a "38 Option" you aim for the DE's OUTSIDE SHOULDER.   On a "16 Option" you aim for the DE's INSIDE SHOULDER.  It may seem like at subtle difference but the thought process works like this:

38 Option:  PITCH UNLESS...you can't.

16 Option: KEEP UNLESS... you can't.

Only DCWT allows you to call this subtle difference and the difference is the SLOW PLAY or FAST PLAY DE.  A slow play DE doesn't rush to drill the QB.  He'll even stop and back up a step.  Against him you call "16 Option".  A fast play DE crashes with the intent of KILLING the QB on pitch.  Against him you call "38 Option".  The logic is simple.  If the DE wants to SLOW play the pitch, fake the pitch and Keep ("16 Option").  If the DE wants to kill the QB fast, pitch FAST ("38 Option").  The QB learned the difference first try.  I was told the QB was a smart player AND HE WAS but the fact was I could have have taught this to even a "dum" QB in 3-4 tries.   

Both systems were installed in about 10-15 minutes.  I tried to teach a DE how to SLOW PLAY the QB but he didn't get it.  So I slow played the QB myself so that Mark could see what it looked like and then know to call "16 Option" to counter it and this was done on the film, the QB "smoking" the slow play DE's A$$.  And this was no ORDINARY "slow play".  The DE used DC46 slow play which is about 100x times better than any HS slow play.  I only use the BEST!

Until proven otherwise, of course   

This concluded Wednesday night's practice.

The important point here is that you can watch me, on limited time, teach the QB to play both DE techniques ("Crash and drill" the QB or "Slow play" the QB).  I did it in MINUTES.  Again, I spent the VAST MAJORITY of my time teaching the QB to PROTECT himself.  The difference between "38 Option" and "16 Option" was ONE REP.  It might have been four with a blockhead at QB.  But that's all.  If I can teach both "38 Option" and "16 Option" to PERFECTION in mere minutes, then you an teach it in a WEEK. 

IMO, the difficulties of teaching option are EXTREMELY overrated,  You can teach it to any QB age 10 and above.  What is UNDER RATED is the need to protect your option QB (Hence, the reason I spent so much time on the QB protecting himself.).

I would say the QB I trained had absolutely no concept of the need to protect himself.   To teach him this concept, simply take the SMALLEST PLAYER on your team, put him at DE, and tell him to DRILL the QB on "38 Option".  If the QB doesn't learn his lesson, put the second smallest player at DE and tell him to DRILL the QB on "38 Option" .  Just keep increasing the size of the DE until the QB learns his lesson to BREAK DOWN on pitch. 

If the corner follows my WB on "Jet 38 Option" this is virtually an automatic TD.   It will be for you too.  Even if he doesn't follow and you run "38 Option" without the "Jet", I still always gained at least 8 yards UNLESS the HB cut back after the pitch.  I don't go into this in the film because I was too pressed for time but you NEVER EVER let a pitchman cut back.  And you inform them of this before they make the mistake of CUTTING BACK on game day.  If you let them do this idiotic stunt in a game, your eyes will look like ping pong balls!

These warnings aside,  there is absolutely NO REASON not to teach "38 Option" to get outside right.  Studies show "38 Rocket" only gains 5 yards.  That's 3 yards less than "38 Option".  You'll spend as much time coaching either play.  And, if they do STUPID and follow your motion, 8 yards becomes 99.   

 
[/quote]

[jem]

I just spent Wednesday (well, sort of) and Thursday with MarkHansen's team and got back today.  I say "sort of for Wednesday" because I forgot to allow for the time zone change from Washington to Idaho.  So I arrived an hour late for practice first night (One of my "Dum" moments.).  To correct, Mark and I got together Thursday morning and planned how to use me "pre-practice" with as few as two kids at 5:00 PM until actual practice began at 6:00, then working with a few select stragglers after practice ended at 7:00 PM until 8:00 PM.  We actually finished at 7:10 PM allowing the entire team to come and leave without violating any league rules.  Mark was very careful about this and I say cudo's for him because I don't like helping a coach who violates his league rules and at no time did he do so.   

Wednesday night I opened with "38 Option".  If you have "47 Speed", this is a GREAT play to have.  If the corner follows your WB in motion, run "Jet 38 Option" and you are running this play into EMPTY SPACE.  This play is so devastating if they follow your motion that after I first ran it in my league, no one one would dare follow my motion for the next THREE YEARS.

Because the entire team was there and practice about to end, I couldn't begin with a QB pitch drill.  So I did things in reverse order.  I ran the play on Wednesday night and then drilled the QB on how to pitch on Thursday night.  We had missed pitches everywhere Wednesday night.

Nonetheless, that night I installed "38 Option" and then "16 Option".  And then time ran out and for which reason I looked like the south end of a north bound horse for not remembering the time zone change (Hey!  It's only 233 miles away!).  If you get the film on this, what I installed I did in freaking MINUTES. 

For those of you reading this, this is a GOOD THING.  Most youth coaches bypass option because they think it takes too long to teach or think they can't teach it.  I am in frigging HURRY UP mode and I actually teach "38 Option" Wednesday night in about TEN MINUTES.  I cover HB path and pitch relationship to HB and he has this down in about three reps.  DCWT is the absolute SIMPLEST OPTION formation there is!  In the Abbotsford DVD I taught that QB how to pitch like a pro in about 5 minutes.  So things moved along really fast here as Mark had that DVD and his QB knew how to pitch.  I ACTUALLY spent most of the reps in teaching the QB to protect himself after the pitch.  Understandably, he was not good at this.  I had to get him STOPPED with his hands up and his knees bent so some hard charging DE didn't cream him.  I played DE.  Like most first time option QB's, he let me get too close to him before he pitched.     Oh!  He'd have gotten the pitch off.  But he wouldn't have gotten his hands up and knees bent before I drilled him into next week.  This was where the majority of my time was spent and this needs to be reinforced after my leaving by Mark.  He had a rib protector on his QB but I didn't inspect it.  There are only two kinds of rib protectors - Those that work and that that don't.  The one's that work are too HOT to wear on a September Saturday afternoon game.  The ones that don't work are of no use on a September or October afternoon game.  So I trained him as if he had no rib protector on at all.  Because, if it works he'll be so hot he'll be begging to take the rib protector off in September and, if it doesn't work, I covered him for how to stay alive with a garbage one anyway.

After teaching him "38 Option" I taught him "16 Option".  The difference is simple.  On a "38 Option" you aim for the DE's OUTSIDE SHOULDER.   On a "16 Option" you aim for the DE's INSIDE SHOULDER.  It may seem like at subtle difference but the thought process works like this:

38 Option:  PITCH UNLESS...you can't.

16 Option: KEEP UNLESS... you can't.

Only DCWT allows you to call this subtle difference and the difference is the SLOW PLAY or FAST PLAY DE.  A slow play DE doesn't rush to drill the QB.  He'll even stop and back up a step.  Against him you call "16 Option".  A fast play DE crashes with the intent of KILLING the QB on pitch.  Against him you call "38 Option".  The logic is simple.  If the DE wants to SLOW play the pitch, fake the pitch and Keep ("16 Option").  If the DE wants to kill the QB fast, pitch FAST ("38 Option").  The QB learned the difference first try.  I was told the QB was a smart player AND HE WAS but the fact was I could have have taught this to even a "dum" QB in 3-4 tries.   

Both systems were installed in about 10-15 minutes.  I tried to teach a DE how to SLOW PLAY the QB but he didn't get it.  So I slow played the QB myself so that Mark could see what it looked like and then know to call "16 Option" to counter it and this was done on the film, the QB "smoking" the slow play DE's A$$.  And this was no ORDINARY "slow play".  The DE used DC46 slow play which is about 100x times better than any HS slow play.  I only use the BEST!

Until proven otherwise, of course   

This concluded Wednesday night's practice.

The important point here is that you can watch me, on limited time, teach the QB to play both DE techniques ("Crash and drill" the QB or "Slow play" the QB).  I did it in MINUTES.  Again, I spent the VAST MAJORITY of my time teaching the QB to PROTECT himself.  The difference between "38 Option" and "16 Option" was ONE REP.  It might have been four with a blockhead at QB.  But that's all.  If I can teach both "38 Option" and "16 Option" to PERFECTION in mere minutes, then you an teach it in a WEEK. 

IMO, the difficulties of teaching option are EXTREMELY overrated,  You can teach it to any QB age 10 and above.  What is UNDER RATED is the need to protect your option QB (Hence, the reason I spent so much time on the QB protecting himself.).

I would say the QB I trained had absolutely no concept of the need to protect himself.   To teach him this concept, simply take the SMALLEST PLAYER on your team, put him at DE, and tell him to DRILL the QB on "38 Option".  If the QB doesn't learn his lesson, put the second smallest player at DE and tell him to DRILL the QB on "38 Option" .  Just keep increasing the size of the DE until the QB learns his lesson to BREAK DOWN on pitch. 

If the corner follows my WB on "Jet 38 Option" this is virtually an automatic TD.   It will be for you too.  Even if he doesn't follow and you run "38 Option" without the "Jet", I still always gained at least 8 yards UNLESS the HB cut back after the pitch.  I don't go into this in the film because I was too pressed for time but you NEVER EVER let a pitchman cut back.  And you inform them of this before they make the mistake of CUTTING BACK on game day.  If you let them do this idiotic stunt in a game, your eyes will look like ping pong balls!

These warnings aside,  there is absolutely NO REASON not to teach "38 Option" to get outside right.  Studies show "38 Rocket" only gains 5 yards.  That's 3 yards less than "38 Option".  You'll spend as much time coaching either play.  And, if they do STUPID and follow your motion, 8 yards becomes 99.   

Clark,

Since the Gregory 63 OSV post I started back on the DC Wing T again (started re-reading the manual).  As I mentioned in the other post I wanted to test different offenses at the youth level and different formations for option to best understand the differences and advantages of the different formations/alignments.  One of the things I like about your formation is that it allows the coach to Morph it into pretty much any of the great option offenses so you can take advantage of the different looks the defenses give you.  Plus it allows you to run an option offense and a series based offense too.  The Triple Option was added to the Delaware Wing T I do believe for this exact reason.  Fast rotating secondaries could be hurt with the Series plays and counters and the slanting defenses with deeper playing secondaries could be hurt with the option.

On the Gregory 63 post I mentioned Tony DeMeo.  He did for his Wishbone/multi-bone offense, Like you did with the Option above (16 option and 38 option).  He did the same thing for the dive read portion of the triple.  Basically if he added the word dive to the triple call it was a "give unless" and if he added the word Keep then the dive read part of the triple was "keep unless".  Just like you he could pre-call the play but still give the QB an out if the defense changed tactics.  I liked this when I first read you did it and I still liked it when I read he did it.  He did not do this for the pitch option like you do, but for the dive portion only.  He basically preferred the "Keep unless" to get to the pitch phase quicker, but if the defensive dive read stopped being aggressive he would change to the "give unless" or he would change to the "give unless" for short yardage situations also.  So your tactics and his tactics makes the option much easier IMO but at the same time it gives the QB and option.  I mean what is the point if the QB doesn't have the opportunity to make the read... but this way allows you as the coach to help him with his decision and HE will still be able to option in real time.  Great stuff!

Anyways just some thoughts.

j

[CoachKell]

IMO, the difficulties of teaching option are EXTREMELY overrated,  You can teach it to any QB age 10 and above.  What is UNDER RATED is the need to protect your option QB (Hence, the reason I spent so much time on the QB protecting himself)

Clark you are talking about double option right?

[DumCoach]

Clark you are talking about double option right?

Yes.  It was specifically a "Lead Option" play of the DE from this formation:


                                                  E
            O         O  O 0 O  O    O
                               O                      O
                        O     O

The WB is is motion every play, so if the defense wants to rotate its coverage or follow the motion we come back with a double lead option to the right.  The corner has vacated and we hit empty space.

I played the "E" position above and worked QB on "38 Option" ("Pitch unless").  We had some pitch problems but I fixed them the following night.   QB aimed for outside shoulder of DE.  After he got this down, I gave him a slow play DE to deliberately disrupt his read.  This wasn't done to educate the QB.  It was done to educate the OC to spot what "slow play" looked like and how to just call the instant solution versus teach the lengthy solution to the QB.  So I changed the call to "16 Option" ("Keep unless") and QB faked the pitch and kept and "slow play" DE got his butt burned big time.  I then finally tested the QB last by having DE go straight to pitch to see if QB would pitch anyway (Most do.).  He didn't.  He kept.  He is a smart boy.  I think he's 11 - maybe 12?

The next night, I installed the ISV triple option to the left with read.  Yes.  I could have taught it where QB gives or pulls by the play call.  We can do that as follows:

"33 Quick":  Hand off on the dive
"Fake 33 Quick": Pull ball back
"15 Option":  After pulling ball back, "Keep unless".
"47 Option": After pulling ball back, "Pitch unless".

But, in this case I taught the QB to read the triple.  I wanted people to see it's not that hard.  I started with proper way to hold the ball for the give.  Then coached the exchange so that dive back could learn to feel a pull and not fight QB for the ball.  Then coached the QB to find his read (me) and not look at the dive back.  Then I coached WB's pitch route.  Then I taught QB "point and read".  On a "Pull" read he was to "Pitch unless" versus next defender.

I went through all the above in period of about 25 minutes.  The QB could read the dive and read the pitch.  At the beginning of practice I demonstrated a pitch drill on which we spent less than 5 minutes.  But this eliminated QB's missed pitches of the night before.  He probably pitched at least 50 times during this practice and he made all 50.  Didn't miss one. 

This is as complex as I ever get with option and I didn't have to do it.  I could have stayed with called option.

My other option plays are:

"46 Quick":  This is OSV.  It's run the exact same way Malcolm runs it.  The WB goes into his "jumbo" motion (the same as for triple option left) but runs dive to "C" gap from his deep set, the same as HB in Malcolm's wishbone.  Because the TE is "nasty" split, it's a guaranteed give.  I have the same pass off this as Malcolm has to my "short split" SE.

I can call the pull on OSV by cuing "Fake 46, 38 Option" or "Fake 46, 18 Option".  The QB will pull the ball back, step around the crashing DE and do one of two things:

PITCH:  This is "38 Option" ("pitch unless").  However, the QB is not pitching off a defender.  He's pitching to the HB and then LEAD BLOCKING for him.  He pitches as he crosses the LOS.  I don't allow my QB's to pitch downfield.  They have no concept of the risk of injury.  They either won't break down and get drilled or they do break down and pitch a forward lateral.  By making him pitch and lead block, I eliminate both of those possibilities.  He pitches with no breakdown and no penalty.  Besides!  You get a lousy pitch relationship on OSV anyway.

KEEP: This is "18 Option".  The HB becomes the lead blocker for the QB.  The same lousy pitch relationship is actually a good lead blocking relationship.   

"20 Midline": This is the midline option to the FB and uses the same QB footwork as any midline QB but there's no read.  It uses a predetermined give.

"47 Option": This is Lead Option to the weakside.

I do not run any Load Option (load the DE) as that would put my QB running downfield with the ball and with a pitchman and all the bad things that can happen there (Apparently, Malcolm has never had any of those bad things happen to him but I have.).  I want to limit my QB to pitching off a DE only (low speed impact versus a non-stud player).  Yet I can Lead Option to both sides, Midline up the middle, ISV weak, and OSV strong.  That's actually quite a bit of option and I can install it all in about two hours.  And I not only keep my QB healthy but he can't run his pitchman out of bounds, something we've probably all seen.  If my QB still has the ball as he turns upfield, the back is blocking for him and won't be run out of bounds by his own QB.  And, if my QB pitches as he turns upfield, he'll be blocking for the pitchman versus running him out of bounds.

You can eliminate almost all youth coaching problems with option with just a few simple steps.

And I had enough time left after teaching this QB the triple option to then teach him how to complete a post pass.  He completed close to 100% of his passes.  I'm a firm believer in only taking option so far and then focusing on the passing game.  I figure if I have a simple but effective option game and a simple but effective passing game, I'm doing okay.

Now I probably hyped my first post up too much with positives but everything did go picture perfect and I do want people to know that option can be run successfully at age 10 and up.  I have never failed to be able to coach a youth player option. 





 

[malcolmrobinson]

Clark:
Good stuff and a great example of how easy option can be to teach.

I can understand your reluctance to 'load' block OSV and have your QB running in space and susceptible to high speed contact. Sometimes, however, we get that electric kid who can really run and turning him loose is a hugh advantage for the offense. Then, I feel the quick kid creates his own protection because its so hard to draw a bead on him. We see if every week in the college game. Look At #16 for Michigan over the Labor Day holiday. He is truly electric. Sure there is a risk. But the rewards are very high.

[JB]

Clark:
Good stuff and a great example of how easy option can be to teach.

I can understand your reluctance to 'load' block OSV and have your QB running in space and susceptible to high speed contact. Sometimes, however, we get that electric kid who can really run and turning him loose is a hugh advantage for the offense. Then, I feel the quick kid creates his own protection because its so hard to draw a bead on him. We see if every week in the college game. Look At #16 for Michigan over the Labor Day holiday. He is truly electric. Sure there is a risk. But the rewards are very high.

Hey Malcolm--Do you run any option from pistol type formation? If so, any thoughts on it?

[malcolmrobinson]

No, I don't. But I've studied it and given it a lot of thought. I do like the downhill nature of the connection between the QB and Running Back. The main reason I have not used it is I'm a bit lazy and don't want to re-construct what I already do.