Playing the option pitchman

[mzelsmannjr]

I posted a question in the general section concerning the rules regarding attacking the pitchman. The general consensus is that it is legal to knock him down, but not to tackle him before he has the ball.

My next question, for the DC 4-3 crowd, is how would you assign this. Spread team, in 2x2 or 3x1, with the slot man backing up in a cowboy motion to pitch depth. We have CB in bump on the #1, SS/WS spliting the #2, OLB generally assigned to the pithman. Would you send the OLB hard to knock the pitchman down once we see that motion, or leave him off the line?

[DumCoach]

Bring the OLB hard at pitchman, aiming at outside shoulder.  You don't have to knock him down.  Just get in front of him, get both hands on him (shoulderpads or chestplates) and shove until he comes to a stop.  Then, keeping both hands on him, move in the same direction he moves to stay in front of him.  So he goes left, OLB goes left.  He goes right, OLB goes right. 

There's going to be a lot of screaming and yelling by the other bench and pitchman may get so mad he takes a swing at OLB but if the pitchman is behind the neutral zone, he is fair game.  The other team probably doesn't know the rules.  I usually advise the refs pregame of such things I know will cause the other coach to come unglued to make sure the refs know the rule themselves and to look for it.

The gray area is whether the refs think the pitchman is trying to outside pass release. But it must be obvious not only to the refs but also the OLB that the pitchman is pass releasing and outside.  This is why I advised the OLB to attack pitchman's outside shoulder.  This really complicates things for a ref if it's an outside release or not.