Maginot Jante
Compression Passing Attack
Winning NCAA Strategies
It may sound like the biggest contradiction in
football, but I believe when you combine a
compression passing attack package into a
spread offense, you can increase your success.
Spread offenses generally have trouble
finishing when the field becomes compressed,
or when you need to run effective plays in short
yardage situations. While the quick series is
very effective in the spread, there is no reason
to not add a compression passing package,
which allows you to threaten almost all areas of
the field.
Compression style passing attacks are
seldom found in the college football world.
Most are more concerned with spreading the
field out, for a variety of reasons, either to
create blocking leverage or expose coverage’s
through spacing. The goal of a compression
passing attack is to open up areas of the defense
for attack and to create rub routes. It also makes
it easier for the QB; they will almost never have
to make any of the “NFL Grade” throws that
daunt most college QB’s (15 Yard out, 15 Yard
Comeback). The goal of the compression series
is not to base an offense around it, but as an
added element to your passing attack.
The first advantage of a compressed
formation is it allows you to read coverage’s,
not necessarily Cover 2 or Cover 3, but man or
zone coverage. Here are examples of a half
compressed half spread formation versus man
and zone coverage.
In the first diagram, you see both a
spread look and a compression look versus a
common zone alignment. On the spread side,
you can see the defenders are separated,
creating its own advantages. On the
compression side, you can see that the
defenders are much closer, and in the event that
the slot receiver goes to the flat, the corner is
the only player who can guard him, which
opens up the outside receiver to become open
on a hitch route or a 6 yard out. The second
diagram shows man coverage versus a spread
and a compressed look. On the spread side you
can see both defenders have plenty of room to
operate, as do the receivers, which again, has its
own set of advantages. On the compressed side,
you can see the both defenders are practically
next to each other, which means that if the
receivers mesh their routes, the defenders will
either collide, or one of your receivers will rub
the other defender, slowing him down, opening
up the other receiver. The compression side’s
sideline is also now wide open, no defenders in
position to defend it effectively at the snap.
The second advantage of a compression
formation is that your receiver can attack all
areas of his side of the field. Not often are most
receivers in a position to run any route in the
book. Let’s look at some common alignments
and their drawbacks first.

Here’s a common trips formation. The outside
most receiver is in good
position to run a slant or a
post or even a drag, but he
is completely useless to
use on any outside release
route other than a fade.
The most inside receiver
can run a drag, slant, In,
or a post very effectively, but he’s not very
effective at attacking anything to the sideline.
The middle receiver is very effective at running
flares, outs, and flags, but not many routes
straight up the field or to the middle, with the
exception of a drag route. Now let’s look at a
bunch formation. All 3 receivers are in position
to attack any areas of the
field. The outside
receiver can run a slant or
a post, the middle
receiver can release
straight up the field
effectively, or get open
on a post, and the inside
receiver can release to the
sideline effectively. Any receiver can run most
any route in the book. While the trips
formations has it’s place, the bunch is more
effective at maximizing effectiveness.
The biggest advantage of compression
formation routes is the natural rubs created by
their alignment. “Natural” means that the
receiver runs into the defender without having
to throttle down or single out the defender.
While the basis of the spread passing attack is
reading a progression or coverage, the basis of
the compression offense is generally bumping
defenders off of their path and opening up
receivers that way. Here’s an example of a
common quick series throw made out of spread
sets adapted to a
compression
formation.
Here is a simple
curl/flat play out of
the spread look.
You will generally
read the corner and
Compression Passing Attack 1
react based on who he covers, the defenders
play art shows man coverage, because the CB
stays on the receiver while the Sam linebacker
chases, so you will throw the flat route for
about a 4-6 yard gain, a successful quick series
play. Now let’s look at this same play, but only
from a compressed formation.
Here you can see
the receivers are
very close together
at the snap. This is
man coverage,
based on the
alignment of the
defenders. At the
snap the outside
receiver will run
up field, while the
inside slot receiver
will dart to the sidelines. As you can see by the
defenders play art, they will collide, and since
the Sam is in chase mode, a collision will put
him at a big disadvantage. This leaves the slot
wide open in the flats, allowing you to throw it
over the shoulder and run for a big gain. This
isn’t the only combination that will cause the
rub effect, any combination where the
receiver’s paths mesh will cause a rub. The rub
series is basically the compression offense’s
version of the quick series.
The last major advantage of passing out
of a compressed formation is that the receivers
release naturally flood zones, whether
intentional or not. Let’s look at a common pick
route run out of the bunch, usually against man
coverage, and how it also floods a zone in the
process. To the left we
have a pick route
designed for the middle
receiver. The only
problem is that this is not
man coverage. This is not
an issue for the play
however, because we are
flooding the Will
linebackers zone. The hitch route will force the
Will to hold his position in order to cover him,
while the drag moves across his zone, forcing
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him to run with him in order to cover him. The
fade will also pull the corner out of the play, if
not, he will be open on a quick dump. So at the
snap you just watch how the Will reacts, if he
runs with the drag, you throw the hitch to the
outside shoulder and turn up field, and if he sits
with the hitch, throw the drag fast once he
crosses the Will’s face. I would rather have the
middle receiver run a Spot route to prevent him
from running into a backer, but the drag will do
in this case.

The compression attack is a great

package to add to a spread offense to increase
its effectiveness. It can also be added to pro
style attacks, but they are generally based on
the run game and play action, while the spread
is more based on advantage in numbers and
leverage.
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