Multiple Wing-T Offense

Table of Contents

Chapter 1……………………………..Offensive Line

Chapter 2……………………………..Running Backs
Chapter 3……………………………..Split Ends
Chapter 4……………………………..Offense Basics
Chapter 5……………………………..Formations
Chapter 6……………………………..Motions
Chapter 7……………………………..20 Series
Chapter 8……………………………..30 Series
Chapter 9……………………………..40 Series
Chapter 10……………………………80 Series
Chapter 11……………………………Passing Game
Chapter 12……………………………On Series
Chapter 13……………………………I Formation
Chapter 14……………………………Split Back Set
Chapter 15……………………………Bronco Formation
Chapter 16……………………………Cinco
Chapter 17……………………………Short Yardage and Goal line
Chapter 18……………………………2 Minute Offense
Chapter 19……………………………4 Minute Offense
Chapter 20……………………………Screen Passes
Chapter 21……………………………Practice Plan
Chapter 22……………………………Conclusion
 Chapter 1
Offensive Line

The most vital and underappreciated part of any football team is the offensive line.
The true meaning of teamwork and sacrifice lies in the play and positions of the offensive
line. They do not get to touch the ball; therefore they do not get a chance to score. Their
names will not be repeated over the stadium loudspeaker over and over again. In the
newspaper, when a back has a great individual performance, the line gets maybe one or
two lines describing their efforts, but not the gushing praise that the back receives. That
is why this is chapter one in this book. Good, solid offensive lines have made average
backs look good and great backs even better. Case in point, the NCAA’s second all time
leading rusher, R.J. Bowers ran for more yards as a high school junior than he did as a
senior. The reason is because his line as a junior was senior dominated. In 2002, the
University of Louisville Cardinal football team was mediocre because of average line
play in a season when they were expected to win their conference and bowl game and
finish in the national top 10, they finished 7-6. Emmitt Smith had 5 All Pro’s on his
offensive line. Eric Dickerson went to Indianapolis and went from super human to above
average because of a lack of talent on his offensive line. I hope that I have made my
point about the importance of a good offensive line. Ask any coach who has won and he
will tell you I am sure that he had a good group of linemen. High school is no different
than the NFL in that it all starts up front. Some coaches feel that they need big earth
movers to make their system work, some like small, quick fullback-types, what ever your
preference, it is vital that they are smart and fundamentally sound.
In this offense we prefer the smaller quicker types but there are three things that we
look for in any lineman regardless of size. First we want tough players up front. The
bottom line is that you need to have guys who are willing to go nose to nose with an
opponent and just be flat out tougher than him. Running backs are trying to run away
from the defense, linemen are looking to hit the defense so they have to be tough.
Second, we want them to be smart. These guys have to be able to make decisions and
adjustments within seconds that determine the outcome of every play. In the time that it
takes a quarterback to say Red…..Set Go, a lineman has to decide who to block, how, and
where. There are so many decisions that need to be made and made correctly before the
snap of the ball. Third, we want athletes up front. The days of the fattest, slowest kids
being able to be effective offensive linemen are essentially over. Footwork, speed, and
eye-hand coordination are vital to offensive line play. These requirements however are
not indicative of smaller linemen either; today’s athletes are getting bigger, faster, and
stronger
We begin teaching our linemen the basics of a good even stance:
1. Feet shoulder width
2. Toes pointed straight ahead
3. Knees should not be bowed in
4. Flat back
5. Head up
 6. Even weight distribution
7. Finger tips on the ground not the palm or knuckles of the hand
8. Rest the off hand on the SIDE of the knee not on top.
a. Take the palm of the hand and put it directly on the side of the knee
A coach should be able to slap the down hand away and the body should not teeter in
the least. Also if a player has a hard time with his knees bowing in, then you need to
spend a little extra time with this player to help correct this. When a lineman is in a good
stance, he should look even and solid with no indication of his movements at the snap.
When the play is called the center will go out first to set the line. The rest of the
lineman will set themselves according to him. These are the alignment techniques:
1. Splits should be at least 3 feet
a. Splits that are closed down also close down the defense
2. The guard, tackle, and tight end should have their ear hole aligned to the
centers hip or belt.
a. This does set the other lineman back a little, but that is necessary to
provide the angles and spacing needed to execute their blocks
b. It is vital to check how deep the seat of a lineman is so we avoid the
flying V formation and get called for too many men in the backfield

After we have taught them how to line up, then we can teach them how to move and
block. Our base blocking rule is Fire – On – Backer. This rule can be applied to almost
every situation and while wing-t purists will no doubt disagree with a one rule system, I
have found that it can work because it basically says the same thing as all of those
blocking rules, but it puts it in one small package. Here is what the rule means:

1. Fire: The fire part of our rule maintains our theory of angle blocking. Fire
simply means that you are to block down when your rule calls for it. Your fire
gap, is your inside gap. The fire rule down block is applied on any level one
defender who is aligned from your inside shoulder down the nose of the next
lineman to your inside

2. On: On blocking is done with a right or left shoulder block on any level one
defender who is lined up from shoulder to shoulder on you. I know what your
 saying, that if he is on you inside should shouldn’t you down block? Well we
will get into that when we discuss what every lineman needs to know.

3. Backer: This rule means that you block the nearest backer to you and the
point of attack away from the play. This can be a second level reach block,
second level drive block, or a second level down block.

As players understand defenses and their opponents each week, applying these rules
will become easier. When you begin to teach and install this system, tell your players
that blocking strategies will change because the defense changes. For example blocking
the linebacker in a 52 will be slightly different than blocking the linebacker in a 53, but it
is still the backer rule.
These rules will also become easier to apply when you teach your lineman these three
things on each and every play:

1. The point of attack.

a. You must be able to understand the numbering system and how each
play attacks a certain number. This is vital in knowing which way to
block a defender
2. Who is left unblocked?
a. For most of the plays in our offense we will have a man unblocked for
either a trap or an option read.
3. Who is pulling?
a. If the guard beside you is pulling behind you, then you must block
down for him. This is an application of the fire rule that is automatic,
but there is some clarification needed here. For example if we run 24
guard trap versus a 52 front and the guard is uncovered, but the center
is covered by a nose guard, then there is no block down because there
is no one to block down on. Once again, we will have a better
understanding when we are doing this on the field and describing the
different defenses

Our linemen will have to execute five primary run blocks that run in concurrence with
our blocking rules:

1. Right and Left shoulder Drive Blocks

a. This is a straight ahead type of block where you attempt to get movement
off of the line of scrimmage and then turn the defender away from the
play.
b. If you are executing a right shoulder block, then you step with your left
foot first. The reason for this is that it brings your body in the direction
 needed to get your right shoulder into the defender. The opposite is true
for a left shoulder block.
c. On the second step you should make contact with the defender. It is at this
time when your feet begin moving in shorter faster steps and you begin to
roll your hips into the defender.
d. On your third and remaining steps, you should turn the defender away
from the play. On a right shoulder block, you turn the defender to the
right; the opposite is true for the left shoulder.

2. Down blocks
a. These are probably the most fun for any self respecting lineman to
execute. The reason is that you are blindsiding an unsuspecting defender
on the first or second level. The proper steps are determined by what kind
of defender you are facing. Is he an attacker or a reader?
i. If he is an attacker then you take the flat, parallel step down the
line of scrimmage attempting to intersect the defender.
ii. If he is a reader then your step is more of a 45 degree step or a
more angular step toward the defender
b. After your first step, the lower part of your body is turned while your
upper body is starting to turn. We complete this turn by throwing our
outside shoulder across our body and punching toward the defender. This
brings our outside shoulder around and squares the shoulders with the
hips. Also, it helps to bring your momentum toward your target
c. At or after your second step you should make contact with the defender.
The key here is to have your head across the belly of the defender. We
preach that you get your ear hole on the belly button. Keep your head up
and begin to roll the hips through putting the defender on his heels. Keep
your feet moving in short quick steps.

3. Reach Block
a. When run blocking we teach the reach blocking technique as a way to
block linebackers only.
b. We execute this block by taking a 6 inch lateral open step to the side that
we are going to reach. We do not change the direction of our toes, thighs,
hips, or shoulders on our first step. The objective is for us to keep our
body parallel to the line of scrimmage. By doing this we can adjust
 quicker if the defender changes his course. On the second step our
opposite foot comes across our body to a point in front of our other foot.
We have now begun to climb to the second level, choosing a point of
intersection.
c. Our third step is with the other foot and it continues the ascent to the next
level by placing itself in front of and offset of the second step foot.
d. Once we have made contact with the defender we need to maintain
separation with our hands and swing our tail around to place ourselves in
front of the defender between him and the ball.

4. Trap
a. This is the most recognized type of Wing-T block
b. Start by dropping the trap side foot to open up the body to the target
c. Aim for a point inside of your target
d. Your path should take you back up into the line and across the line on an
inside out track
e. On contact the lineman should maintain speed, do not catch the defender,
roll the hips, and finish the defender
f. If the defender over penetrates, then roll up inside to block another
defender.

5. Log
a. This block is not used too much but we do use it on some options and play
action passes
b. Lineman will open up with slightly more depth
c. He gains depth as he travels out and then flattens out to meet the defender
d. On contact, he should aggressively swing his butt and hips around to pin
the defender
e. If the defender is over penetrating, then meet up with him and ride him
back and away from the play
 On most of our running plays we will have a backside reach rule. This means that we
will reach block across the level one defenders face up to the second level. What we
want to accomplish here is just getting a body on the second level defenders to either
make them bubble around or interrupt their path to the play

Our passing game has its own set of rules for each series. Our passing series include:
1. 50’s: Roll out
2. 60’s: 5 – step
3. 70’s: 3 – step

Two of the three series are directional, in that we will be going in a certain direction.
The only series that is not is the 60’s.

1. 50 series roll out

a. Directional. 51 to the right. 59 to the left.
b. Blocking scheme is a full line reach on the first level defenders only
c. Step hard to the play side call and be aware for blitzing and stunting if no
one shows initially
d. On the backside we want to prevent backside pursuit so we hinge after we
step

2. 60 series 5 step drop

a. This is a non directional series
b. We want to step down to the outside foot of the next offensive lineman
i. Step down with the inside foot and bring the outside foot along
after we step and plant. We should go no more than two steps
each.
ii. After the Tackles step down they will turn out and hinge to block
on the flank
c. You want to keep a good wide low base with your butt down and eyes and
hands up.
d. Stay big and keep separation with the defender.
e. Our objective is to spill everything over the edge to open up the throwing
lane for the quarterback.
f. If need be we can go to a man blocking assignment and assign each
blocker to a defender to lock up on them man to man
 3. 70 Series, three step drop.
a. This is a directional series: 71 right, 79 left
b. To the play side we will drive block the first level defender. It is vital that
we not go to the second level and the drive is a controlled drive.
i. Use a right or left shoulder drive block
c. To the back side we will hinge to create a wall against the quarterback’s
back. It is important to spill everything to the outside of the wall.
i. We will step back and in with our inside foot all the way to next
man. The outside foot will follow
ii. Maintain a wide low base and keep your arms extended to prevent
from losing ground.

Before the ball is snapped on each play, we may have to make line calls or blocking
calls that slightly change the blocking scheme and increase the chances of not necessarily
having a successful play, but a safe play that does not put us in a negative situation. We
have a base line call that is called out on each play and we may have an automatic call
that slightly changes the blocking scheme on a particular play.
On each play, a lineman will make one of three calls:

1. ON: If a defender is lined head up on the lineman then he will call this twice

2. INSIDE: If a defender is lined up from your inside eye down to the gap to
your inside then you make this call.

3. OUTSIDE: If a defender is lined up from your outside eye to the gap to your
outside then you make an outside call.
 If a lineman is uncovered then he will not make any call at all. These calls are to be
made on level one defenders only.
We also have other calls that each lineman may have to make on any given play to
alter the blocking scheme slightly. These calls should not be made on every play and no
dummy calls should be made either.

1. STAY: This call means that a guard is not pulling. A guard can make this call if
the defense shows blitz or if he is pulling outside and a defender is lined up to his
inside gap.

2. COVER: This call means that more than one defender has aligned in a play side
gap. This call can be made by any lineman who sees that the playside is
overloaded and he needs some help.

3. OMAHA: This call pertains specifically to the point of attack and is related to the
cover call but refers exactly to where we are running the ball. This means that
more than one defender has lined up in the point of attack.

*The following calls pertain only to the Cross Block play.

1. OHIO: When running the 83/87 Cross Block against certain defensive fronts we
make an Ohio call that means to block it ON. This is common against the 43
defense

2. CLEMSON: When running the 83/87 Cross Block against certain defensive
fronts we can make a Clemson call which means to cross it. This can be
commonly used against the 44 or a 50 reduction
 3. FLORIDA: When running the 83/87 Cross Block against certain defensive fronts
we can make a FLORIDA call which means to fan block it. This is common
against 50 front defenses with no reduction

When we put together a depth chart we look for certain qualities in specific positions.
In high school football however your first team may be the only team that fits certain
qualifications of the positions. After your number one’s it can be a crap shoot of where to
place certain offensive lineman. We want to expand upon the qualifications mentioned
before and tell you what you may want to look for in certain lineman.

1. Center:
a. Quick feet and hands
b. Must be able to snap the ball to the quarterback quickly and cleanly
c. After the snap, he must have the ability to drive a nose guard, reach a
linebacker, or block down on an aggressive one technique.
d. Should be aggressive and smart. One of your most intense lineman.
e. Has to be able to snap the ball in the shotgun

2. Guard
a. Solid lateral movement and foot speed
b. Needs to be able to adjust and react on the run
c. Smartest and most athletic lineman

3. Tackle
a. Biggest and best drive blockers
b. Flank protectors, must be able to run and pass block effectively on the
flank

4. Tight End (as a blocker)

a. Athletic Tackle who can catch
b. Needs to be an aggressive reach and drive blocker to make sure that flank
plays are successful

We understand that these are not rigid requirements for all of these positions listed
here. You may have a guard or guards that are bigger than your tackles. Your tight end
may be a psychotic wide receiver who is a good blocker. It is important to remember that
it is not always what you can see in a player, but the intangibles that matter the most.
 On the next page we have included a chart that lays out the three things that each
lineman must know on every play.
1. Point of attack
2. Who is pulling
3. Who is unblocked

This chart could help sort this out for players and coaches

Play Point of Attack Who is Pulling Defender Unblocked

24/26 Guard Trap 4 or 6 Guard 24 = 6 Guard; 26 = 4 2i-5 Tech Def.
Guard Tackle
23/27 Halfback Trap 3 or 7 Outside of Tackle 23 = 6 Guard; 27 = 4 Defensive End
Guard
21/29 Power 1 or 9 Outside of Tight 4 and 6 Guard (Left) First perimeter
End Defender
21/29 Waggle 1 or 9 Outside of Tight 4 and 6 Guard (Right) Depends on Defense
End
24/26 Gut 4 or 6 Guard 24 = 6 Guard; 26 = 4 Middle Linebacker
Guard
32/38 Toss Blast 2 or 8 Inside Leg of 32 = 6 Guard; 38 = 4 Def. End for
Tight End Guard Fullback
31/39 Toss Sweep 1 or 9 Outside of Tight 31 = 6 Guard; 39 = 4 OLB or Strong
End Guard Safety
31/39 Pitch 1 or 9 Outside of Tight 31 = 4 Guard; 39 = 6 OLB or Strong
End Guard Safety
36/34 Counter Trap 4 or 6 Guard 34 = 7 Tackle; 36 = 3 2i-5 Tech Def.
Tackle Tackle
36/34 Counterboot 1 or 9 outside of Tight None None
End
42/48 Veer 2 or 8 Inside leg of Tight None DE for QB Read
End
44/46 Midline 4 or 6 Guard None DT for QB Read

44/46 Midline CTR 4 or 6 Guard None All Drive or Down

Block
44/46 Midline Pass Play action None Playside = Wall;
Backside = Hinge
82/88 Down 2 or 8 Inside Leg of 2 = 4 Guard; 8 = 6 Guard DE for Kickout
Tight End
82/88 Down Pass 2 or 8 Play Action None None

83/87 Cross Block 3 or 7 Outside of Tackle 7 = 6 Guard; 3 = 4 Guard DE for Kickout

83/87 Keep Pass 3 or 7 Outside of Tackle 7 = 6 Guard; 3 = 4 Guard DE for Kickout

As with anything in our offense this is not set in stone. Sometimes an assignment can
change based on what the defense is doing and what kind of personnel they have.
These 18 plays that are listed in this chart are our base plays that we will put in before
the season and do our best to run each and every week. We have many more plays in the
back of this book in our play index, but those are plays that are for special situations and
we will only use them if it is absolutely necessary to use practice time to install them.
 Chapter 2
Backs

At the high school level, you can not overstate the importance of having good running
backs. Often times a team can be carried to great heights by the efforts of one player. At
the high school level great individual players come around once every so often.
Sometimes a team can have a nice run of players, which can lead to a reliance on the
abilities of one player. In this offense we try to avoid putting the load on one individual,
but rather we want to spread the plays and responsibilities around to many players to
force the defense to play with caution and hesitation. This does not mean however that if
a great individual comes our way that we will not take advantage of his abilities or that
we stop giving the ball to one player once they reach a certain number of carries. The
great thing about the Wing-T offense is that it can take advantage of one great player or 4
good players. That is what we try to achieve by putting our 4 best all around athletes in
the backfield and using each and every one of them to make each other better. This way
we avoid NEEDING that one great player to make our offense go
This is a 4 back offense. By that we mean that we will expect each one of our backs
to run, block, and catch with equal ability and enthusiasm. Now, it is understood that the
quarterback is not expected to be a pass receiver on a regular basis but he will replace
that responsibility with carrying out convincing fakes and relaying to the coaches when
the defense is flying too aggressively to a play or player, therefore opening up another
play. Just like the offensive line, a back in this offense has to be a team player and
willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. To be a running back in this offense you not
only have to have the aforementioned requirements of running, blocking, and catching,
but you have to be disciplined enough to carry out good fakes. If a fullback is sloppy on
his fake then the midline or veer play may be rendered useless. If a halfback is careless
then a free safety or a backside linebacker might flow to the point of attack that much
quicker, nullifying a big play. It not only takes a lot of physical discipline, but mental
discipline also.
We like to use a many formations and formation tags to give the defense many
different looks. We want to do this with the regular personnel that we have on the field in
our base package. At all costs we want to avoid “formation packages” that can key a
defense to adjust before we even call the play. If we telegraph such tendencies, then the
defense can make calls and determine what we are attempting to do. Again, understand
that there are exceptions to every rule. You may have a kid who is a tremendous runner
and blocker and there is no doubt that he needs to be on the field carrying the football.
However he may be useless as a receiver and when you are looking to spread the defense
maybe he needs to come out, so you take him out. This is an example of how adaptable
this offense is. We do not want to shoe horn players into a system and vice versa.
 A good stance is just one factor of mental discipline that some athletes take for
granted. We do not want a comfortable stance, we want a balanced stance. The stance
should be one where we can go in any direction with the same amount of ease. When
something as simple as the stance starts to get sloppy, then our play gets sloppy.

1. Quarterback
a. Feet shoulder width
b. Slight knee bend with a slight bend in the waist
c. Wrist deep under center not forearm or bicep deep.

2. Fullback
a. Two point stance with the feet slightly outside of the shoulders
b. Toes straight with the hands resting on top of the thigh pads
c. Very little bend in the waist, the runner should be more erect than bent

3. Halfback
a. Same as a fullback
b. When at the wing position, turn your body at a 45 degree angle

Along with the stance we have to maintain our alignments and depths. To make sure
that the timing of the plays is crisp and fluid we have to make sure that we line up at the
same depth and width at all times. This is an offense based on timing, and when a play is
run properly in all facets, and then it is very tough to determine who has the ball. Mesh
points and fakes are vital to the offense and they need to be tight and convincing. Our
base formation is 100/900 and this is what it looks like:

We also have formations like Red/Blue that put a wing man to the 2 – man side of the
formation also and they look like this:

Here is a schematic of how deep and wide each player should be:
The standard depths for each player are as follows:

1. Quarterback
a. Always under center unless he is in the shotgun. At this time he goes to a
depth of 4 yards directly behind the center

2. Fullback
a. 4 yards from the tail of the center
b. 200, 4 yards behind the outside leg of the 4 guard
c. 800, 4 yards behind the outside leg of the 6 guard
d. Bronco Right is the same as 200, Bronco Left is the same as 800
e. In the I formation he is at the same depth, but in a 3 point stance

3. Halfbacks
a. Dive back position in 100/900 and Spread Right/Spread Left
i. 4 yards deep from the outside leg of the 3 or 7 Tackle
ii. 100 and Spread Right, the Left Halfback is the dive back
iii. 900 and Spread Left, the Right Halfback is the dive back

b. 200 the Left Halfback is 4 yards deep from the outside leg of 4
c. 800 the Right Halfback is 4 yards deep from the outside leg of 6
d. Pro I 100
i. The Left Halfback is 7 yards deep off the ball directly behind the
fullback in a 2 point stance
ii. The Right Halfback is split out 12 yards off the line of scrimmage
e. Pro I 900
i. The Right Halfback is 7 yards deep off the ball, directly behind the
fullback in a 2 point stance
ii. The Left Halfback is split out 12 yards off the line of scrimmage

f. Trips Right
i. The Left Halfback is the slot receiver, split out 6-8 yards off of the
line of scrimmage
ii. The Right Halfback assumes his normal wing back position
g. Trips Left
i. The Right Halfback is the slot receiver, split out 6-8 yards off of
the line of scrimmage
ii. The Left Halfback assumes his normal wingback position

h. When at the wing back position, the halfback aligns 1 x 1 from the end
man on the line of scrimmage. Once again he is turned in at a 45 degree
angle. We do this so he can see the defense better.
 We have to have backs that can block almost as effectively as our lineman do.
Surprisingly, first technique that we teach after ball handling is how to block, it is that
important.

1. Drive Blocks
a. Also known as right and left shoulder blocks
b. Right shoulder, left foot first and left shoulder, right foot first
c. On contact you drive the defender by rolling your hips and taking short
choppy steps, you then begin to turn the defender away from the play
d. A key point in teaching this type of block is to stress proper technique
because most of the time this block will be executed when there is some
distance between the two players. Good form and technique are vital in
preventing injury

2. Down Blocks
a. First step is a 6 inch 45 degree at the inside hip of the defender, it is
important to get your head across the belly of the defender
b. Allow no penetration
c. Crush the defender down inside by rolling your hips into the defender,
extending your arms, and taking short choppy steps
d. You may be asked to go under a level one defender down to a level two
defender. If so, then tighten up to the end man on the line of scrimmage,
and move fast and aggressively under the level one defender

3. Kick out blocks

a. Take a 45 degree step at your targets inside hip
b. Your head must be on the inside of the defender
c. Versus a crashing defender, you must get lower, bull the neck, and meet
the defender full speed. Roll the hips and stand him up. A stalemate is a
victory for the defense
d. Versus a wrong arm technique, simply maintain your leg drive
 All blocks must be done at full speed with good technique, it is important that we
attack when blocking.

As we have stated, proper steps are vital to the timing and flow of the offense. Again
this is a timing offense and if one player is sloppy with his steps, then the play will also
be sloppy. False steps are the bane of any play and it is a habit that many backs develop
without realizing it. Rounding off your path is also another bad habit. Regardless of the
situation, we must maintain straight lines to our landing points

1. Types of Steps for the Fullback and Halfbacks

a. 45 degree step
i. 6” 45 degree step with the right or left foot directly at your
landmark
b. Flat Step
i. 6” open step parallel to the line of scrimmage

c. Straight ahead
i. 6” step perpendicular to the line of scrimmage

d. Crossover
i. The opposite foot crosses over the lead foot first and lands in much
the same way that a flat step does. This step is used to help time
up plays

2. Types of Steps for the Quarterbacks

a. Quarterback always reverse pivots except on the 40 series
b. Reverse Midline
i. QB does a 180 degree turn with his foot landing on the midline
c. Reverse 45
i. QB reverses past the midline and stops halfway between the
midline and the line of scrimmage
d. Reverse Flat
i. QB reverses out to a ¾ turn with his foot landing parallel to the
line of scrimmage
 Chapter 3
Split Ends

The Wing-T is a one split end offense, which means that we only have one true wide
receiver. We don’t get fancy and call our receivers X, Y, and Z, there is no need for that.
He is a split end and he is generally opposite the tight end unless we tag a play with “end
over”. Often times the split end position becomes a disregarded dumping ground for
lesser talented players that are thrown there just to fill a position. It is important that we
try to maintain the split ends importance to our offense. We must be able to block, catch,
and make convincing fakes on each and every play. We try to find kids at split end that
are threats and force the defense to account for them. We need to have a viable passing
threat to force defenses not to load up the line of scrimmage. While this will undoubtedly
be our shortest position chapter, it is a one man position.

1. The split end is aligned 12 yards out from the end man on the line of scrimmage,
on the line. He should have his inside leg back looking in at the football arms
hanging freely at your side

There are three things that all splits ends must be able to do very well at all times

1. Blockers
a. Stalk blocking is an underappreciated technique, but often times it is the
difference between a big play and a loss
i. They need to stay square in front of the defender
ii. Mirror and work the defender until the whistle
iii. Stay low, keep their feet square, and their arms extended
iv. When approaching the defender, you must keep him in conflict as
to what your intentions are at the snap

2. Route Running
a. A good split end does not get sloppy on his routes
i. Keeps the defender guessing
ii. Has nice sharp cuts
iii. Gives a full effort on every play
iv. Gives an all out effort when trying to catch the ball
v. Very aggressive when running all routes, this keeps the defender
from getting his hands on you

3. Fakes
a. On a running play away from the split end, it could very easy to take a
play off. A good defender attacks the corner, making him work on every
play.
i. If he takes the play off and the back cuts back, it could be his block
that spoils the effort
ii. He establishes a mind set, an intense champions mind set, with in
the defender that you take everything very seriously
 Chapter 4
Offense Basics

One may wonder why we put the basics of the offense on chapter 4 behind the
position descriptions. Well it’s simple; we feel that you have to know how to get in a
stance before you get into a huddle or a formation. In this chapter you will learn about
getting into a huddle, the cadence, making checks at the line, and finally our play calling
system. I have always firmly believed in discipline right down to the minutest detail.
Have you ever looked out at a team that is getting beat (whether it’s yours or your
opponents) and you start to notice how the huddle looks like a field of grazing cattle.
People just wondering everywhere, no one paying attention, listening, or caring. The
play is called and the team slowly stumbles up to the line. It is a frustrating sight because
you know that you taught them different and the worst thing is that they have a low
morale. I know from watching films of yourself and of your opponents, that at some
point in time you eventually say, “My god, they can’t even get into a huddle!” Attention
to detail, even in the most trying times will show that you have not given up and you are
maintaining good character.
We want to maintain a good tight huddle, this way we ensure fluid and effective
communication.

1. The center sets the huddle ten yards from the ball, with his back to the ball.
a. Tight end is on his right and the split end is on his left

2. The next line is the two guards and two tackles.

a. With their backs to the defense, they stand left to right in order of 3, 4, 6,
and 7.
b. Hands on their knees so they can stay out of the center, tight end, and split
ends way

3. The Halfbacks flank the tackles

a. Right Halfback flanks the 3 tackle
b. Left Halfback flanks the 7 tackle

4. The Fullback faces the defense

a. Perpendicular to the Left Halfback
 5. The Quarterback receives the play and stands between the Fullback and Right
Halfback announcing the play to the team
a. The first time the Quarterback calls the play he will say “center out” This
sends the center, tight end, and split end will leave the huddle.
i. They leave and sprint to the line to establish the frame of the
formation
b. After this, the offensive lineman stand erect to listen to the second play
call
c. After the second play call, the team gives the “ready break” huddle call
and turns and SPRINTS to the line of scrimmage immediately getting into
a stance.

6. When the Quarterback comes to the line, he checks both sides to make sure that
the offense is set properly

Our cadence is a short, quick cadence that forces the offense and the defense to be
ready immediately. Long drawn out cadences are good for communicating at the line, but
we like to get to the line and go. We do not want to the defense to adjust or stem, again
we want to dictate the defense not they dictate us.

1. The Cadence
a. Red……….Setgo
i. Red is short and sharp
ii. Any motions that are previously built into the play or tagged to the
play, will take place on the pause between Red and Set
iii. Set and go are to separate words pronounced as one and they are
pronounced quickly

We like to run the play that is called from the sideline and avoid giving the
Quarterback too much freedom at the line. It is for this reason that we only do checks
when the defense is giving us a key that we can exploit. Also this is a series offense that
allows seeing if the defense is shutting down one play then another has to be open. When
it may be necessary to call a different play at the line of scrimmage, then the Quarterback
will look off of a preset number of plays on a wrist band and make the check off at the
line. If we want to audible to another play, we will have the defensive description along
with a play. The play will be accompanied by a code word that the quarterback will call
at the line of scrimmage before he gets under center. The code words may be the
opposite teams school, mascot, colors, or the name of one of their player’s names.
Sometimes and we will do this more than calling an audible, we can send the play in
with the tag “check with me” instead of it’s number. This means that we want to run the
play, but we want the Quarterback to check the defense and call the play to the best side.
Again this will be practiced and preset.
 1. Guard Trap Check With Me
a. Quarterback makes his decision and calls out:
i. Check, Check………. 24, 24
ii. He does this to both sides of the line calling the play two times to
each side

We believe that our numbering system makes it very easy for us to check at the line
because we are not an even right odd left numbering system.

When we call the plays we send in a 3 number play call or a two number preceded by a
formation call.

1. 3 part play calling system

a. First Number is the formation
i. This can be replaced by a formation that is not a number and
therefore reduces the call to two numbers
b. The second number is the series
i. The series number is a key to tell our backs the action of the
backfield. Who is the ball carrier, who is blocking, and who is
faking
c. The third number is the point of attack
i. This is where we want to run the ball
ii. This is the only number that the linemen need to know. As a coach
you should stress this because you may want to run 129 Waggle, or
138 Toss Blast and if you call it, I promise you the first time you
do it, the most confused members of the offense will be the
linemen
d. 124 Guard Trap
i. 1 = Formation
ii. 2 = Series
iii. 4 = Point of Attack
iv. Guard Trap = play name

2. Any tags to the play will be called before the formation.

a. Loose Pro Rip Red 24 Guard Trap
i. Loose = Tight End splits out
ii. Pro = Right Halfback moves out to a flanker
iii. Rip = Left Halfback motion across behind the Quarterback
iv. Red = Formation
v. 2 = Series
vi. 4 = Point of Attack
vii. Guard Trap = Play Name
 Chapter 5
Formations

Formations only change the look of a particular play, not the actual mechanics of a
play. That is why I have always liked to use many formations. Formations are usually
the first thing that most defensive coordinators begin to study when they scout you. They
want to look at how you line up and what you do out of those alignments. Several years
ago I scouted a team that used 22 different formations. Some formations had their own
set of plays and while others meant strictly pass or run. This past year, we scouted a team
that used 4-5 slightly different formations and the tight end was always on the right.
Some particular formations immediately keyed one or two plays. This made things
appear way too easy for the defense and we lost 21-7. Our opponent ran up over 300
yards rushing, and the tight end was always on the right! A former coach at a local high
school used the theory of a few plays out of many crazy formations. This was also
effective because of all the time that you had to spend in practice readying for the
onslaught of looks. What ever one you use, remember two things: First, while the look
of the play may change, the core remains the same. A guard trap is the same play out of a
one back 4 wide receiver set as it is out of a two tight power I set. Second, it’s a
formation not a new scheme or system. When we tell people that we use the I in our
Wing-T package, they often say, “Well you’re not an I team?” We are not running an I
formation based package, but running the I formation as a component of our package.
How many times have you been watching film and saw a team line up in a two wing look
and bet your last dollar that at some point in time, another coach will say, “I did not know
they were Wing- T?” The truth of the matter is, is that they are not Wing-T, but using a
formation. The Wing-T is a system not a formation. Just like the Run n Shoot, you can
look like a spread Run n Shoot team, but you are not because you are not using that
system. This is where coaches hand cuff themselves because they say, we can’t run that
look because we are a Wing-T team or were an I team. I learned long ago that I will do
what ever I have to do to put my team in the best position possible to win. Most of the
time we will look like the old Delaware Blue Hens themselves, but we can also show you
looks like Oklahoma and Hawaii too. One of the neatest things that I was ever able to
accomplish was running 21/29 Power out of a 5 wide, no back set. It looked entirely
different, but it only required subtle changes.
When we start learning all of our formations and their tags, we obviously start with the
base formations in our system. We start with 3 base formations and learn all of the tags
off of them.

100/900

Red/Blue
Spread Right/Spread Left

After we have mastered properly aligning in these formations, we then learn all of the
formation tags:

1. Loose
a. The tight end splits out 12 yards, on the line of scrimmage

2. Pro
a. The Halfback to the Tight End side splits out 12 yards off the line of
scrimmage

3. Slot
a. The Halfback to the Split End Side splits out 6 yards off the line of
scrimmage

4. Split
a. The Split End moves in to 3 to 6 yards out on the line of scrimmage
 5. End Over
a. The split end moves over on the same side as the tight end, 12 yards out
on the line of scrimmage

• Note that this tag makes the tight end an ineligible receiver

We try not to get too exotic when using the formation tags, but we can use more than
one in a given play. An example of this is when we started to use a look called End Over,
Slot to execute our 60 series passing attack. This is how it looked:

• You better have a smart tight end; he cannot go out as an eligible receiver in this
look.

After we have mastered these base formations and tags do we then move on to our
other formations

1. 200/800

2. Pro I 100/900
a. Pro is still a tag here, but we most commonly run the I with the Pro tag.

3. Black/White

4. Trips Right/Left
 5. East/West

6. Bronco Right/Left

7. Cinco Right/Left

Some of our other formation adjustments include moving from a preset formation to
another formation prior to the snap of the ball.

1. Shift To
a. We start in a two tight full T backfield.
b. The Quarterback comes to the line and yells “Shift”
c. After the command we move to the formation called in the huddle
d. Example: Shift To 988 Down

2. Jump To
a. We start in the opposite formation of the one called in the huddle.
b. The Quarterback comes to the line and yells “Jump”
c. The offense then trades formations and the play is run
d. Example: Jump To 988 Down
 Chapter 6
Motions

One thing that is always associated with a Wing-T style of offense is the use of
motion. The one most recognized is three step motion where the wing back comes in
motion toward the dive back position. What most outside of the Wing-T don’t know is
that this motion is built in and taught as a necessary component on some plays. We can
shut off this motion by saying “No Mo.” This tells the Halfback not to motion With the
advent of the Jet Sweep into most Wing-T offenses, the Jet type of motion is becoming
another example of built in or implied motion. It is important to note that Jet type motion
is a timed motion that climaxes with a mesh between the Quarterback and motioning
Halfback (whether there is a hand off or not depends on the play). We have a type of
motion that looks like Jet motion and that is Rip and Liz motion. They are like Jet in that
they are horizontal behind the Quarterback, but the object of this motion is to get the
Halfback past the Quarterback, there is no mesh, and it is not implied.
Motions, whether implied or not, should be carefully monitored when game planning
and during the game. Some teams have automatic stunt calls to certain motions and some
will change their coverage based on a type of motion. In other words, since some
defenses key your motion, you should too.
Since we have three designated running backs, we have a variety of ways to put them
in motion. But again, we do not get exotic or carried away with how many motions we
include in our playbook and game plan. This is a short chapter, but a vital one because
you need to understand how to use motion and what kind of situation it can put you in.

1. Things you need to look for when you motion

a. What kind of coverage are they in and are they staying in the same one
when you motion
b. Do they slant to or stunt to your motion
c. Are they shifting the front when you motion
d. Are they attempting to determine that you are running a particular play
when you motion.
i. Listen to the defense are they announcing certain plays or pointing
out certain players when you motion
e. Is a particular defender more aggressive or passive when you motion to or
away from him
i. When you motion away is the outside linebacker walking up or
backing off
ii. When you motion to is a linebacker or end crashing more
aggressively

These are some of the things that motioning by your offense can tell you about your
opponents’ defensive game plan. From there you make your own connections and
adjustments

On the next page we have listed and described all type of motion that we will use in
our scheme.
 1. 3 Step
a. This motion is never called, it is already built into the play
b. It can be shut off by calling “No Mo.”
c. When the Halfback is at the wing position, he comes in motion at the
pause between Red and Set in the cadence.
d. The motion takes him back to his dive back position at the snap of the ball

2. Rip
a. Left Halfback coming in motion to the right
b. Left Halfback comes in motion behind the Quarterback at the pause
between Red and Set in the Cadence
c. Halfback should past the midline on the snap

3. Liz
a. Right Halfback coming in motion to the left
b. Right Halfback comes in motion behind the Quarterback at the pause
between Red and Set in the Cadence
c. Halfback should be past the midline on the snap

It is important to note that we will run a play called “Wham.” In this play we use
timed Rip and Liz motion by the Halfback to kick out the defensive end. It is vital that
this is timed up perfectly so our Halfback does not break stride. This could tip off the
defense.
4. Ram
a. Fullback motions out of the backfield to the right.
b. He takes one step forward, one step at an angle and then flattens out to
parallel to the line of scrimmage.
c. We want to get the fullback past the end man on the line of scrimmage on
the snap
d. He leaves on the pause between Red and Set

5. Lion
a. Fullback motions out of the backfield to the left
b. He takes the same steps as Ram motion
c. He must get past the end man on the line of scrimmage
d. Leaves on the pause

6. Z
a. When at the dive back position, the Halfback comes in 3 step style motion
to the tailback position
b. Exact same steps are 3 step but from the dive back spot
c. Leaves at the same time as regular 3 step motion

7. Crack
a. The Split End comes in motion back toward the tackle
b. His objective is to crack block
c. This can also be used on passing plays
d. Leaves on the pause between red and set
 Chapter 7
20 Series

Now we are going to get into what makes the Wing-T what it is, series football. When
it comes to execution of this offense, it is only efficiently executed when those not
running the football carry out good fakes and block effectively. In chapters 7 through 10
we will review each and every series, and the plays involved. It is vital to note that we
are not a pure Delaware system. We have borrowed from other systems, changed the
blocking rules, changed a couple of tags, and added a couple of formations. If we were
pure Delaware, you would see plays like Sally, F Sweep, and Down Option but you don’t.
In the past I have run these plays with success, but we simply trimmed the fat off the play
book to make it more learnable and simplified. We will however run Down Option Load
at some time in the season, but only when Down and Down Pass are stopped.
The twenty series in my opinion is the signature Wing-T series. It is the one that is
most identified with this style of offense. Even though most teams run the 3 core plays
that make up the series, they are not run in the same manner. The Guard Trap, Power,
and Waggle are the three core plays and are all staples of other systems; it is however
how the three of them, along with the Halfback Trap are intertwined. You may also hear
this series being called the Buck Sweep series. To be honest, I do not know the origin of
calling it the Buck Sweep, to me it has always been the 20 series and the sweep has been
called Power.
When a team runs this series effectively with some degree of consistency, it is very
tough to defend. The reason is because you are giving the illusion that you are attacking
3 different points of the defense. Because of this, the defense, especially the linebackers
and safeties can’t over commit to what they may think is flow. You must read your keys
and be patient; this in turn can slow down a defense. When you install this series it is
vital to the success of the play that you stress tight mesh points, convincing fakes, and
carrying out fakes. If you do this, it can appear like you are playing a hidden ball game.
Along with the 3 core plays we have added two other plays to the base package of the
20 series. The 23/27 Halfback Trap and the 24/26 Gut are two plays that were adapted to
this series to give us a little more diversity. The Halfback Trap was adapted from my
high school coach who used to run a play called Guard Trap to the Half. It is essentially
the same play but with less wording. The Gut was borrowed from an I formation team
and can be further adapted to be called Gut Influence. The Gut attacks the center of the
defense and is very successful against 43 teams. The reason that these plays were put in
the 20 series is because of the Fullback action up the middle and the waggle action by the
Quarterback.
If you want to tell right away if a defense is keying guards or backs, start the game
with 21/29 Power. If the linebackers flow with the play then they are keying Guards. IF
the inside backers crash and attack the Fullback, then they are keying backs.
 Next we will review the five base plays along with one add on play for this series.
The play diagram will be in the back of the book in the playbook index.

1. 24/26 Guard Trap

a. The Fullback carries the ball at 4 or 6
i. The Fullback actually dives to the opposite leg of 5 and looks to
make a slight cut through the alley made by the blocking once he
gets past the line of scrimmage
ii. Fullback should be very aggressive on this
b. The Quarterback and Fullback should brush shoulders on their mesh
i. The Quarterback slides the ball into the stomach of the Fullback
ii. Quarterback stays bent low over the ball, hiding it from the defense
c. The Quarterback and the Halfback mesh at a perpendicular angle behind
the play.
i. The Halfback fakes to the Quarterback and continues on his Power
fake
ii. The Quarterback looks the Halfback past and then fakes the
waggle
d. The play side Halfback influence block on the outside linebacker

2. 21/29 Power
a. Fullback greatly exaggerates the fake up the middle
i. Fullback must be very aggressive when faking
b. Quarterback and Halfback mesh with the quarterback sliding the ball into
the Halfbacks belly
i. The Quarterback looks him past and fakes the waggle
c. The Halfback carrying the ball runs parallel to the line of scrimmage
i. He is looking for the first available lane where he can cut and run
to day light
d. The play side Halfback must crush the play side defensive end down
inside.
 i. The Tight End will block down which will force the defensive end
to squeeze him to the inside.
ii. Tighten up to the tight end and get into the defensive end as
aggressively as you can
iii. This is the vital block, it must be made

3. 21/29 Waggle
a. Waggle means opposite
i. If it is 21 the Quarterback is rolling left
ii. 29 means that he is going right
b. The Fullback widens his path and gets out to the 5 yard flat
i. His aiming point should go from the leg of 5 to the outside leg of
6.
ii. If he gets tackled it is no big deal, we still have other options
c. The Halfback on the Power fake makes a convincing fake and looks to
pick up the backside pursuit
d. The back side Halfback does a skinny post
i. You should keep an eye on this route, at some point in time of
every game, it comes open.
e. The Split End has a called route
i. We used to just run him on a 9 or a corner route, but we can
manufacture a big play calling a route for him
ii. The best ones are the 1,3,5,7, and 9
f. The Tight End has a 10 to 12 yard backside crossing route
i. He must be aggressive in getting off of the line
ii. He should read the linebackers and get behind them on is route
iii. If it is a zone team, then you have the option of telling the tight end
to sit down in a hole in the zone
g. The Quarterback no longer worries about a fake to the fullback
i. He still must keep his patience however when faking to the
Halfback.
ii. This is important because it will pull the defense with the Halfback
iii. He must get 6 yards deep
iv. He has the ball up and attacks the line of scrimmage using every
square inch between himself and the line of scrimmage if needed
v. His rule is RUN, FLAT, CROSSING
1. He is looking to run all the way
2. If he does, he is to tell the guards to “GO” leading him
down field
 3. We will tell him when to look deep
4. He MUST attack the line

4. 23/27 Halfback Trap

a. The Fullback makes an exaggerated fake up the middle
i. He fakes to the Quarterback
b. The Quarterback and Halfback (ball carrier) mesh at a perpendicular
angle.
i. The Quarterback slides the ball into the belly and runs his waggle
fake
c. The Halfback takes the ball and immediately dives for the inside leg of the
tackle (3 or 7)
i. He is looking to follow the kick out block of the guard
d. The play side Halfback executes the same kind of influence block that he
does on Guard Trap.
e. This play is run when you see the strong safety or outside linebacker
reacting to down blocks by coming up on the outside to support.
f. Great play out of the I

5. 24/26 Gut
a. Best if run out of the I or with Z motion, but it will work out of any look
b. The Fullback disregards his fake and dives for the leg of 5.
i. He is looking to block the middle or inside linebacker
c. The backside Guard will gut around the Center and basically go shoulder
to shoulder with the Fullback up on the middle or inside linebacker
d. From what ever position, the ball carrying Halfback is looking to follow
the Guard and Fullback right up the Center’s tail
e. The play side Guard will block out versus a 40 and block down versus a
50 ( on the nose guard )
f. The Quarterback may widen a little bit to open up the midline for the
Halfback
i. He hands off and carries out his waggle fake.
g. The blocking Halfback executes an influence block
 h. There is not much down blocking on this play, there is more on/drive
blocking
The following plays are some extra’s that we have run and we may pull them out of
the bag late in the season

6. 22/28 Power
a. Just like regular 21/29 but one hole in
b. The play side Halfback influence blocks
c. The Ball carrying Halfback cuts earlier

7. 24/26 Guard Trap Influence, 24/26 Gut Influence

a. Against teams that are strong guard readers, we can take the play guard
who is not pulling and pull him out and away from the play.
b. You do this only if you are sure that the defensive tackle and linebacker
are keying him and flowing with him
i. They block themselves by taking themselves out of the play.

The 20 series is a great series. One thing that you need to keep in mind is don’t forget
to run 126 Guard Trap, 127 Halfback Trap, 129 Power, 129 Waggle. These plays work
well to the 3 man side, but they also work well to the 2 man side. The are perhaps the
only series where every play is interchangeable this way.
 Chapter 8
Thirty Series

The thirty series is a Halfback oriented series that uses a block down, kick out scheme
up front. In the original Delaware system, these plays are called F Sweep and Blast,
however we call them Toss Sweep and Toss Blast. The change in the plays occurred
when we did not have any bootleg coming off of the F Sweep and regular Blast plays.
Faced with a decision as to whether or not create a bootleg play or add the Quarterback as
a blocker was a no brainer. The bootleg play that we considered adding was a very low
percentage play because it put the Quarterback on the flank with no protection and he had
one of two very low percentage passes to complete: One to the Tight End on a drag route,
and the other to the Split End on a called pattern. Plus all new blocking and protection
schemes just made very little sense to use the practice time to put in. By changing one
position, the Quarterback, we felt that we made the play better in a more efficient manner.
Some will argue the merits of putting your Quarterback in a position such as this because
of the risk of injury, but we flat out tell our Quarterbacks that they are football players too
and if their involvement in a particular play makes the play that much better, then they
will be asked to perform the duty. The Quarterback now instead of handing the ball off
will now toss it and become a lead blocker up through the hole. He also becomes a target
for the ball carrier as one of the coaching points for putting this play in is that the
Halfback catches the toss and tries to get his hand on the Quarterback’s back. This does
two things: First it gets the ball carrier in the hole instead of bouncing outside, second it
gets the ball carrier going forward instead of lateral.
Another important coaching point is that each of the three lead blockers, the
Quarterback, Fullback, and Guard, has a responsibility on the play. They are not to go
running up in the hole like a rugby scrum; instead they have a person or an area to block.
The Fullback is required to kick out and open up the running lane, the Guard is required
to roll up in the hole and seal off the backside pursuit; the Quarterback then becomes a
ram rod of sorts opening up the hole by blocking the first threat that shows. The trickiest
part of teaching these plays is teaching the Quarterback to pivot, toss and lead without
getting in the way.
The 34/36 Counter Trap and Counter Boot plays are Delaware plays that we have
tweaked to fit in with the Toss action plays. While we don’t show counter action on the
Toss plays, we can hit a team with one of these two plays if they are over committing to
the Toss action. When running the Counter, the Quarterback and the Halfback need to be
a little bit patient, the Quarterback with handing off and the Halfback with flowing along
the line behind the Tackle. The Quarterback’s reads are only slightly different from the
Waggle: The rule now is Run, Flat, Corner.
The final base play in the 30 series is the 31/39 Pitch. This is a play designed to get
our Halfback on the perimeter at full speed behind the lead block of the front side Guard.
The Fullback will “fill the tunnel” as it is called, shutting off any inside out pursuit. This
is another play borrowed from an I formation team and we have adapted to fit our
offensive scheme.
We tend to rely on the 32/38 Toss Blast play quite a bit. It can become one of those
plays that can wear down a defense because it constantly pounds on them. While the
Fullback does not carry the ball in this series, he is still valuable as a blocker and a
receiver.

1. 32/38 Toss Blast

a. The Quarterback reverse pivots out from Center and tosses the ball as he
turns to the Half back
b. The Quarterback is responsible for blocking a safety or a linebacker out of
the hole.
c. The Fullback must remove the defensive end. If he does not, then the play
will be tough to run
d. When the Guard pulls from the backside, he must roll up in the hole as
soon as he sees the double team (which will depend on what kind of
defense we are facing).
e. Halfback must take the toss and follow his blockers into the hole. Try to
get your hand on the Quarterback’s back
f. Halfback not carrying the ball will influence block on the strong safety or
outside linebacker

2. 31/39 Toss Sweep

a. This is the same scheme but one hole wider.
i. We do not want to stretch this play if we don’t have to.
ii. Still try to follow your blockers
b. Halfback and Tight End must get a solid double team on the defensive end
i. This opens up the play
c. The Fullback will look to kick out the first perimeter defender who shows.
i. Most strong safety’s and outside linebackers are taught to step up
when they see a down block so one of these two will be your target
ii. It won’t be a kick out block like on Toss Blast, so the Fullback will
have to turn up field a little once he clears the double team by the
Tight end and Halfback
d. The Quarterback will now look for a cornerback to block, but with the
same technique
e. The backside Guard has a longer path, but still must roll up inside and seal
off
3. 34/36 Counter Trap
a. The tackle pulls instead of the Guard
i. He looks to trap the first threat past 5 ( Center )
b. The Quarterback will give an exaggerated Toss fake to the Halfback.
i. He swings his arms way up and shows the ball.
ii. He must get off the line to clear the way for the Tackle and the
Halfback
iii. He must also bring the ball back down quickly to give it to the
Halfback
iv. His final responsibility is to carry out a Toss Blast fake
c. The ball carrying Halfback takes one step forward with his outside foot
i. This step is forward from his angled stance, so he is actually
stepping directly at the Tight Ends outside hip.
ii. The second step is with his inside foot and it is a flat step parallel
to the line of scrimmage.
iii. He continues on this path, getting the ball under the Quarterback
following the Tackle
iv. Hug the double team between the Guard and Center when you cut
up into the hole
d. The fullback adjusts his path to fill for the pulling Tackle
i. He must be quick and aggressive because there may be a stunting
defender attacking the hole
e. The faking Halfback carries out the Toss Blast fake

4. 34/36 Counter Boot

a. This play can be run to either side but it may work best going to the two
man side because the Split End can run a called pattern
b. Quarterback has two fakes. One to the Toss Halfback and the other to the
Counter Trap Halfback
i. The Toss Halfback should seal the end
ii. The Counter Trap Halfback should block backside or get tackled
c. The Fullback runs a 5 yard out just like on Waggle.
i. Similar path as Toss Blast
d. The Quarterback completes his fakes and attacks the flank at 6 yards depth
i. Rule is: Run, Flat, Corner
e. The Tight End runs a flag route
f. The Split End does a backside post
g. The offensive line is in full line reach mode
i. No pulling or second level blocking
h. If the play is run to the Tight End side:
 i. Split End post
ii. Tight End Flag
i. To the Split End side
i. Split End called pattern
ii. Tight End Drag

5. 31/39 Pitch
a. This is a classic I formation play.
b. We changed the wording from Toss to Pitch because the Quarterback is no
longer tossing and leading up through the hole
i. He reverse pivots and pitches to the Halfback
ii. After the Pitch, he bootlegs out away from the play
c. The Fullback fills the tunnel
i. This is a lane that can provide a linebacker inside out pursuit if it is
left open
ii. The Fullback fill the B gap versus a 40 defense and the C gap
versus a 50 defense
iii. He looks to block the first threat
d. The Halfback runs to daylight
e. The play side Guard pulls and leads around the end.
i. He is looking to block the first defensive threat that shows
ii. Usually this will be a corner or strong safety
f. The Halfback who is blocking is looking to block the outside linebacker or
strong safety
i. He must get a good drive block, this is key to spring this play

The thirty series is a good series when it is time to wear down your opponent. Moving
the ball and taking time off of the clock are easily achieved when you can run this set of
no frills plays efficiently.
 Chapter 9
40 Series

The 40 series is our read option series that we have borrowed and adapted from the
service academies. In this set of plays you have the 42/48 Veer and the 44/46 Midline,
Counter, and Pass. We incorporated this set of plays to give a slightly different look to
our offense. The Quarterback will open directly to the hole in all 4 plays and we will not
pull any Guards or Tackles. Two things are very important to make these plays go: First
the Quarterback has got to be a smart and patient player who can make a decision on an
option read very quickly. He can not be indecisive because that is the primary cause of
fumbles with these plays when the Quarterback is indecisive and the exchange between
him and the Fullback goes awry. Second, the Fullback needs to be smart and tough. He
must be able to attack the hole and trust the Quarterback will make a smooth, smart
decision that will not cause him to hesitate and lose the ball or his momentum. In the
case of both plays we are breaking from our theory of hiding the ball by showing it to the
defense. We want the defense to see the ball. When they see the ball in this kind of
action they will do one of two things: First they may all crash to the ball very
aggressively or secondly, they may play assignment football and wait for the play to
come to them. Either way, these are very high percentage plays. Once you get your
reads down, a good Quarterback and Fullback tandem will devastate a defense.
The only slight drawback to running these plays is that if you want to set them up
correctly, you may need to run them over and over again. If you want the midline to
burst open, then it may be necessary to run it many times. The reason for this is that you
have to suck the defense into the Fullback on both the Veer and Midline. Once you pull
the defense in to him then you hit them with the keep and/or pitch option. One of the
reasons that we like to run the midline is that it can fool a defensive tackle into thinking
that we are running Guard Trap, and he will crash automatically suspecting a trap block.
So by running 24/26 Guard Trap we may be able to set up the midline that way. One key
to running the Veer is that you need to teach your Quarterback and Halfback to have
confidence in and stay with the pitch. Sometimes a Quarterback will hit the perimeter
after the Fullback fake, tuck the ball and forget about the Halfback trailing. Also the
Halfback has to remember that the ball can be pitched anywhere down the field as long as
he has kept a proper relationship with the Quarterback. The 44/46 Midline Counter is a
good big play call but the Quarterback has got to be tough and patient. He needs to ride
that Fullback through the hole and have enough guts to wait out that split second for the
Halfback to get to him. The Midline Pass requires poise by the Tight End to sell a block
and not get out into his pattern too quickly.
This is a great series that can lead to many big plays, but it must be coached and
executed with a great deal of patience. The Quarterback and Fullback especially will
need time to get the feel of the ball in the belly reads.
1. 42/48 Veer
a. The defensive end is unblocked and is the Quarterback’s key read
b. The Quarterback will start by taking an open step
i. This step will not be parallel to the line of scrimmage but it will be
at a slight angle from the line. This step is an open an depth step
ii. Depth step allows the Quarterback time to read the defensive end
iii. The ball is extended out waiting for the Fullback
iv. Quarterback’s eyes are locked on the defensive end
v. Quarterback will make his first decision on the second step
1. If the defensive end crashes: Keep
2. If the defensive end sits: Give
vi. If the Quarterback gives then he carries out the option fake down
the line of scrimmage
vii. If the Quarterback keeps then he attacks the flank preparing to
make his second decision
1. If there is no running lane for the Quarterback then he
looks to pitch
a. Only pitch if it is wide open
b. Do not take any unnecessary risks
c. Take what you got
c. The Fullback dives for the inside leg of 3/7 Tackle
i. His arms immediately form the handoff pocket
ii. He is looking straight ahead not at the Quarterback
iii. He only closed slightly on the ball, not too tight that the
Quarterback can’t pull it
iv. He must be ready to accept the football
d. Play side Halfback will drive block the strong safety or outside linebacker
i. His goal is to get a body on the defender and move him
ii. The Quarterback will make a decision based on the block of the
Halfback
e. The opposite Halfback is the pitch option
i. He must keep a 5 x 2 relationship with the Quarterback
ii. He keeps this relationship until the play is dead or if he can make a
key block
iii. He must be ready for a pitch at all times
f. It is vital that we achieve a good double team at the point of attack.
Everything happens off of this block.
i. The double team takes place on the defensive tackle
2. 44/46 Midline
a. The defensive tackle is unblocked and is the Quarterback’s key read
b. The Quarterback will step back and away opening up the midline for the
Fullback.
i. He must clear the midline
ii. He shows the ball just like on veer
iii. His eyes are immediately locked on the defensive tackle
iv. If the tackle crashes to the Fullback
1. Ride the Fullback through the hole
2. Keep your feet planted don’t move until the Fullback is
past you
3. Pull the ball and run for the outside leg of the Guard
v. If the tackle sits
1. Give the ball to the Fullback
2. Step past the Fullback into the defensive tackle
vi. Play side Halfback will gut up inside on the first second level
defender he meets
vii. Back side Halfback drive blocks the first perimeter defender that
he meets

3. 44/46 Midline Counter

a. This is a great play for springing a big one on the defense.
b. The blocking is the same as our one series ( chapter 12 )
i. Nobody pulls
ii. Nobody left unblocked
c. The Quarterback and Fullback will do the exact same thing as regular
Midline
i. The Quarterback must ride the Fullback through and take one step
toward the hole
ii. After his first step, he slides the ball to the Halfback who is coming
by on his outside.
iii. He carries out the remainder of the play fake
d. The ball carrying Halfback
i. Short motion if on the wing
ii. Jab step outside if at the dive back
iii. The Halfback then dives for the inside leg of the opposite guard
 1. This puts him on a path for a mesh point on the
Quarterback’s outside shoulder
e. The Halfback who is not carrying the ball
i. Executes a gut block inside to act as a lead blocker at the point of
attack

4. 44/46 Midline Pass

a. The Quarterback will ride fake the fullback through the hole
i. He then takes an angular 5 step drop
ii. He sets up behind the 3/7 Tackle
iii. This is not a roll out play action, but a set up play action
iv. His rule is flat, flag, crossing
b. The play side Halfback will gut up through like on Midline Counter, but
he will continue to bend his path into a 5 yard out.
i. He should look to go behind the outside linebacker or strong safety
c. The backside Halfback will also gut up inside, but he will run a backside
crossing route
d. The Split End does a backside post

We have a couple of plays that we can add on as the season goes on. These plays are
42/48 Wham and 42/48 Wham Lead. They combine elements of the 82/88 Down and
42/48 Veer. They are classified into the 40 series primarily because of the steps by the
Quarterback. On these plays we want the Quarterback to open directly toward the play.
Lead is a play tag that we will do into greater detail in the I formation chapter (chapter
13).
5. 42/48 Wham
a. Wham is a play that we will call with Rip or Liz motion.
b. Everything is the same as veer except the Halfback who was the pitch man
for the veer now goes in Rip or Liz motion
i. He times up his motion so he does not break stride
ii. He is the key block as he kicks out the defensive end
c. The other Halfback has the same Veer rule
d. The offensive line also has Veer type blocking
i. The double team is again the key

6. 42/48 Wham Lead

a. Really only works out of the I
i. The Pro tag is not used
ii. A Halfback in Rip/Liz motion is needed to give us the Wham name
iii. Out of the I the Fullback would lead through the hole onto the first
defender he meets
iv. The ball is now given to the Halfback who is at the I back position
v. The Quarterback still opens up to the play, but he now comes back
to a mesh point with the Halfback
 Chapter 10
80 Series

Our final base run package is the 80 series. This set of plays is sometimes referred to
as the Fullback belly series. This set combines the full flow effect of the 30 series with
the Fullback oriented attack of the 40 series. Off of each play we have an option fake,
with the possibility to run play action. Our set has no Sally play although it is a staple of
most other Wing-T teams. Sally is a Halfback counter play that has no trap action by the
line. I have used the play in the past with success, but have found it somewhat
inconsistent. We are still forcing the defense to play assignment football because they
have to respect the option and play action game to the same side as the Fullback flow.
This is the bread and butter of most teams. When you talk Wing-T football, you find that
many teams are Fullback oriented, and we tend to be no different. While most of what
you do depends on the talent that you have, it is vital to establish the fullback as your best
runner, receiver, and blocker. The Fullback is essentially running out of a one back set,
with little lead blocking. He is asked to make the key block in the 30 series and will be
needed as a primary receiver in our play action game. This series puts a premium on
having a good Fullback.
The 82/88 Down is one of the most reliable plays in all of football. The Fullback is
running down hill behind down/kick out blocking with an option fake behind him. The
83/87 Cross Block is a Fullback draw play that allows a good Fullback to see the hole
and choose where he wants to run. If these plays are run properly, then they are virtually
impossible to stop. A Fullback from Mercer High School once ran for 295 yards on just
these two plays.
The play action passing off of these two plays is quite effective. They are similar to
the Midline Pass, but have their own features that make them unique. If you hit the
defense with these plays early then you can force the secondary and the outside
linebackers to play tentative. If you are running Down and Cross Block and you see the
safeties filling very aggressively, then it is time for Keep Pass and Down Pass or with one
of the option plays
You should work very hard to keep the defense from taking these plays away from
you. Make sure that your personnel can meet any look that the defense gives them and
beat it. If you can’t run the down, then it may be a very long night.
1. 82/88 Down
a. It is called Down because of the line blocking up front.
i. The Tight End and Tackle are down blocking either to the first or
second level
ii. The front side Guard is pulling and trapping the defensive end
opening up the hole
b. The Quarterback will take his reverse flat steps and looking to mesh with
the Fullback on his second step
i. After the mesh and hand off, he fakes the option
c. The play side Halfback does an influence block on the strong safety or
outside linebacker
d. The back side Halfback fakes the option with the Quarterback
e. The Fullback will dive for the outside leg of 3/7 Tackle.
i. After he gets through the hole with the ball, he runs to day light

2. 82/88 Down Pass

a. We will not pull the play side Guard
i. The Quarterback needs time to fake and then make his pass reads
ii. The line blocking is similar to a 50 series pass
b. The Tight End will influence a down block, but then he will run an out
route
c. The play side Halfback will influence a down block also and then break it
off to a flag route
d. The Halfback on the option fake continues bending his path around and
becomes a seal blocker on the end
i. We can make an adjustment and send him on a wheel route also
e. The Fullback gives a good fake, and then we hope that he gets tackled
i. If he does not, then he waits and picks up any defenders
f. The Quarterback will reverse pivot flat, and allow the Fullback to fake to
him
i. We want the ball to stay hidden
ii. He waits for the Fullback to go through and then sets up at an
angular 5 step drop behind 2
iii. He may put the ball behind his hip if is able
iv. His rule is Flat, Flag, Crossing
g. The Split End does a backside crossing
3. 83/87 Cross Block
a. This is like a Fullback draw play
i. The Fullback takes a pair of shuffle steps parallel to the line of
scrimmage at the snap
ii. He should not go forward one inch
iii. He opens a pocket and waits for the Quarterback to mesh with him
iv. After the hand off he runs for the inside leg of 3/7 Tackle
b. The Quarterback will reverse 45 and take an angle of intersection to meet
with the Fullback
i. He slides the ball into the Fullbacks belly and continues on an
option fake
ii. After clearing the Fullback, head down hill
c. The play side Halfback guts up into the hole and is like a lead blocker
i. He may have to go around the defensive end if the defense is in the
way
ii. His is the key block
d. The backside Halfback will motion into an option fake
i. He can be told not to motion by calling NO MO
e. The offensive line to the play side will have to make one of three calls
i. Ohio – on block it

ii. Clemson – Cross block it with the Tackle blocking down and the
Guard kicking out

iii. Florida – Fan block it. Both the guard and the Tackle will block
out on the first defender to their outside
f. The backside of the offensive line reach blocks with the Tight End and
Tackle going on to the third level

4. 83/87 Keep Pass

a. This is a play action pass off of Cross Block action
b. The Quarterback will repeat his steps
i. The Fullback will fake to the Quarterback
 ii. He slides past the Fullback and continues gaining depth and width
to the outside
iii. He should try to get to 6 yards depth
iv. His rule is Run, Flat, Crossing
c. The Fullback gives a convincing fake and executes the Cross Block
d. The play side Halfback will run a 5 yard out route
i. He can gut inside like on Midline Pass or go straight ahead and
avoid the garbage
e. The backside Halfback has the same responsibility that he has on Down
Pass
i. Bend the option fake and seal the flank
f. The offensive line should always cross this
i. It is similar to the front side of a Waggle
g. The Tight End runs a delay drag
i. He sets up to pass block and then releases
h. The Split End runs a called pattern

There are three plays that we can run as add on’s later in the season. Two of them are
option plays: The 82/88 Down Option Load and the 83/87 Belly Option. The other play
is a toss play that you should run if you have a quicker fullback who can make things
happen it is: 81/89 Flip Power. On this we get the Quarterback lead blocking again

5. 82/88 Down Option Load

a. We change the blocking slightly by having the play side Halfback block
down on the defensive end just like on 21/29 Power
i. The Guard now pulls and traps the first perimeter defender past the
Halfbacks block
b. The Quarterback takes the same Down steps and meshes with the Fullback
i. The Fullback will once again fake to the Quarterback
ii. The Quarterback then attacks the edge looking to run or pitch
c. The backside Halfback is once again the pitch man.
i. He keeps a 5 x 2 pitch relationship as long as he can
6. 83/88 Belly Option
a. We change the name make it easier to communicate
b. The action is off of Cross Block
c. The Quarterback has the same steps and allows the Fullback to fake to him
i. After meshing with the Fullback, the Quarterback looks to the edge
and attacks it making a run/pitch decision
d. The Fullback is once again responsible for making a convincing fake and
not getting sloppy
e. The play side Halfback will block down on the defensive end
f. The backside Halfback is once again the pitch man
i. 5 x 2 pitch relationship
g. The line call should always be Clemson for cross
i. We want the Guard out on the flank

7. 81/89 Flip Power

a. This is a toss play to the Fullback
i. The Fullback will take similar steps as on the Cross Block, but will
gain some depth
ii. He takes the pitch and follows his blockers in true sweep form
iii. He must get some width to buy time for the blocking
b. The Quarterback will toss it to the Fullback and get out on the edge
i. He will be a lead blocker
c. The play side Halfback will block down on the defensive end
d. The backside Halfback will either cut off the backside or come in Rip or
Liz motion
i. If he comes in motion then he must turn and help to seal the flank
e. The front side Guard pulls and looks to kick out the first perimeter
defender that he sees
f. This is also always a Clemson call for the offensive line
 Chapter 11
Passing Game

Back in high school I had the pleasure of playing in a pure Wing-T system that was
coached by a man who knew it, understood it, and believed in it. We were highly
successful and put up some impressive numbers running the ball. We did not need to
pass because of the success of our running game, due to this we had a very vanilla 3 step
attack that had little variation and imagination. When I look back on those seasons, the
only games that we lost were when our opponent could stack the line of scrimmage and
put 10 defenders in the box. They took away our vaunted running attack, and dared us to
put the ball in the air. We had the athletes to do it, but we did not need to and thus had
little variation to show our opponent.
I did not see this weakness in the Wing-T until I became a head coach myself in 2002.
After a season in which our opponents stacked the line and dared us to throw, I decided
that I was going to do what ever it took to learn how to implement an effective 3 and 5
step attack along with a roll out attack. We wanted our attack to fit what we already did
without making drastic changes. We wanted to be flexible enough to incorporate this
style of passing into our base formations and sets. The one thing that we wanted to avoid
was getting too fancy and giving our players too much to learn and think about. I wanted
to get as many players out in different patterns as we could with out running mirror
routes. Mirroring your routes is an effective way to take advantage of a safety that floats
to one side or when the defense rolls up their coverage, but I felt that it would be best to
take advantage of our opponents coverage by creating some indecision on their part when
we combine a curl route with a go route with a post route and a crossing route. When
your opponent notices that you are mirroring your routes, then they have an easier time
teaching their corners to defend you. Especially teams with a good safety or pair of
safeties will be able to sit in the middle and read the Quarterback’s eyes and jump the
pass attempt. Our philosophy was to create voids and openings in the coverage by
running a receiver or multiple receivers into and out of an area and to refill the area with
another receiver. This can put the defense in a conflict and routes are bound to come
open. Also we followed the St. Louis Rams theory of sending out as many receivers as
we can and sacrificing protection in some cases for opportunities to get the ball into the
hands of a receiver.
By following the series concept that is what makes the Wing-T unique, we made the
teaching and learning that much easier. We were able to work up through each series and
teach them all in their own unique way. Our three passing series the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s
all have a specific backfield action and blocking scheme, just like the 20’s, 30’s etc. This
way, before teaching one single route, our players were able to master the sets and work
on the nuances of each series. I came up with these passing sets from Delaware, but the
numbering of the routes and how we called them are indigenous to us. As I said, we
wanted to be simple yet we wanted to avoid mirroring our routes and limiting our
options. So we devised a system that starts left and goes right and limits each untagged
call to no more than 3 routes. On most occasions we tagged many of our pass routes to
get as many players into the routes as possible. The left to right system came to being
because all of the Quarterbacks on our roster were right handed. I wanted them to finish
looking to the side of their throwing arm. Obviously there is a chance that we may have
a left handed Quarterback someday, if we do we will keep the system the same for the
sake of continuity.
This system was a little tricky to figure out at first. We came across situations like if
we run a 60 series pass out of trips how do we call it. Well we solved that by saying that
we would tag the Tight End. This problem was solved by saying that any time that we
are in trips, we will tag the Tight End if we want to send him out. Here is an example:
Trips right 60 pass, 128, Tight End 4.

We also ran into a dilemma with our 5 Wide package. It was important that we did not
have a series of 5 numbers in consecutive order, so the problem was solved by calling
Cinco Right, this putting 3 receivers to the right and 2 to the left, and calling the normal 3
number route to the 3 wide side of the formation and tagging the 2 Receiver side with the
tag Backside. So the numbering would change slightly depending on which formation
was called. Here is an example of how it is called, because it is easier to show it than it is
to explain it:

Cinco Right 60 pass, 128, Backside 94

Cinco Left, 60 Pass, 821, Backside 49

You can see, we called the same routes but we had to call them reverse from one side
because of our left to right system.
Another situation that was encountered was how do you give a pattern to a player that
you want to motion. This was solved by giving this player a pattern with respect to
where he would be when the ball was snapped. For instance if we motioned a Halfback
in Red formation in Rip motion and we wanted him to do a 3 route, then we give him the
pattern 3, keeping in mind that he is now motioning across.

Blue Rip 60 Pass, 849

 We also ran into making a decision as to how universal this passing system would be,
in other words, can we do this out of all formations. The answer is no. All 3 passing
series can not be run out of every formation. To run a 59 roll pass out of 200 or a 51 roll
pass out of 800 would be a recipe for disaster. The Quarterback and Fullback are bound
to run into each other. How is a 60 pass called out of our 3 base formations of 100/900,
Red/Blue, and Spread Right/Spread Left? Well if the Fullback always blocks to the Tight
End side, then the Halfback opposite the Tight End would have to stay in. What if we
wanted to get 4 receivers out in a 60 pass out of our 3 base formations? That is easy but
risky. If you wanted to get a fourth receiving option out, then you could use the Backside
tag. This is a high reward, high risk call because the Halfback who is responsible for
backside protection is now out in a pattern, if the defense were to blitz off of the
backside, then the Quarterback is hung out to dry. Another dilemma was how to call a 60
pass out of our balanced receiver sets such as White, Black, and Bronco. Well since we
have a right handed Quarterback, we will call the 2 routes to the right side first and tag
the left side receivers’ routes with a Backside call of 2 routes.
It seems like an over complex system that lacks consistency and creates too much
confusion. One thing that needs to be remembered is that this is a high school level
attack, so we do not try to do too much and out think ourselves. Another point is that we
never, ever shoot from the hip in the passing game. We game plan and practice
everything that we want to do on Friday night. Of course there will be adjustments and
changes that you make as the game goes on, but you don’t want to do anything drastic.
The passing game requires timing and practice and by practicing your sets of routes and
polishing the timing a bit, you may not need to make many, if any adjustments on game
night.

1. 50 Series
a. This is our direct roll out series
i. It is a directional series
ii. 51 roll right
iii. 59 roll left
b. The Quarterback opens directly to the side that he is rolling
i. No reverse pivot
ii. 6 yards deep
iii. Ball up and attack the line of scrimmage
iv. Even though it is a pass call, we still encourage the run
c. The Fullback is the lead blocker
i. He seals the edge or picks up the first threat
ii. If no one shows, then he looks to the back side for pursuit
d. The blocking scheme
i. Level one reach to the call side
ii. Step down and hinge to the backside
e. The types of routes that we will run
i. Bring the Receivers to the Quarterback
ii. Keep the Receivers moving with the Quarterback
50 series examples:

Spread Right 51 Roll Pass, Arrow, 9, Tight End 4

Trips Left 59 Roll Pass 937

2. 60 Series
a. This is our 5 step pro style attack
i. Non directional
b. The Quarterback will take a 5 step pro-style drop
i. Before the snap he should read the coverage
1. Safety alignment
2. Depth of corners
ii. As he is dropping he is reading to determine where he is going to
go with the ball
iii. Scan left to right to left to right
c. The Fullback is the flank blocker to the Tight End side
i. He must sting the first defender he meets
1. Hit the defender, don’t catch him
d. The Halfback blocks the two man side flank
i. Which Halfback depends on formation
e. The Offensive Line will execute wall blocking
i. Step down to the next lineman and form a wall
ii. Tackles will turn and hinge out to protect flanks
iii. Do not step back, this gets your momentum going backward and
can collapse the wall
iv. Spill everything out around the outside
f. We can change to man blocking if necessary
i. Every Offensive Lineman locks up on a man and controls him

Wall Protection Man Blocking

Examples of 60 Passes

Pro I 100 60 Pass 894

100 60 Pass 468

3. 70 Series
a. 3 Step drop Series
i. Directional
ii. 71 to the right
iii. 79 to the left
b. Quarterback will open to the side that is called
i. He is reading as he is dropping
ii. One, Two, Three, Throw!
iii. He should release the ball immediately after planting on his third
step
c. The Fullback will fake to the side of the call
i. This should bring the inside linebacker up to meet the run threat
opening up the throwing lane
ii. Fullback should give a big ball fake to the Quarterback
d. Any skill position player away from the call will block
e. Front side of the Offensive line will drive block level one defenders only
i. The backside will hinge just like the 50 series
ii. Spill everything outside
f. Routes will be short quick routes
i. We will almost never use route tags
ii. Usually only 2-3 man routes
Examples of 70 passes

Red 79 Pass 21

Trips Right 71 Pass 909

We use one route tree for all positions. This makes teaching and learning much more
efficient. Our route tree is numbered zero through ten. The even numbered routes go in
side and the odd numbered routes go outside. We also have 6 unnumbered routes that we
call by name. Here are the routes on the route tree:

0 = Hitch. The Receiver takes two power steps straight ahead; he then takes one step
back, turning to his inside as he turns. Square your shoulders to the Quarterback.

1 = Wheel. The Receiver takes one power step straight ahead and then turns out and runs
an arc like pattern down the side gaining width and depth as he runs.

2 = Slant. The Receiver takes two power steps straight ahead. He pivots on his outside
foot and steps with his inside foot at a 45 degree angle. He continues this angular path
across the field.
3 = Out. The Receiver sprints 7 to 8 yards up the field. He brings his body under control
by chopping his feet and cuts sharply at a 90 degree angle to the outside with his hands
up ready for the ball.

4 = In or Crossing. The Receiver sprints 7 to 8 yards up the field. He brings his body
under control by chopping his feet and cuts sharply at a 90 degree angle to his inside with
his hands up ready for the ball.

5 = Hook. The Receiver will sprint to 12 yards, bring his body under control by
chopping his feet and turn back toward the Quarterback coming back to him at an angle
for two steps.

6 = Curl. The Receiver will sprint to 12 yards, bring his body under control by chopping
his feet and turn out and away from the Quarterback coming back to him at an angle for
two steps.

7 = Flag. Sprint 10 yards and sharply cut at an angle toward the back corner cone in the
end zone

8 = Post. Sprint 10 Yards and sharply cut at an angle toward the opposite goal post.
9 = Go. Full speed sprint straight down the field

Unnumbered routes

Arrow. Pivot on your inside foot and step with your outside foot at a 45 degree angle
away from the formation, be ready for the ball over your outside shoulder

Arrow Up. The same as an arrow, but after the third step, break straight down the field
like a 9 route.

Chair. Run a 3 route but on the third step on your out cut, turn and go down the field like
on a 9.

Bubble. Step back and run an arc behind the line of scrimmage back toward the
formation.

Stick. The receiver will take a direct slant route and find a hole in the coverage and sit
down in the hole
Dig. The receiver will drive up the field 10 yards, at 10 he will bread toward the post for
5 yards, at 5 yards he will then break straight across the field

All routes must be run with discipline and precision. Passing the ball is just like the
run game in that it takes timing and repetition. Do not get sloppy or careless when
running your routes. Once again we do not grab bag the passing game during the game.
We plan, install, practice, clean up, practice, and execute. We also will have adjustments
that we can implement during the game.
Route Tree
9 = Go

8 = Post 9 = Flag

1 = Wheel
6 = Hook
7 = Curl

4 = Crossing 5 = Out

2 = Slant

0 = Hitch
Unnumbered Routes

Arrow

Arrow Up

Chair

Bubble
Stick

Dig
 Chapter 12
On Series

The Wing-T is an offense that involves a lot of pulling by lineman and faking and
timing by backs. There are situations however when it is necessary to line up and run
right at your opponent with a straight ahead attack. The On series was developed to
incorporate such an attack while still using our base blocking rule. We still take
advantage of the angles that the defense gives us, but instead of pulling, we take
advantage of bubbles in the defense. The On series is limited strictly to the I formation.
The reason for this is simplicity and efficiency. To use the on series in any other
formation would require new terminology and changing of angles and land marks. This
is a simple but effective series that is easily implemented and taught. It was decided not
to use numbers in this series in terms of giving the series itself a number and the plays a
numbers because most base I formation team number the backs and call the plays by
saying 32 Dive, 3 back at the 2 hole. We do not number our backs so we simply say
Tailback at …… or Fullback at ……. We call it Tailback because he looks like a
traditional Tailback in the I. We know that he is a Halfback specifically a Right or Left
Halfback, but this clarifies exactly who and were and this is also a subtle change.

Here is how we call the plays:

Pro I 1, Tailback @ 7
Pro I 9, Fullback @ 4

1. Tailback @......
a. Tailback ( actually one of the Halfbacks ) follows the Fullback through the
hole called
i. He dives for the inside leg of what ever hole is called
b. Fullback is a lead blocker much like an isolation play
c. Quarterback must work on these so he knows:
i. Who is getting the ball
ii. Where the ball is going
iii. What angle to take to get there
d. The Quarterback will hand the ball off and bootleg around behind the play
e. The Offensive Line will use it’s base rule
i. Fire – On – Backer
ii. They know that nobody is pulling so therefore no one is left
unblocked
iii. You will have to do a little reteaching but it wont take much for the
Linemen to catch on
1. Ask them where are we running the ball, then who do you
think you block, where do you block them.
f. We like to run the Tailback at 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8.
i. Depending on what the defense gives us of course
Examples of some Tailback @ plays:

Pro I 1, Tailback at 3

Pro I 9, Tailback at 4

2. The Fullback @ series is a little different for the Halfback and Quarterback
a. The Fullback is getting the ball diving for the inside leg of the called hole
b. The Quarterback will reverse pivot out to the Fullback
i. He hands it off and bootlegs out behind the play
c. The Tailback will flare out away from the play.
i. He goes opposite the Quarterback
ii. It is hoped that a linebacker or safety will either freeze or go with him
d. We like to run the Fullback at 3, 4, 6, and 7

Here are some examples of the Fullback @ plays

Pro I 1, Fullback @ 6

Pro I 9, Fullback @ 7
 Chapter 13
I Formation and the Wing – T

Wing-T people and I formation people just don’t seem to get along. To the I
formationists, the Wing-T is a cult, to the Wing-T people the I is the easy way out of
football, simply pitch the ball the fastest kid on the team and watch him run. There is
nothing wrong with that, but the Wing-T is less affected by changes in personnel than the
I. Let’s face it, if you want an I formation to be truly effective, you have got to have a
good Tailback. While our offense does not incorporate the I as its own set of plays and
schemes, we include it as a component of our overall package. It does change some of
the backfield action, but the line blocking stays pretty much the same.
What the I formation gives our offense is the ability to attack the defense with the
running game vertically. The base Wing-T formations allow you to attack horizontally at
angles. On third down and less than a yard, we don’t want to go sideways, we want to go
forward. What we try to avoid is trying to fit everything into the I that we do as a base
set. While most of our plays work very well, plays like 83/87 Cross Block and Belly
Option, are tough to run out of the I. We do like to modify the Fullback oriented plays by
adding the tag, Lead.
24/26 Guard Trap Lead
42/48 Wham Lead
82/88 Down Lead
83/87 Cross Block Lead
These plays are usually Fullback plays, but by adding the Lead tag, we have turned
them into Halfback plays with the added dimension of the Fullback as a lead blocker. We
like to limit the Lead plays to the I formation, but we will on occasion use it with the base
formations also as a change up. But as I have said throughout this book, we will not
shoot from the hip, if we want to run something different, then it will be planned,
installed, practiced, cleaned up, practiced, and then executed.
We do not use just one of our Halfbacks at the Tailback position; we feel that we can
cut down on teaching and learning time by using the same Halfback configuration that we
use in our base sets. This will be explained in more detail below. It is, however, an
option to use one Halfback at Tailback if we find that he excels at that position. Also,
while we like to avoid personnel packages, we can use an I package and put a second
Split End in the game and use one Halfback. These are options that we can use only if
necessary.

1. Pro I 1
a. Fullback goes to a 3 point stance at his same depth
b. Left Halfback is the Tailback 7 yards deep in a 2 point stance
c. Right Halfback is the Flanker to the Tight End side
i. 12 yards out, off the ball

2. Pro I 9
 a. Fullback is in a 3 point stance at his same depth
b. Left Halfback is the Flanker to the Tight End side
i. 12 yards out, off the ball
c. Right Halfback is the Tailback, 7 yards deep in a 2 point stance

We will use the tag “Pro” while in the I to split out the Halfback and give us a true I
look. We will use the formation without the “Pro” tag and run an I formation with a
Wingback.

Here are some of the coaching points with our base run series.
1. 20 Series
a. The Tailback will come to a mesh point with the Quarterback at a
perpendicular angle instead of a parallel one.
b. After the mesh the Halfback will carry out the remainder of the play by
making a 90 degree cut parallel to the line of scrimmage.

2. 30 Series
a. The Quarterback will adjust the angle of his pitch to compensate for the
Tailback alignment of the Halfback
b. This is a good formation to run the Toss plays out of because the Halfback
is running down hill

3. 40 Series
a. The only adjustments are some slight timing and angle adjustments with
the Halfback.

Midline

Veer
 4. 80 Series
a. Regular Cross Block is not real good because of the lack of a lead
Halfback to block
b. Not many adjustments are needed to the 3 man side
c. Great series to run the Lead tag with the plays

5. Passing Game
a. All series of the passing game are good

50’s

60’s

70’s

Also remember the On Series which is indigenous to the I formation. It is described in

chapter 12.
 Chapter 14
Split Back Set

When you think of the Split Back formation, you usually think of the old Veer option
or the West Coast offense. It is used in this offense to help us with our angles in the
backfield and getting to our landmarks. It is also used as a way of throwing the defense
off of their key reads by off setting the backs so there is no true Fullback behind the
Quarterback. Some defenses will key the Fullback and his movements, by moving him
over; it becomes difficult to key him.
The 20 Series becomes useless in this formation because we need the Fullback to take
a path up the middle, because of his new alignment, he can not get to his land mark
without running into the Quarterback. To change this would require too much practice
time and thinking. The 30 Series is still effective and may work a little better because the
Fullback will now have a shorter path to his block. The 40 Series is half dead, because
only the Veer will work. The 80 Series will work only to the 3 man side.

1. 20 Series
a. Not good
b. Fullback must be behind the Quarterback to make this work

2. 30 Series
a. Excellent
b. Cuts down the distance that the Fullback must travel to his landmark

3. 40 Series
a. Veer only
b. Work on the timing of the Quarterback and Fullback mesh

4. 80 Series
a. The Down play and it’s companions are good
b. Fullback and Quarterback mesh timing will need fine tuned
5. Passing Series
a. All are still useful except
i. 200 set do not use a 59 Roll Pass
ii. 800 set do not use a 51 Roll Pass
iii. This is because the Fullback is offset and will have to cross the
path of the Quarterback. They may collide
 Chapter 15
Bronco Formation

Recently the Spread offense has become a new trend in football at all levels. The use
of the shotgun and multiple receiver sets has created a whole new wave of offensive
football. In the early days of football you had the single wing offense and several years
ago you had the run and shoot offense. These two schemes eventually left the attention
of mainstream football for a while, but neither never died out. The current spread offense
is a hybrid of the two schemes. While the single wing was all pass complete with a
Fullback and Tight End, the run and shoot used no such positions and was virtually all
pass. Recently, offensive coaches have maintained a strong running game out of many
variations of the shotgun formation. The Bronco formation that we are going to
implement is named for the mascot of Boise St. University. We use a double Pro and a
double Slot look with a shotgun and Halfback in the backfield.

This is a formation that we will not install or show very early in the season. When we
see that our opponents are starting to catch up to us somewhat or that we need a shot in
the arm offensively this formation will go in. When we put it in we will game plan what
we want to do out of it and how. There are two plays that we will put in along with the
formation and they are the Cardinal Option and the Cardinal Dive. Once again these
plays are named for the team that ran them. The University of Louisville ran these plays
with a great deal of effectiveness without committing to this style of offense. The
Cardinal Option is an option play where the Halfback and the Quarterback both attack the
flank without any kind of a dive play. The Cardinal Dive is a play where the Halfback
crosses the body of the Quarterback, taking the ball and diving off Tackle. These plays
will be described in the pages below
I hate to put in a formation and its own set of plays, but it is only two plays and we are
not going to include them in our base package that we will install at the beginning of the
season. More than likely, this will only be a used formation and not a set of plays that we
will need to take away from what we want to do best to practice.
Bronco Right

Bronco Left

1. 20 Series
a. 24/26 Guard Trap become Quarterback Guard Trap
i. The Quarterback will take the snap, show pass and run for the 4 or
6 hole
ii. The Halfback does the same action faking 21/29 Power

b. 21/29 Power
i. The Quarterback will take the shotgun snap and turn toward the
Halfback
1. He hands the ball the Halfback and executes the Waggle
fake
ii. The Halfback’s steps and land marks do not change
iii. Line blocking will be altered a little bit because there is not Tight
End

c. 21/29 Waggle
i. The Quarterback has the same steps as Power but does not hand to
the Halfback
1. Attacks at 6 yards depth
2. Rule is the same Run, Flat, Crossing
ii. Patterns to the Waggle side will be called
iii. Patterns to the backside will be a crossing and a post
 d. 23/27 Halfback Trap
i. Quarterback movements are the same as the Power
ii. Halfback takes the handoff and dives for the inside leg of 3
iii. No Tight End may alter line blocking some

2. 30 and 40 series no good

3. 80 Series
a. 83/87 Cross Block becomes Quarterback Cross Block
i. The Quarterback will take the snap and take one parallel flat step
to the playside
1. After this one step he turn and attacks the hole
ii. The Halfback does his same responsibility as regular Cross Block
iii. The opposite side Slot has a very fast 3 step motion

b. 83/87 Belly Option

i. The Quarterback’s steps are the same
1. Instead of attacking directly at the line of scrimmage he
attacks the edge at an angle
ii. Halfback is still the lead blocker
iii. The opposite Slot has his 3 step motion and becomes the pitch man

4. Passing Game.
a. All passing sets are still effective
b. The 60 Series presents a problem with route calling, we have solved this
by:
i. Calling the right side routes first and then tagging the left side
receivers as Backside
ii. If we want to tag the Halfback we say “Halfback”
Bronco Right 60 Pass,
28, Backside 94
Bronco Right 60 Pass 28, Backside 94, Halfback Flare

It may be necessary to have a personnel group for this formation so you get the
athletes on the field that we need. Here are a couple of examples
 Chapter 16
Cinco

In 1999 while coaching at Grove City High School, I came across the use of a 5 wide
formation called Cinco. Initially I wrote it off as a gimmick, but I soon realized that it
had much value. Since that time I have whole heartedly welcomed the Cinco package as
a vital component to my overall attack. At first sight it looks like a pass only formation,
but we are able to run the entire 20 series out of it along with some other plays that are
listed in the play index in the back.
Normally we will take the Fullback and the Tight End out of the game and insert two
capable Receivers. While I have stated that we like to avoid personnel packages, you
need to create a viable passing threat if you are going to spread the field. You need to
know that if a player is going to run a post route, then that post route will be a well run
pattern that has a good chance of breaking open.
The Quarterback is in the shotgun look again, but this time he is all by himself. We
will have a 2 receiver and a 3 receiver side. On the two receiver side we will have a slot
and a Split End. This will be similar to a base twins look that some teams run with
regularity. On the 3 receiver side we will have a base trips look with a Wing, Slot, and
Split End. By lining up like this we still have a solid running threat yet we are able to
spread the field and open the defense.

1. Cinco Right

2. Cinco Left

As we said the 20 series is still very effective and makes this formation that much
more difficult to handle. The only change is the 24/26 Guard Trap now becomes 24/26
Quarterback Guard Trap.
1. 24/26 Quarterback Guard Trap
a. The Quarterback is in the shotgun and takes the snap.
b. He shows pass and then runs for the whole

2. 21/29 Power
a. With built in, longer 3 step motion
b. Quarterback will take the snap and turns toward the motioning Slot
c. He hands to the Slot as the slot comes behind him and then waggles out
d. The ball carrier maintains his Power run reads
e. The play side Guard will not have the same type of kick out block, instead
he will have to roll up and kick out an outside linebacker or strong safety
f. The backside Guard will roll up outside of the Halfback’s down block

3. 21/29 Waggle
a. Best if run with the motion coming from the 3 receiver side and the
Quarterback rolling that way.
b. Same action as Power
c. No Fullback out, but there will be 2 called patterns
d. After the fake the Halfback will block backside
e. The Halfback to the backside will do a crossing route
f. The backside Split End will do a backside post

4. 23/27 Halfback Trap

a. Same action and mesh point as Power
b. Guard who is pulling will look to roll up on the Outside linebacker or
strong safety
 We will usually only call to passing sets out of this, the 50’s and the 60’s. We don’t
need the 70’s because we are already past 3 steps.

1. 60’s
a. We can use the same protection or we can use the man blocking technique
and have our lineman go one on one.
i. This works only if we are sure that there will be no pressure
b. The routes are called to the 3 receiver side then the 2 receiver side.
c. Example
i. Cinco Right 123 Backside 45

ii. Cinco Left 321 Backside 54

2. 50’s
a. We will use our normal reach technique on these calls
b. To Replace the Fullback as a lead blocker, we can use Rip or Liz motion to
bring a man across to act as a lead blocker.
i. This is usually an adjustment that you tell the motion man to make
if the Quarterback can not get to the flank on his own
ii. We normally have never had a problem with him getting outside
and getting rid of the ball.
c. We will stay with the same route calling technique as the 60 series

By motioning a man across we can accomplish one of two things:

1. Creating a 4 receiver side
2. Switching the strength of the formation

We also have a couple of special Cinco plays that we put in along with the formation.
(For the sake of writing too much, we will explain them to the right only; going left
would only require a change in calling the direction)
1. Cinco Right Bubble Screen Right
2. Cinco Right Bullet Pass Right

3. Cinco Right Rip Double Pass Right

 Chapter 17
Short Yardage/Goal line

Games and momentum can be won or lost because of the outcome of a short yardage
situation. Teams move the ball down the field ripping off chunks of yard at a rate of 5 to
7 yards at a time, then comes a third or fourth down situation where all they need is 12
inches and they don’t get it. This one play can frustrate an offense if they do not get it
and render a long hard fought drive useless.
Our base offense is usually adequate for short yardage, and that includes the On series.
There are however several options that we can use to adjust and amplify our chances of
success. The biggest factor however is not a coaching adjustment, but the simple desire
to beat your opponent. The offensive line must get as low as physically possible and give
everything they have in moving the defense off of the ball. The running backs must be
willing to drive through defenders and even carry them on their back in order to keep a
potential game changing drive alive. This is a mindset and an attitude that coaches must
establish from the first day. If the players believe that they will succeed, then they will.

1. Our first option is to close our splits down to 6 inches or less

a. Usually on short yardage, a defense will either try to fire the gaps or cut
down our linemen by getting lower.
b. By staying wide, we invite penetration
c. By closing down our splits, we can create a plow or wedge formation with
our offensive line.

2. Our second option is to put a second Tight End or bring our Split End down to a
Tight End position
a. This is called our Titan (two Tight End formation).
b. Titan Red and Titan Blue formations is actually Black formation
c. By using Titan, we can run check with me at the line

3. Our third option is to use a one play formation called Dozer

a. Unbalanced formation
i. 7 Tackle will move over between 2 and 3
ii. Split End or second Tight End will move down to spot vacated by 7
iii. Offensive line
1. 4 point stance
2. foot to foot splits
3. Butts high in the air
4. Low head and Shoulders
5. Lots of weight on the hand
6. Fire out aggressively
7. Get their heads in the crotch of the defensive lineman
 8. Keep feet driving
9. Create at least one foot of movement
10. Backside will seal off and prevent any backside defender
from making the play
iv. Backfield
1. 2 Best blocking backs will line up in 4 point stances on the
outside leg of 4 and outside leg of 3
a. We want to create a bubble at the point of attack
b. This is achieved by getting a double push from the
backs
c. The ball carrier will be 3 yards deep in a 2 point
stance directly behind the Quarterback
d. He dives for the gap between the two up backs
e. Do not try to bounce outside or cut back
2. The Quarterback will take Veer type steps and hand the ball
to the Running back.
a. He is to turn and help block backside after the hand
off
4. We use this play in situations of one yard or less
5. The play should be called and executed very quickly
a. Quick count, the Quarterback will come to the line, get under Center, and
say “Go”
b. This is quick strike, so be ready

Below is the Dozer play against 2 different fronts

 Chapter 18
2 Minute Offense

In the event that we need a quick score in a short period of time, we will go to our pre
planned 2 minute attack. The first and most important aspect of executing the 2 minute
offense is for the 11 players on the field not to panic and remember how to get lined up
properly without incurring a negative situation. The Center has got to find the ball as
quickly as possible and bring his line mates with him. The Quarterback will check to
make sure that everyone is lined up and will execute the play.

When we plan our two minute attack we take into consideration the following factors:

1. Less than 2 minutes remain

2. More than 60 yards to go
3. Less than 3 timeouts
4. Running routes that gain 10 yards or at least enough to gain a first
down
5. Running routes that are close to the side lines
6. Maximizing every second

The 2 minute offense will be most efficient when the players have as little movement as
necessary
1. Minimize formations
2. Minimize or eliminate all motions

We will limit our formations usually to Cinco and Bronco

1. All receivers will have wristbands that have a series of numbered plays
for the no huddle, 2 minute package
2. Coach will call out the play by yelling a number
a. Quarterback will receive the number and call it out 2 times to
each side

Key Points
1. Receivers should always know where they are on the field at all times
in relation to the first down and the side line
2. If a Receiver catches a pass on the sideline, unless a first down is
needed, he should get out as quickly as possible
3. Everyone should know the down, distance, and time remaining
4. Don’t force any plays
5. Offensive Line should not panic and get properly set
6. Every one should know the formations and how to line up

Coaching Points
1. Routes will be practiced on air for the sake of timing
2. Practice running the routes against man and zone
 3. Review all formations and plays thoroughly
4. Practice against 2 separate scenarios
a. 2 minutes remain, 2 timeouts 70-80 yards, no penalties
b. 1:30 Seconds remain, 0-1 timeouts, 60-70 yards, throw in an
offensive penalty at some point
Killing the Clock
1. If we tell the offense to spike the ball, we call out “Spike, Spike”
a. Quarterback relays it
b. Quarterback must be under Center
c. Quarterback spikes the ball into the ground
i. Keep your shoulders square to the line of scrimmage
d. We will line up in Cinco Right to spike it
 Chapter 19
4 Minute Offense

34-31 was the score, the A-C Valley Falcons had just roared back to take the lead
against the West Shamokin Wolves. It was a stirring, emotional moment, only one thing
was wrong though, 3:30 seconds were left on the clock. After fighting and clawing our
way back into the lead, there was a sense of foreboding as the high flying passing attack
of the Wolves took the field. The game ended in a 38-34 loss for the Falcons. As the
head coach and offensive coordinator for the Falcons, I wanted to take my time and score
when we got the ball back with about 5 and a half minutes remaining. The problem was
that the Wolves had not stopped our running game all night and within 2 minutes our star
Halfback broke a 35 yard touchdown run. Just before that play, I had commented how I
wanted to take as much time as we could. Just then, 32 Toss Blast worked just like you
draw it up, untouched and wide open.
With increased efficiency by teams with their 2 minute offense, taking time off of the
clock is maybe more difficult to do than to score with less than a minute remaining.
There are little things that you can do to help bleed the clock. The one thing that must be
made perfectly clear hear is that this is not a case of playing “not to lose.” When teams
play not to lose they get over cautious and take it easy instead of attacking. Here is a way
of running your offense but taking as much time as possible to do it. Keep in mind that
preparation for this is absolutely minimal.

1. Over the course of a game, make note of which plays are your most successful
and what the defense may do late in the game to counter them.
a. Should be base plays, not gimmicks or add ons
b. Minimize passes.
i. Incomplete passes stop the clock
ii. Greater risk of a turnover
2. The Quarterback will receive the play call and maintain the normal pace and
rhythm of the huddle
3. When the team comes to the line, the Quarterback will watch the back judge.
When the back judge puts 5 fingers in the air, signaling 5 seconds left on the play
clock, the Quarterback will call the cadence.
a. You should practice this to ensure the Quarterback and his cadence will fit
in the 5 second time frame

Coaching Points
1. To avoid confusion, avoid too many shifts and motions
2. Teach the other 10 players to stay in their stances longer
3. Stay in bounds
4. Avoid stopping the clock
5. If the clock is turning on fourth down, then take a delay penalty to use as much
time a possible. Field position permitting.
 Chapter 20 Screen Passes

In this chapter we will describe some of the screen passes that we may use during the
season. In high school football, a screen can be executed with big results. The only thing
that keeps the screen pass from being consistent in high school is the execution of the
play itself. Often times, the Quarterback will not draw the defense in far enough.
Sometimes the Receiver of the pass will not set up in the correct spot or he will catch it
and not yell “go” to the lineman. It can be that the lineman do not get out to the correct
spot. Like any play you should not just wing it with a screen pass. You have to establish
the correct land marks for each player and work on the timing required to get them there
properly. After the timing is fluid, then a ball can be included and the throwing of the
pass and completion of the pass can be practiced. Finally you work on the run after the
catch portion where you work on proper blocking techniques and run angles. As was
stated earlier, the screen pass can be a huge play. An example of this is back in 1999
while at Grove City, we were hanging on a to precarious 14-0 lead over Brookville. It
was about 45 seconds before halftime and the Warriors completed a screen pass to their
fullback who rambled 65 yards, deep into Grove City territory, soon after they scored to
cut the lead to 7 and place momentum squarely on their side. We lost and to this day the
sight of that big fullback hustling down the sideline still haunts me.
In this section we will diagram 6 screen passes that have worked well and will be
apart of our game plan. They are:
1. Waggle Screen
2. TE Screen
3. Bullet Pass
4. Bubble Screen
5. Speed Screen
6. Double Screen
I will diagram Bullet Pass and Bubble Screen out of Cinco but the other 4 will be
diagrammed out of our base set, but they can be adapted to fit almost every formation.
These are not the only screens that we will run or can run, you can be as imaginative as
you want with these passes and attempt to build or create any screen that is possible. But
before they are installed, we like to follow a step by step approach when teaching them.

1. Step one
a. We explain how and why it works and why we are putting it in
2. Step two
a. Each position coach will work within his own position to explain their
proper steps, techniques, and landmarks.
3. Step three
a. After a short period of explanation, the offense will walk through the
screen step by step
b. We do it this way so we can correct as we teach in slow motion. This is a
more effective way to teach because it eliminates the frustration of
coaches and players when trying to run it
 4. Step four
a. Run the play without the ball and the defense about ½ speed
b. Stop when you get to land marks for any corrections that need to be made
5. Step five
a. Full speed execution with the ball and without the defense
6. Step six
a. Clean it up and put it in the call sheet for later in practice
b. Do not run it with a live defense right after it has been installed because
the defense may “dummy scrimmage”

Waggle Screen
1. This is off of Waggle action
a. The Halfback who gets the fake will carry on like he is going to block but
then he will set up as a receiver
b. The Tackle and Center will be the blockers
c. Guards and Tight End will carry out Waggle responsibilities
d.
 Chapter 22
Conclusion

We tried to cover everything in this playbook as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.

While that can’t always be done, we hope that the information is interpreted clearly.
What we have done is try to keep this offense simple yet no too simple that it can’t
handle most situations. I believe that what this simplicity allows us to do is:
1. Efficiency in teaching and preparation
2. Adjustments are easier to make
3. Makes players versatile and adaptable
4. Maximizes repetitions and reactions to situations
5. Minimizing thinking

I have geared this offense around a high school frame of mind. When you put the
Delaware Wing-T in as your base offense, remember, that if you choose to use the
original pure form of the offense, then you are using a college offense. When you coach
at the high school level you must consider these factors:

1. Time available.
2. Athletes available
3. Abilities of athletes

You can not recruit like you can in college, so you must consider the available home
grown talent that is coming through the school where you coach.
As a coach, you have the daunting task of introducing the new system to your staff and
players. Here are some things to remember:
 1. You must be a salesman. Convince your coaches and players that this system
will work.
2. Commit to the system and learn everything that you can about it. Don’t be
afraid to use every resource available
3. Be patient. Most likely not everyone will be thrilled. There will be questions,
comments, and concerns that may cause some frustration. Be patient and try
work out your differences
4. Be willing to change and adapt. If you want to make a change in your
offensive philosophy, get the consensus of your staff before you spring it on
them. Listen to what they think and come to a decision on what kind of
system they feel is best for the team.
5. Believe in what you coach and who you coach. If a new system is installed,
and you notice that you or some of your coaches are half heartedly instructing
the players, you may need to evaluate whether or not you believe the system
that you are trying to coach.

After studying offenses and game plans, I have adopted the philosophy that we want to
force the defense to adjust to us first. Of course we want to adjust to the defense, but as
an offense it is important that you establish a pattern and game plan that dictates the game
to the defense. Have a game plan; try to understand what adjustments they may make
and how they may make them. Stick to your game plan, don’t let some early adversity
make you change, it’s a long game and things will happen to offset any negatives.
Don’t force the plays to try to make things happen. Big plays happen only because all
of the plays before them have built a foundation to allow your team to hit the big ones.
Another idea is to script your plays. After scripting the first 8 plays last year, the
efficiency of our offense was improved. We were able to anticipate what the defense will
do and make our adjustments from there. Finally don’t feel like you have to call every
play on your sheet or in your playbook, stay with what ever is working.
You should try to mesh your players and the system with one another. Trying to shoe
horn players into system that does not maximize their potential will hinder your team’s
ability to perform. If your Quarterback is short and is a good runner, then maybe you
should concentrate less on 5 step drops and more on roll outs. This does not mean that
you abandon the 60 series; it just means that you do more of one and less of another.
Find out your players strengths and weaknesses and exploit them.
As you coach you should do three things all of the time: Teach, encourage, and
reinforce. When teaching your players has patience, and understand that every player is
different in how they will learn. Keep in mind that a mistake is not the end of the world,
but the perfect opportunity to teach and break down the mistake to turn it into a positive.
Even if a player has the technique or whatever you are trying to teach down pretty well,
you still should share some teaching points with that player. Always ask your players
questions such as: “Do you see why?” or “Do you understand?”
Lastly, always be prepared, this is how you establish credibility with your coaches and
players. Be picky about the little things. Intense attention to detail will create a sense of
accountability within your program. Make sure those warm up lines are straight, that the
movement between drills is crisp and sharp, that they jog back and forth when moving
across the field, and make sure that huddle is tight etc…. Little things will impress your
coaches, players, opponents, and fans. Make sure that you fix the mistakes that occur so
they don’t reoccur. Mistakes will not fix themselves.