Drills

Question
Well, we've been playing football for a couple of years now -- funly/semi-comptetive, and ive wanted to gain an edge in trying to beat the other team.  The teams are usually set, so i'm just looking for very basic plays we can understand, such as the running back stays back and runs a flat if the QB ever gets rushed.  The reciever can run a variety of simple routes. My question is, what are some basic plays you can do with 2 WR's and a running back. Blocking isn't much of a priority unless the rules of the game are "alltime rush" They can be basic, or as advanced as you'd like as long as it can be understood in a minute or so. Thank you for your time, your detailed responses are very much appreciated.

Answer
Campbell -

Good to hear from you again.  Well, before I assist you with this there is something I want to make sure you know.  Football is a great sport for so many reasons.  But maybe my favorite reason is that there is no standard by which coaches have to work off of.  As long as you follow the rules of the game, it is a free for all!  In other words, you as a coach are allowed to do WHATEVER you want!  Each coach has there own terminology, plays, formations, etc.  You as a player / coach have the ability to call, design, and run whatever you want to!  Make sure and never forget that, because once you fall into the role of following someone else's offense completely, you will lose the imagination to improve your own offense. So I would always recommend that you take pieces and parts of offenses you like, and put your own spins on them, making them your own.  It makes your offense that much harder to stop, because nobody has ever seen it, therefore the opposition can't scout it!

OK, now that I have said that, I am going to start you up and let you run with it.  Let's start with some basic passing schemes.

In my offense, I use a basic number system that is easy to use, and very effective.  I split my drop back passes into 4 different number series'- 60, 70, 80, 90. Now be careful and read this closely.. It is very easy, but can be confusing just having someone reading it without the advantage discussing it in person.

The series numbers are telling the QB and players 2 things:
1- The number of steps in the drop
2- The side of the field the QB is looking to throw.

60- 3 step drop, looking to the right
70- 3 step drop, looking to the left
80- 5 step drop, looking to the right
90- 5 step drop, looking to the left
*Keep in mind, in most every offense, even numbers designate some play to the right, and odd are plays to the left.

OK, knowing the above series, here a a basic passing tree to tell receivers what route to run.
1- 3 yd slant in
2- 5 yard in route
3- 5 yard curl
4- 5 yard out
5- 10 yard in
6- 10 yard curl
7- 10 yard out
8- post route
9- corner route
0- go route / fly route (straight upfield)

SO, now put the two together!  For example, you call a 65.  Thats a 3 step drop looking right, with the receiver doing a 10 yard in route!  Simple!  This works for all of these, and with little effort, gives you 40 basic pass plays right off the bat!

NOW, things gets a little harder when you want more than one receiver in the pattern, and dont want them always doing identical routes.  Example- If you have 2 receivers on the right side, and call a 65, you might not want them to both run 10 yard ins.  So what you need to do is designate each player / position a letter (x, y, z, etc)  This will be very hard to make clear just writing it, but I am trying my best buddy.  In my offense, the receiver farthest to the left on the field is ALWAYS the X receiver.  Farthest to the right is ALWAYS the Z receiver.  Ok?  They are always listening to the initial play call (65 - they do a 10 yard in).  Now, say there is a third receiver on the field.  He is always called the SLOT in my offense.  SO here is another play call -  Slot right 65 slot 0.  SO, it is a 3 step drop looking right with the Z (furthest receiver to the right) doing a 10 yard in, and the slot (receiver between the Z and right tackle) doing a fly route.  Understand?  Like I said, it is hard to explain just by writing, but I am trying. The outside right receiver is doing a 10 yard in, and the slot is clearing out the defense on the same side by running straight up the field. Again, be creative!  You might not get it completely with my offense, but make up your own letter designations for players, and you will get it quickly.

Running plays are very similar.  The basic standard is that the RBs have number designations - fulllback = 3, tailback = 4.  And the holes / gaps in the line also have number designations. Right side are evens (2,4,6,8) and left odd (1,3,5,7,9).  They start in the hole between the center and guard (2 - if on right side) and go from there.  So, gap between center and right guard is 2, right guard and right tackle is 4, and so on.  Now work it the same as passing plays.  43 - tailback (4) runs the ball in the 3 gap (left side between the left guard and left tackle).  See?  Not too hard.  As you get this you can try and add some more complicated stuff, but these are the building blocks for your game.

One more little trick for you.  Now this one is MY PERSONAL system that NOBODY I havent worked with knows. So you will be the first to use it who I havent either coached or coached with.  What about play action passes? Play action is a pass play that is a fake off of a run play, not a straight drop back.  To get these to work, you have to preplan routes.  In other words, your receivers have to know that on this certain play, they run these routes, period.  So how do you call these plays?  Everyone does it different.  Some just say "fake 43 boot left".  I make it a little easier. I just add a "1" before the pllay call.  So "143".  This is a play action pass to the left.  The QB will fake a 43 (handoff to the tailback going to the 3 gap) and look to throw left.  You can decide what routes you want before hand.

Well Campbell, there are some basics that can really get you far in developing an offense.  I would strongly recommend that you buy some offensive coaching books to assist you in fully understanding these concepts.  You will find that the more basics you know, the easier it will become to develop a system that works and makes sense to you.  The one big problem with having someone elses system is that it wasnt yours, so you dont necessarily understand what in the world that coach was thinking, and what all of the terminology means.  SO be creative, put a lot of thought into it, and get it down on paper.  Thats the key. Draw these plays out against different defenses on paper and see if they even have a shot.  If they do, give them a try!

Good luck my friend! You seem very interested in this, and that is the most important thing to understanding it.  I know it is tough just reading it, but take what I have written and watch a game now on TV.  You will see it in action at it will all just make more sense to you. Let me know if I can help you any further, and thank you for the positive feedback.  It is much appreciated.

Coach Perl