How to defend the I option???

PSDE has QB, Mike has FB(dive back), pressure (S/S or SAM Backer) has pitch (RB) in normal sequence. Having ran the option for a lot of years came to find that as you say ( strict discipline especially on the backside!) is vital to success in defending it! "Special change ups" such as switching assignments with the pressure guy and the PSDE (basic rule says that outside guy has pressure while inside guy has QB) and having your 4 tech pinch the B gap on the inside veer, all bring good results. But, facing a 50 look or as the new terminology refers to it as the 30, the guy that can really hurt you is a DT who can really play from a 4 tech. Qb rules dictate that if he reads the guy in a 5 (PSL) it becomes an automatic give to the dive back. If he is in a 4i, it then becomes an automatic pull. As you don't block the DT as he is your QB's read, the guy that plays you in a straight up 4 can give you fits if he is experienced at defending the triple. Your OT has to escape to his assignment without letting the 4 get his hands full of his jersey! If he does he will hold up your OT and straighten him up, reading the QB the whole way. If he gives, he just steps into the B gap and creams the dive! If QB pulls and gets upfield to his next read (DE) he then pursues to the conclusion of the play. What I do when confronted by a DT that can really play, is just move over a hole and run the power counter series. That only comes about though, after establishing the fact that our guy cannot play with him!

Coach Easton

Completely agree with Coach Ianucci. I would base out of an eagle front (reduced 50 or 4-3 knockdown) or something similar so you have outside shades on the majority of the offensive linemen, this facilitates the squeeze and scrapes on veer blocking schemes, and gets them in their gaps for any zone scheme.

Everyone talks about option responsibilities (which is neccessary, especially at the HS level) but I think pursuit is the key. Demeo teaches "better wrong than long" on the QB reads because a slow read (even if its the right one) will get eaten up by the pursuit. We run the I option, and the player that causes us problems is the relentless, backside LB. Yes, we do counter to slow him down, but he is still a key defender that has to be accounted for in the blocking scheme. Unlike the playside LB, we don't get a real good angle on him either. JMO.

Coaches,

Chuck's post brings to mind a rule, that in my book, should never be broken. The DC's first and foremost job when getting ready to play an "I" option team is to readily discern who is their best runner! Is it the QB, is it the Dive back, is it the Tail Back??? I would only agree with your first statement, Chuck, if your opponents best runner is the dive back! If he isn't, then we need to scheme BY FORMATION how to keep it out of the hands of the BEST runner! If it happens to be the dive back is the biggest threat, then it is fairly simple to take the ball out of his hands before he ever gets it, in the PSL, by aligning our read man
(DT in the 50 and 40 fronts) in a 4i. Most "I" option teams run the triple as their best option (ISV-OSV) and the QB reads the first man outside the B hole which is usually the DT. Sometimes the D will walk a LB up in there and he now becomes the first man outside the B gap and they will read him now. QB reads 4i, it becomes automatic pull negating the FB as their biggest threat. If you want the dive back to get it, just move your 4i to a 5 and now the QB reads automatic give. No matter how the 5 tech pinches the B gap, give the ball! there is an old saying in option football: Maybe the QB could have made a better read, but he is never wrong in giving to the FB! As a defense you have now seen how to take it out of the FB's hands. If you want to keep it out of the TB's hands, then keep your DT in a 5 and it becomes an automatic give to the FB as we have already discussed. ANY OPTION TEAM THAT IS REALLY SUCCESSFUL HAS A GREAT RUNNER AT THE QB POSITION, MOST OF THE TIME, NOT ALWAYS BUT MOST OF THE TIME. If he is the guy you do not want to have the ball, BY FORMATION IN THE PSL, make him pitch it! Keep your DT in a 4i, crash your PSDE on the snap and make him pitch it!!! There is a lot to be said for your statement in this area, Chuck, as anytime there is a transferrence of the football, there is always that chance of a miscue! As always, just my way.

Coach Easton

Yo Lou,

Didn't I see awhile back you were advertising for coaching help here on the board? Was wondering how much your paying for good experienced help? Just kidding.

Coach Easton

Coach Easton--Like Coach Cella stated you hit it on the head once again. I think that is when you need to have a few other things in your call list beside the option. A defense cannot take away everything. Find where they "robbed Peter to pay Paul" and attack them there. But like you said by alignment you need to take something away.

COACH NICHOLSON,

THIS IN REPLY TO YOUR "RIDE AND DECIDE" QUESTION AND IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE DEEROGATORY TO THOSE WHO USE THAT METHOD IN ANY WAY: IF YOU WILL FOREGO THE RIDE AND DECIDE AND SWITCH TO THE POINT METHOD YOU WILL HAVE ALLEVIATED QUESTIONS OF THIS TYPE ALL TOGETHER, PLUS PUT YOUR QB IN A POSITION TO ESCAPE IN A MUCH MORE EXPEDIENT MANNER AND WHICH IS EASIER TO EXECUTE IN THAT THE QB'S BODY IS ALIGNED, NOT ONE PART GOING FORWARD WHILE THE ARMS ARE REACHING BACK TO THE RB WHICH MAKES IT MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE FOR HIM. JUST A SUGGESTION AS ALWAYS.

COACH EASTON

I NOTICED IN ONE OF THE POSTS THAT YOU SEND SOMEONE TO KNOCK DOWN THE PITCH MAN. SINCE WE ARE A OPTION TEAM WE ALWAYS GO OVER THIS WITH THE REF'S IN PRE-GAME BECAUSE IT IS DEFENSIVE HOLDING. SOMETIMES WE GET THE CALL AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T, BUT WE ALWAYS MAKE THE REF'S AWARE OF THIS. THE RULE SAYS (IN NC) YOU CAN TACKLE ANYONE IF A FAKE HAS BEEN GIVEN. IF THE QB FAKES A PITCH THE PITCH MAN IS FAIR GAME. IF THE QB DOES NOT FAKE A PITCH AND THE PITCH MAN IS TACKLED THIS IS DEFENSIVE HOLDING.

Only refs who don't know the rules let a pitch man get nailed without a previous fake! Or sorry ones at best, imo. Thats their job to enforce the rules, if you don't know them stay off the field! Some kid coming out in a pitch relationship with his head and eyes inside looking for the ball and gets blindsided by some SS or CB can be seriously injured! Citadel 95 , your being very astute in your job by telling the refs what to look for, imo. Sorry, Chuck, can't support you on this one.

Coach Easton

Funny story about nailing pitch man - when I went to Va - refs (good old boys) didn't believe me about rule. So I had to go to the federation for clarification. That game we got 3 15 yarders on the defense.

It is amazing sometimes when you run a specialty offense what refs don't know.

When I ran wing t - they called our wings for clipping on the uck sweep 6 x in 1 game. we were only wing - t in area. It is amazing!

Coach I,

Not only amazing, but flat out sickening at times! You work all week and then get some crew that don't know beans from shinola about the rules except the basic calls! BUT, I LEARNED A LONG, LONG TIME AGO THAT YOU CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN YOU DO WITH VINEGAR! I used to watch Hank Stram work the officials and he was a master at it! Being extremely competitive all my life, I had to really work dilligently in this area, but soon learned to keep my mouth shut and immediately started to glean better results in close call situations. Who would you be more inclined to make a snap decision for, the guy who has been riding you all night or the guy who has been civil? I learned the true meaning of civility real quickly!

Coach Easton

I would coach in the south in a heartbeat but my wife won't move. Looks like this Yankee is staying north of the Mason-Dixon line. I think I work the officials well most of the time. I asked a guy who I know in the local association what my reputation is. He said they others refs respect me b/c I let them do thier job 99% of the time, and I never insult them. We do get some good crews, more often than not what happens is we get a crew that has a varying degree of experience, and it is always the rookie who blows the call.

Tell me what you think of this: 1:50 to go in the game. Our opponent just scored to lead 28-26 they kick off and we run the kick back down our sideline for a TD to lead again 32-28. BUT on the other sideline 45 yards behind the play one of our guys clipped and the ref threw the flag. He threw it as our guy was breaking the plane of the goal line. My arguement is the flag never should have been thrown b/c it had absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the play. Let the kids decide the game, not the refs. When the reffing is good you really do not even notice they are there.

Chuck,

Your on a losing streak today, buddy. Have to go with hang 50 on this one. What in tarnation is your player doing blocking behind the runner for, if it is 4 yds or 40 yds? He should know better. WE play NFL rules, and we play with line rules that dictate that if a holding infraction is noticed that DOES NOT IMPEED THE PROGRESS OF THE PLAY, IT IS NOT TO BE CALLED. But, to me your kid just committed a stupid, unforgivable penalty offense, and got caught at it! Not on game night, as that is a no-no to me as I believe in TOTAL POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT ON GAME NIGHT, but the next week in practice you made him WELL AWARE of the gravity of the offense??? I'm sure you did.

Coach Easton

As an option coach, I think you have to defend the option from inside out. Anytime people are making us pitch the ball consistently I don't like it. I like it even less if we're having to pitch it early. I feel most comfortable when someone is allowing us to continually give the football because I know I can get 3 to 4 yards whenever we want it. The next thing I like is when my qb is getting up the field quickly off the mesh. Quick pitches though to me turn the option into more of a toss play and everyone on the d can run to the ball really fast.