BELLY OPTION

If you are running a "Wing-T" type belly with the handoff in the backfield, I ran into this same sort of problem last year. What I believe the problem was is that the QB gives too much ground and gets a lot of width to really attack the EMLOS fast enough. Out of that Wing-T series, I like the down option much better as that play causes the QB to reverse pivot and go straight down the line. What I did like about the Belly was the opportunity to run the keep pass off that look, with the QB having a run/pass option.

Most options front out towards the play called, Belly option reverses out with a dive action inside with the second option being an outside double option coming off the dive action. Usually the dive action is predetermined with the outside option being called in the huddle also. Coach Campbell

Thanks for the welcome back, Tiger. Unfortunately, I live in one of those dopey northern states that doesn't allow spring football, but I work with the youth lacrosse program in my city which keeps me busy during the spring. My son is a captain on the JV team and I do a lot of work customizing sticks for the kids too.

I coached in a Wing-T program last year and called the JV offense. What I was trying to say about the belly option is that in the wing-T system, the Belly play involves the QB reversing out and handing the ball off to the fullback on an iso-type backfield action. Belly option is just a continuation of that motion with with the wing that was put in motion. The thing I didn't like about the play was the fact the the QB ends up 4-5 yards deep in the backfield before he is able to attack the pitch read. Two other plays in that series are the Down and Down option. The down play goes to the C gap instead of the B gap, so the QB path is "straight down the line" to get the ball to the fullback. If we run down option off that, the QB is then attacking downhill at the EMLOS as his pitch read, and we had a lot more success with that play.

Funny how the terminology works on the names of some plays. I was a wishbone triple option QB in HS and we ran a play called Belly which was a fake of IV to the FB and then a handoff to the backside halfback to the C gap with the playside halfback lead blocking. I'm not sure what the line was doing so I couldn't say if it was a power or lead/iso type play (nobody pulled so I'm assuming lead), but there was nobody left to pitch to after that so an option was not possible. We also run a play called Midline Belly where the QB reads the midline with the FB and will hand off to the HB instead of keeping the ball himself. Until my exposure to Wing-T, I always thought Belly was a double dive type play.

I was not a proponant of the Wing-T until I had to learn it for last year's job. After studying the system for a week or two, I realized the same thing you just said, all the basic plays are there, Iso, Power, FB Trap, Sweep, options, etc. It's just that the presentation of the plays is different, mostly in the backfield action, which attempts to simulate two or more possible plays with the same backfield action. It can be very effective at the HS level, and hey, Delaware won the 1-AA champoinship two years ago with it too. As a defensive coach, you need to teach players to read the blocking scheme and not the backfield action, which is sometimes difficult for younger players to grasp.

Well for me "belly G" is a blocking scheme in which the PSG kicks out the DE and everyone else essentially blocks outside veer. We fake a dive to the FB and handoff to the TB in the C gap. This is part of our belly series which can be found under the threads "midline belly" and "double dive". Anyway I have also seen teams run the same scheme and handoff to the FB in the C gap while then faking option action between the QB and the TB.

Hey Galdrapan:
I hate to tell you, but Delaware won the 1AA title the year after Tubby Raymond left Delaware and the new guy brought in a mainly gun/spread attack. Heart breaking as I was living in Spartanburg, SC, the home of Wofford College who runs a flexbone/wing-t hybrid (Deberry is a former Wofford player and assistant). Delaware beat Wofford in the semis I believe. The connections between Delaware and Wofford were played up alot even in national media. Raymond had consulted with Wofford coach Ayers to help form their offense.
Does anyone else in 1AA or 1 use a Wing-T type attack now? (Honest question). I always thought the 70's were the most fun days to watch major college ball because everyone seemed to run power I, wingT, Veer or Wishbone. It was unique, as opposed to everyone trying to emulate the pro game.
Greg B

Beetle
As you said, Delaware won the 1AA national championship the year after Tubby left, but Delaware was a 1AA National Power for a long time while Tubby was there, and won the year after he left primarily as a result of KC Keeler, their coach now, bringing in several D1 transfers, particularly at QB to run his spread system. I think the Wing T can still be effective but people go with trends and its tought ot explain to someone, much as with the option, that you don't run the wide open spread attack when everyone in D1 is doing it. I am a spread Gun option coach, but my point is that if a system works it isn't bad just cause its old.

I guess it's that semantics thing again, coach, but the MAIN CONCEPT OF THE BELLY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE BACK THROUGH ONE HOLE AND THE BALL THROUGH ANOTHER. Thats one reason for example it is so effective on the goal line after you have been running lead dive or lead anything you want to call it where the FB leads into the hole and the RB follows thru the same hole. You run the lead and then run the belly AND IT IS VERY EFECTIVE. I AM NOT TALKING BELLY OPTION HERE, BUT A PREDERTERMINED GIVE TO THE 2ND BACK THROUGH THE NEXT HOLE OVER. NO BIG DEAL, JUST STATING MY CASE.

COACH EASTON

I've noticed the difference in terminolgoy a lot, on this site specifically. I think having a lot of coaches from different areas, different offenses or defenses and different ages and experience brings out all the topics and terminologies that coaches use or learned in the past or present.

I also run the Wing-T with an emphasis on option and jet/rocket and GCTiger explaination of the belly is exactly how we run it. We do call our FB steps "Belly Steps", and essentially it is a slotback or diveback, through the hole and a FB getting the ball behind him, more of an iso in the wing-t system for the FB.

As for the original question about the Belly option, we have run it and we have the same problems as another coached had explained about the QB being to deep in the backfield after the FB fake and getting back downhill is harder. The blocking is the same as you described in your first post.

I also agree that the down option is a better double option type play in the wing-t offense, if you are not running triple(ISV) or midline option.

Bill,

Thank you for the reinforcement of my statements on the Belly. Your very correct in saying that the base play out of the bone is nothing more than the inside belly option. I ran the belly as a High School QB in the 50's when it was introduced by the great coaches you mention above. Our HC played at Ohio State. His name was Coach Jim Conti.
Coach Campbell ran it down perfectly, but we did always open out on the inside belly and reverse out on the outside belly. I wasn't given the choice, I was told to do it as I just stated. When we had our great run at Raines HS in Jacksonville, Fla. we ran the bone and the belly was always an integral part of the offense just as it is in any good bone offense. On special occasions, I still run it today as a special goal line package, manipulating the defense by running leads and then the belly! Thanks for your input, coach. Guess we are dating ourselves, but that's OK, as some of the old stuff is still as good today as it was in it's hey day!!! Maybe that is just my opinion, or maybe not.

JC

What were his years at Raines, the name sounds familiar but I think I had left when he played?

Coach Easton

I'm totally blank on him as a face, although his name rings a bell. But our bone tail backs at that time were Jermaine Kahn,(OLe Miss) Ralph Dawkins(louisville and the NFL Saints) Dominique Ross (FSU, Valdosta State (got in trouble at Fla State and transferred) 2 Super Bowl rings with Cowboys. Also played at Tampa Bay, may still be there but not sure. Are you sure he played at Raines?

Coach Easton

That is believable, he was a very hard and fast runner (great on option pitches and counters) but not very elusive. I'll see if I can look up which HS he went to, but I am sure he was from Jacksonville.
Greg B