Option vs 5-3

If you run double slot, you will balance the defense. The defense will have to declare strength by QB's throwing hand or location of ball on the field. Once you see this, check opposite of the call. The 5-3 you described is a tough D to block, especially weak side. After coaching at the college level (#7 in the country overall right now), I have learned three things about coaching offense by studying our opponents. 1. Spread the field with six athletes; 2. Isolate defenders who do not do their job; 3. Check to the best play by defensive front they give. This is what I've learned about coaching offense on the college level. You will have a very difficult time running the ball to the weak side with only three potential blockers. If you are hardcore option, you will go to the double slot that Navy uses. There's a reason why a team with 0 scholarship players/year has gone to bowl games the last five years. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING! Good luck.

The slot allows you to get over the top on veer to wall the ILB and the slot allows you to go through the B gap with ease to blast the ILB. The balanced double slot formation forces the defense to declare what their intentions are as well as defend the entire field.

The I makes it tougher to run midline, because you will not always be able to have two players track the playside linebacker, and you don't have the numbers advantage to run a double team on veer. Also, you create so many more tendencies by your formations.'

This year was amazing for me. Currently, we are #7 in the country and we will be playing in the Valley of the Sun Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. We get to tour the Cardinals' new football facility and get to go to Arizona in December. Hey, Arizona in December is a little warmer than Pennsylvania in December, huh?

The quality of coaching and the desire level of athletes are the two biggest differences. Coaches are just smarter and are much more dedicated. Only two percent of high school athletes play college football, so imagine a entire team of your best 2 percent.

The pros are the dedication of everyone involved players, coaches, administration, school to give you what you need to be successful. Staying in four-star hotels for away games is great. The free meals, free clothes, and free travel makes it so worthwhile. I can go to any NFL Training Camp and walk on the field. I can go visit college coaches in their office.

The biggest con, by far, is the time that you have to put in to be successful, but it's not awful where I coach. Some places are a whole lot worse than where I am. Also, you have players who have lots of indecisive personalities and family issues, so that can be a pain. Other than that it is great.

I know that I will go back to high school someday, maybe even soon, but not as an assistant. How could I give up free food, clothing, travel--especially a free trip to Arizona in December to be an assistant for someone who doesn't have anything figured out?

I hope that gave you some insight.

Thank you Mr. Easton.

CUI,

It's easy to agree with Coach Cella, especially on flexbone issues.

In addition to spreading the field, isolating on the player who doesn't do his job well, and checking to the best play (Coach Campbell, among others, does this, too), we also have two other basic approaches to option football that work for us.

(1) Option a dominant defender, if possible. If we feel like we have a matchup problem with our OT vs. their DE, then we will option him. If our slotbacks (HB) don't matchup with their OLB, then we will option them. Some players (like a true MLB) cannot be optioned.

(2) Block "soft" players, Option "hard" players. This is a perimeter philosophy. Essentially, at least one player will be playing so hard and fast that he is unblockable, realistically. Usually, this player is a force player who is dumping the pitch. We will typically pitch off of this player, as the angles are not in our favor for such a player. The best angle we could get is a crack on a Sky force safety; but even this is not ideal. Also, for every player on the perimeter who plays "hard," there is usually one player who plays "soft." We will work out our perimeter blocking so that we are blocking the "soft" player and pitching off the "hard" player.

As far as the 5-3, their are two groups of players to consider when attacking this defense.
(1) the midline players...NT, MLB, FS. If all three players get to the PS (by beating a 1-on-1 block or absorbing a double, thus freeing up another defender), then the defense gets 7 players to the PS; and
(2) the triangle players...DT, DE, OLB. If the three players are "gaming" efficiently, then the option will have some trouble, especially ISV.

Possible answers...
(1) Midline Option away from the shading/slanting NT is always a good play. Any gap-scheme counter can also be effective.
(2) Any counter should slow down the play of the MLB. Counters that lack a pulling OL are good, as are gap-scheme counters.
(3) Play Action threats should slow down the FS, who should try to run the alley, inside the force player.
(4) DT/DE/OLB games work best when the DT is in a 5-tech and there is no threat to the flat (in terms of pass game). Zone dive (or zone dive follow) should force the DT into a 4 or 4i. Pass threats in the flat can force the OLB to be the force player (and would be responsible for flat receivers). These can limit the games by these players. To us, the biggest key is getting the DT into the B-gap. If we can get this look, then OSV becomes a HUGE play for us.

These are not all the answers. They might not be the best, either. But, they have worked well for us, so far.

kc