Installing Today’s Hybrid Pistol Offense Run & Pass from Top to Bottom
This manual provides you with the full offensive line, receiver, and quarterback mechanics for installing each offensive play presented. Coach Campbell has left no stone unturned for implementing today’s Pistol Offense into your program.
i am a youth/middle school coach in virginia beach. i am committed to bringing the spread offense out of shotgun to my teams next year. i do not have any background coaching this, but have been studying the offense for the past year.
there are so many versions, WVU style, shotgun fly, the pistol,etc, that i am not sure which version will be the most successful. can kids run option? can they zone block (i think yes)? what type of passing game? etc, etc.
one thing that i know is that opposing defenses and most opposing coaches at this level will be powerless in stopping this offense. my vision is an offense that is primarily run based along with a quick, simple passing game. i love the misdirection that this type of offense offers and am excited about creating an environment where nobody on the opposition knows where the ball is going next.
i look forward to everyone's thoughts on the subject.
I coach 8th graders and we went to the Spread last year. Previous few years we ran the wishbone but I thought it would be good to expose the kids to what they would be running at the high school level. Our O Line wasn't very good at all but we scored around 220 points in 8 games with it. I would say have a base group of running plays to start with. Get your kids good at running those plays first. Then expand from there. We ran option with it but it is something that you have to rep over and over. You have to stress pitch relationship and the fundamentals of how to pitch the football. For the short passing game Bubble screens were phenomenal. It allows you to get a good athlete the ball on the perimeter with only one or two guys to make a play. At the lower levels that is better than a sweep. I would have put Zone in last year if our line would have been good enough to do it. I am planning on using it this year as I see alot of 52 looks. The style of offense you use is going to have to depend on what kind of kids you have because that will dictate what you can pull off.
You can do ANYTHING you wish as long as you follow the advice given to me by the late Sid Gillman years ago (Sid is in the NFL Hall of Fame, & is considered by most to be an offensive "genius", whose concepts are still being used on all levels of the game today):
FOOTBALL COACHING ADVICE:
"Don’t have too many plays! Run what you HAVE better than your opponent can defend it.
Your success will come because of EXECUTION. A lot of coaches are concerned with being “cutting edge” and as a result they do things really average. It is better to do a FEW things really well”!
My two cents worth is JHS Ok. Typically the Varsity head coach and staff like for the JHS to run the same offense and defense. It has paid big dividends for us.
5th & 6th grade maybe, only if it is worth your while and you have a pretty good QB and 2 or 3 skilled kids.(usually tough to find this on a typical youth team)
3rd & 4th grade no way. You will get your QB hurt, I have seen it happen.
I have coached all of these levels and even at JHS our passing game was Quick Game and Play Action. Did not have time to teach Pass Protection technqiques for a 5 step game. In the Quick Game you can gap and drive block(which I prefer) or you can cut block or mix it up between the two. My advice is if you are going to run it focus more on 2 or 3 running plays, play action off of those runs and 4 or 5 quick game routes.
I am a firm believer that the spread is a safer offense for the qb at the youth level. You will need two speedy players with arms to throw at least 15 yards and two players that can actually just catch the ball. The playbook is easy to teach and really only three basic plays. Eagle roll left, eagle roll right, eagle 22 dive.
You need two decent athletes, I hope like heck you can find that in your group, put them as qb 1 and qb 2 they will need breaks. Qb is in shotgun with the 2 back on his left or right, 2 receivers left and two right spread midway from the sideline and one at the sideline.
We will call the qb the 1back and the running back the 2back. Receivers will be from left to right w, x, y, z. Offensive line in two point pass block stance, block first man inside this usually leaves the def. end free.
Shotgun snap play (eagle left) 2 back lead blocks for the 1 back and picks up first man with other color jersey on, 1 back follows and gets to the flat (this is where you own the defense) running straight for the sideline, this will either clear the way for a rush or corners and linebackers in coverage will bite run and leave receiver wide open. W, X, Y, Z receiver take their men downfield out of the play, hopefully one of the defenders will bite run and your qb stops and pops, if they dont bite run straight up the sideline. This is a backyard football easy scheme and run out of three basic plays, you can change anything as you go, ridiculously fun scheme for youth football. Crackback on the end, short dumps, screens on hard crashing ends. We pass 80% of the time with 10 and 11 year olds running these three basic plays. Break the 22 dive on em for huge yards.
Sorry, forgot my reasoning. This offense rolls left and right and makes the def line wore out by the 2nd half. If you get out of the old "TRADITIONAL BORING POCKET" you open your game and protect your backs from getting crushed by the huge lineman around the pocket. If they want that qb...they have to run the whole game to get to them.
Wahoobooby: If in Va. Beach - contact someone there who coached with Beatty at Landsdowne HS a few years ago. They had a great spread offense (which included Percy Harvin) which was cutting edge. Very much like W. Va. Get it straighht from the "horse's mouth".
Post by swilliams1959 on Sept 30, 2008 7:01:32 GMT
I just have seen youth teams with a QB in the ShotGun running for his life. I gues if you are going to sprint him or teach him to throw quick he will be Ok.
I guess my problem is I am of the philosophy of lining up, come off the ball, block, double team at the point of attack and run the ball. Run a multiple I formation offense at the H.S. level, throw quick game, play action and you can get in the shotgun when needed. At the JHS and youth level teach blocking and running the ball in a boiled down version.
I coach at the big school level in Indiana. We have 3 or 4 spread teams in our conference. I would soon defend the spread before the smash mouth I formation(1 Back Teams With 1 or 2 Tight Ends). Since the inception of our conference a spread team has not won the championship. There has never been a spread team win a 5A state championship.
I am sure I will open a can of worms with this one but what I have observed with most spread teams is they are not physical. Your offense is one of finesse and this also seems to set the tone for the defenses of most spread teams. Give me one or two tight ends, come off the ball and bash the opponent. Just my opinion.