Post by Coach Campbell on May 27, 2009 9:52:04 GMT
Option
The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets use the Option offense.Popularized in the wishbone offenses of Oklahoma and Alabama, the Option is a timing-based run offense that requires a quick-thinking quarterback and running backs and blockers able to react quickly to defenses.[citation needed] In a typical option play, the quarterback will take the snap and, based on the defenses formation and play, can decide whether to keep the ball himself and run it around the end, or pitch it to a running back following behind him. In contrast to an audible, where the quarterback reads the defense before the snap, an option requires the quarterback to read the defense during play, often while he himself is running with the ball. By making the defense commit to stopping either him or the running back, the quarterback makes the defense show its hand first. Though the wishbone has fallen out of favor, the option offense is still used in conjunction with the flexbone, wing-T, and even spread and shotgun formations. The service academies, especially Air Force and Navy are well-known for heavy use of the wishbone and flexbone formation, to great degrees of success. In high school football it is called Veer and has been used with some success over the years (De La Salle High School of California recorded the nation's longest ever winning streak, 151 games, using the veer). Although a majority of high school players typically lack the skill and talent to run it effectively, most defenses in high school are unable to stop it properly all the time.
Criticisms
While it is a popular maneuver in College Football, it has fallen out of favor as executed traditionally out of the wishbone and I formations. Today, it is seen more as part of a more robust Spread Option offense. Some argue that defensive players become more exposed to it and are supposedly better trained to deal with it, but the that has always been the argument about the option until a team with great talent executes it properly.
The Option is almost never used in the NFL because it exposes expensive and highly skilled quarterbacks to a huge risk of injury as pro defensive players are generally far too large and strong to allow them to run unblocked and hit QBs.
Teams
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - flexbone formation triple option
Air Force Falcons - multiple option
Navy Midshipmen - flexbone formation triple option
Pro Set
The Pro Set was the default NFL scheme for most of the 1960s to the 2000s. While it is more of a formation, the underlying philosophy of the pro set was based on becoming more successful at passing while still providing 1 or even 2 backs to help protect the QB.
The Pro Set features a TE, 2 WRs, and a Halfback and fullback, often split behind the QB. While QBs can take a snap from the center from the shotgun position, in general the pro set QB takes the ball under center to allow for better play action fakes to the running back.
The Pro Set in the 1970s and earlier was generally a running offense that used play action fakes to setup deep passing attempts when defenses stacked up vs the running game.
The Pro Set enabled NFL teams to run successfully and is structurally a sound set. So much so that even though the Coryell and West Coast Offenses were dramatic changes in view to a pass first philosophy, both have historically been executed out of the pro set formation.
Criticisms
The Pro Set is largely considered too conservative these days. Even teams that use it as their base set usually have a wide variety of 3 and 4 receiver set plays that they use in passing situations.
The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets use the Option offense.Popularized in the wishbone offenses of Oklahoma and Alabama, the Option is a timing-based run offense that requires a quick-thinking quarterback and running backs and blockers able to react quickly to defenses.[citation needed] In a typical option play, the quarterback will take the snap and, based on the defenses formation and play, can decide whether to keep the ball himself and run it around the end, or pitch it to a running back following behind him. In contrast to an audible, where the quarterback reads the defense before the snap, an option requires the quarterback to read the defense during play, often while he himself is running with the ball. By making the defense commit to stopping either him or the running back, the quarterback makes the defense show its hand first. Though the wishbone has fallen out of favor, the option offense is still used in conjunction with the flexbone, wing-T, and even spread and shotgun formations. The service academies, especially Air Force and Navy are well-known for heavy use of the wishbone and flexbone formation, to great degrees of success. In high school football it is called Veer and has been used with some success over the years (De La Salle High School of California recorded the nation's longest ever winning streak, 151 games, using the veer). Although a majority of high school players typically lack the skill and talent to run it effectively, most defenses in high school are unable to stop it properly all the time.
Criticisms
While it is a popular maneuver in College Football, it has fallen out of favor as executed traditionally out of the wishbone and I formations. Today, it is seen more as part of a more robust Spread Option offense. Some argue that defensive players become more exposed to it and are supposedly better trained to deal with it, but the that has always been the argument about the option until a team with great talent executes it properly.
The Option is almost never used in the NFL because it exposes expensive and highly skilled quarterbacks to a huge risk of injury as pro defensive players are generally far too large and strong to allow them to run unblocked and hit QBs.
Teams
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - flexbone formation triple option
Air Force Falcons - multiple option
Navy Midshipmen - flexbone formation triple option
Pro Set
The Pro Set was the default NFL scheme for most of the 1960s to the 2000s. While it is more of a formation, the underlying philosophy of the pro set was based on becoming more successful at passing while still providing 1 or even 2 backs to help protect the QB.
The Pro Set features a TE, 2 WRs, and a Halfback and fullback, often split behind the QB. While QBs can take a snap from the center from the shotgun position, in general the pro set QB takes the ball under center to allow for better play action fakes to the running back.
The Pro Set in the 1970s and earlier was generally a running offense that used play action fakes to setup deep passing attempts when defenses stacked up vs the running game.
The Pro Set enabled NFL teams to run successfully and is structurally a sound set. So much so that even though the Coryell and West Coast Offenses were dramatic changes in view to a pass first philosophy, both have historically been executed out of the pro set formation.
Criticisms
The Pro Set is largely considered too conservative these days. Even teams that use it as their base set usually have a wide variety of 3 and 4 receiver set plays that they use in passing situations.
