Double Dive

Coach Max,

Thats the belly, sure enough (what your describing and calling double dive) and it is has been around a long time now. The best part is it is still fooling opponents today just as well as it always did!

Coach Easton

Coach Lochness wrote "Can you describe a bit more in detail what you are doing with your slot back? What is his alignment at the snap of the ball? Do you motion him, or is he heading for his tailback landmark at the snap? Does the play develop fast enough to be effective? How often to you run "Double Dive Pitch" and for what purpose? Is it to control the DE or the OLB / Invert. Do you block it like Outside Veer and veer release the TE onto the second level?"

Coach Loch - First off - thanks for all your great posts. I have learned a great deal from you on this board. Now to your questions:

1. Slot is lined up 1x1 off the tackle. We do not motion him. He takes delays a moment and then takes
off to set up his pitch relationship. The timing on this really takes some time to develop in practice. I
have sent him in motion when I really want to feed the ball to the FB. Within the 10 yard line that
motion really gets a reaction from LBs who get concerned with the outside run - and then the FB just
jams it up the middle.

2. If the QB proximity fakes to the FB 2/4 hole and the TB at the 6 hole the timing works ok. What
happens is the QB will want to put the ball into one or both of their bellies and it kills the timing.

3. We run it a few times a game - it takes some time to set it up. We'll hit the FB and TB several times
and gauge how the DE or OLB are reacting.

4. We use it to control the DE more than the OLB. The DE is so concerned with the FB or being a hero
and smashing the TB - most DEs in our league are a sucker for the play twice a game. We've found
the OLB to usually sit and read on this play. Many times he is flat footed a the pitch - with the TB
possibly getting the ball, the QB possibly following the TB like an ISO, or that pitch threat - it freezes
most players in their tracks.

5. We try to get the TE the next level. The PS ILB is pleny occupied with the FB/TB threat.

Tiger One - great point. What I meant in my previous point was to point that out as a problem with the play. Even though they are coached not to, the QB tends to want to ride the ball in - and it just doesn't work. Thanks for clarifying that- you are absolutely right - my brain musta went south since I'm sitting home from work on my 2nd snow day in a row!

Coach Max,

Thanks for the clarification and the kind words. That's the kind of stuff that makes this message forum such a cool place.

That is something that would fit well into our system. We regularly run that alignment with our Z receiver (like a wing in that case), so it fits well for us. The path you described is the same path we have them taking on our "Lead Reverse" play that comes off the iso we run, so it shouldn't be completely foreign to our guys if we decide to try it.


Snowed in, huh? Are you a Northeasterner like me?

thanks, max. so any playaction would have to involve a fake to the first dive back, but then just a quick drop or short roll out by qb. sounds good.