Youth Single Wing

smr21

I was DC on a single wing "A" team last season and we only one one game. We had a lot of weak or poor attitude players.

The year before the HC ran the single wing sucessfully. Scored plenty of points but poor defense.
He had a very good back who made up for the line deficiencies. This past season the line and blocking back often blocked the wrong people leaving a key tackler free. They needed much more attention. Also the snappers at times would have runs where they snapped the ball off their own opposite leg especially to a nearby slightly offset blocking back direct snap. The offense needed far less plays and more work on getting a hat on the correct guys.

I had debated myself onwhat offense I would use if it was up to me now - single wing or Zone based I or single back. I decided that there was too much temptation to keep adding plays to the sw attack usually many with pulling. If you go single wing I suggest using - at least the first year - just the sw power series -even to just one side. Wedge, power-ot, sweep, counter, HB sweep pass. A local HSchool won their league with just thoes plus an occasional QB spin-drop back pass which never worked. The next year they added some spinner plays and were almost but not quite as sucessful. By contrast the above Pop Warner team had power series, spinner, buck lateral series, spread passing (the most sucessful element long passes), bubble screens and other special plays. No wonder the line was uncertain.

It may be too much to teach the following to a youth team especially if the staff has not experienced the modern "zone" schemes so I would not recommend the following but note that it illustrates the goals of what you are trying to find for any offense - simplisity for the line, few rules, much repetition of a few plays. Currently this is where FB is going. I only mention it as an illustration of the Ideal. Also the "Option on me" scheme (see Campbell) achieves the same simplicity by combining zone principals with a method of running various options, each to only one look, so the QB only calls that option to that look and the lineman only have to practice vs one look - not vs all possible looks for that one play.

Most power offenses: I, wing-t belly series etc can be run using mainly area blocks which I as a freshman HC will use this season. The "step playside" rule can be used for most of the line on each of the 7 or so running plays.

"zone" example of ideal modern approach:
In an ideal 2004 setup if a team could teach "zone" and "stretch" blocking you can run an entire offense using the stretch to go outside, the inside zone play to hit across the entire front and the "con" or "counter-trey" for counter action. 3 running plays total, add a QB sneak. Use the IZone play action or bootleg pass with the same Zone blocking. No teaching special pass protections, no dropback except maybe 2 three step drop passes once again with agressive "zone" blocking. no need for and little temptation to keep adding plays.

good luck, oldreptile