QUESTION FOR OPTION COACHES???

Coach Campbell--I am a new head coach looking for a little direction regarding offense. I have always been an option coach and I know how to run it. All the programs I served as an assistant in were proficient option/power running teams. Now as a head coach I find our team has had trouble playing "monster ball" against bigger teams. We are by far the smallest team in our league and running the ball even with the option is tough since we have all we can do just to get stalemates on the line--sometimes even with double teams. I have been looking at the spread and we tinkered with it some last year with a fair amount of success I am still learning about the scheme so I did not know how to push the buttons so to speak. Our school has alot of "basketball guys" wide reciever types and small OLM. I can still run a fair amount of speed option and get option looks with the backside read by the QB running a "Northwestern" style spread. Problem is this: I do not want to change offenses every year. I want some consistancy. That is something I have noticed in the successful programs I have worked with...things get tweaked from year to year but they are consistant in the overall scheme. Also most of our sophomores play significant back-up roles on the varsity and so we need to be running the same scheme all through the program. I found last year our 10th grade and 9th grade teams could not run the spread with much effeciency and relied alot on the option. Obviously the biggest fault of our program is strength training was non-existant 3 years ago when I took over, now the kids are just getting into it. I am not looking for "the" answer here, but just some advice...some things to think about and consider as I get ready this summer.

We only run the inside veer to a 3 tech if there is no outside invert...our basic rule is to run the inside veer and the freeze option to the tighter defensive tackle...run midline to the wider tackle...run the lead (load) option to a reduced 5/4 tech. Works well...need to check DT's, Inverts, and Number Leverage. Have a nice weekend...pdow

I've been figuring out how to run the ISV vs a 3 tech and all the above suggestions are confirming what I was thinking.

One thing, though. What exactly is an invert? Is it something do do with a LB or DL lined up outside the TE (if we're running strongside)

I am playing a match on Sunday in which I expect to be seeing a 3 tech and a variety of alignments from LBs and DLs outside the POA, and I'd like to know what the definition of invert is so I can watch for that.

Thanks.

Coach -

An invert would be the SS alignment in a cover 3 structure....the curl flat defender...the support or contain OLB...typically aligned 5 yds deep and outside the defensive end...the typical outside LB'er. So therefore, if we were to align in a trips formation (3x1) and check the open receiver side and we see a 3 tech but with no invert (OLB), we'd run the option that way. pdow