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'm looking for some help on what defense we can use to stop a stack I. It is the absolute toughest offense we face all year. Everyone blocks down, they use the upback to kick out, and the fullback to lead through the hole. It is almost impossible to equal their numbers at the point of attack to gain an advantage. I've seen two teams over the last three years who were able to stop it. One ran a 5-3, and the other a 4-4. Can anyone give me some ideas of what defenses you use against this type of formation? One thing I know for sure...the Gap-8 doesn't work against this offense. They simple block down, kick out and lead through off tackle, and they are off to the races.
The 5-3 is one of the best run stopping defenses ever conceived. If this team is the team to beat in your league, teach your d linemen how to shed a down block. Move your three backers up to within 2 yds. of the LOS and stuff the POA (point of attack). Make them run outside, or have to pass. Study very closely exactly how they block down, get some film if that is allowed in your level of play, and have your D study it together with you. If there is any scource of how the other two teams shut them down, get it and study it! If it is word of mouth, have those who saw the game explain exactly what they can remember about the defensive plan. Good Luck!
J.C.Easton
J.C. EASTON<BR>HEAD COACH<BR>GA TIGERS FOOTBALL<BR>PROFESSIONAL MINOR LEAGUE
additional thought- teach your play side DE how to defeat a kick out block. Have your backers work on scrapeing to the hole quicker! If they are running power off the tackle, as you describe, cheat your Sam Backer and your Mike over just a little in anticipation of where they are going to be attacking. Let them know right off the bat that you have done your homework. If they always kick out with the up back, have your DT expecting the down block by the TE and have your DE ready to take on the up back with the idea in mind of shoving the blocker back in the hole and making the play spill to the outside and put the RB on his own instead of having the blocks in front of him. Have your entire defense on the attack, not just sitting and taking on the blocks. Hope this helps.
J.C.Easton
J.C. EASTON<BR>HEAD COACH<BR>GA TIGERS FOOTBALL<BR>PROFESSIONAL MINOR LEAGUE
Whenever playing against a 5-3 or 3-3 scheme don't give your opponent a tight end. Go ahead and flex the tight end and remove the stack backer towards the tight end this will clear the peremeter play and make the ISo's, inside veer and other plays look good. Coach Campbell
Thanks for the info. I was wondering how you aligned your 5-3? We have used an even front (4-4) in the past, and even though some 4-4 teams have had success against this offense, we didn't have much success. I have considered using the 5-3 because we run wing-t, and the 5-3 tends to give us some real problems, even more so than the 4-4. Also, the team we play that runs a stack I also runs a 5-3 defense, so this would also give us lots of practice time against the defense we face every day in practice.
My thoughts were to place the DT's is a 4i technique in order to keep a blocker off the MLB. We would put the DE's head up over the TE's, and shade the Sam and Will linebackers inside the DE's. This should keep blockers off all three linebackers. We will then use the corners to key the TE's and play outside contain.
Depending on how they align, is the key to how you are going to align , i.e dble tite, flexed end, split end, etc.
Our base alignment in most cases is really a 53 eagle weak vs. a split end to the backside and a tight end to the strong side. Like Coach Campbell pointed out, if they really know what they are doing they won't give you a TE, they will flex him out also. At any rate. we eagle the our backside 5 to a four and our backside 4 to a 2. We shade the nose to playside a gap and put our frontside tackle in a a 4i and our DE in a straightup 6. We put our Sam inside the DE in a 70 tech.,, our Mike in a 10 tech., and our Will in a 50 tech. WE play bump and run 90% of the time, so our CB's will be rolled up hard with inside leverage, and we set the FS in the middle of the field at 12 yds.
J.C.Easton
J.C. EASTON<BR>HEAD COACH<BR>GA TIGERS FOOTBALL<BR>PROFESSIONAL MINOR LEAGUE
My offensive ccordinator runs a stack-I and he used it with varying success against my 5-3. You are absolutely right, the gap-8 does not work against this offense....off-tackle all day. What makes the stack-I so dangerous is the fact that either way they go, they will have more or equal blockers to your defenders.....even weak side! The only way the offense has gained yards is to the weak side. Which is why I prefer an even defense.
Last year we ran gap-air-mirror. The stack I destroyed it. We eventually settled on the 62 and it too was destroyed by the stack I.
I am steadily becoming convinced that the 44 is the best defense in youth football.
Why? I think it's the lack of attention to detail. Most of the offensive linemen are confused as to who to block if their opponent is not on the line of scrimmage.
This year we began running the 53 as our base defense and focused on the 44 as a different look. Slowly but surely the 44 has become our base and we've had great success versus the stack I. Heck, we've considered switching the 53 to a 34 to allow for greater flexibility in stunts on the edges.
I have to assume that they are goign 2TE with a stack I. Now what seems to happen is the tackel is getting to an inside LB in a 44. A 44 should be able to stop it in a manner liek this.
DE play head up or outside end man. Now if it is a TE then the TE is blocking down inside so you can either have the DE squeeze down on the TE so it is harder to kickout forcing the runner to bounce to the outside. The other way is to "trap the trapper" or basicly have the DE make contact with the lead blocker as deep into the backfield as one can. Once again this should bounce the back to the outisde where you have an OLB, Corner and a scrapping ILB. ILB attacks C gap and flows to the outside from there. They only have 2 blocks at the POA so if they block down with the TE then that leaves you with better numbers (OLB, DE, Corner).
Put 10 men in the box and you'll be fine. 5-3 with the corners up will work well. As will 4-4 with the corners up at 4 yards. So will a 6-2 with the corners up.
Lou Cella
Head Varsity Football Coach
Greater Nanticoke Area High School (PA)