Running Backs & Zone Schemes

PRESS THE LOS - TRY TO CRAM THE AIMING POINT FOR 5 YDS - IF YOU MUST CUTBACK, MAKE ONLY ONE CUT & LIVE WITH IT - DON'T BECOME A DANCER IN THE HOLE (DON'T MAKE THAT CUT TILL YOU GET THE HEEL DEPTH OF YOUR O-LINE). REMEMBER - IT'S SPEED THRU THE HOLE (NOT SPEED TO THE HOLE) THAT COUNTS MOST!

BELOW IS JOHN RIGGINS' TECHNIQUE ON THE INSIDE ZONE. HE WAS THE BEST INSIDE ZONE RUNNER I EVER SAW:

RUNNING BACK ("40/50 GUT" — INSIDE ZONE): 1st. step with playside foot, roll, crossover, and aim nose for Tackle's inside hip (if bubble over Grd) or Guard's outside hip (if bubble over Ctr or Tkl). Key the block on the first down lineman outside the Center, and make your cut on THEIR side of the L.O.S. If there is daylight in the B gap — cram the B gap — otherwise, if DLM goes out you cut inside (& vice versa). NOTE: On the OUTSIDE ZONE ("60/70 OUTSIDE) — RB drop steps & runs a straight line for butt of TE — cut inside or outside of his block.

Alex Gibbs talks about this also. His point is he is going to coach that RB to read it much like OneBack described, and if the guy doesn't or won't do it, he finds another guy. The philosophy is no negative plays, always get a few yards, and later as the defense gets tired you'll have an opportunity to bust one. That is essentially the Broncos running game and it's hard to argue with their success. I haven't seen Atlanta much yet, but since Gibbs is there now I'll bet it's the same.

I failed to coach that this season and it's the biggest (well, one of 'em anyway) mistake I made. Against the slower teams my RB dominated with East/West quicks and speed. We got to the playoffs and faced a speed team and despite my emphasizing to him all week that he had to make one cut, get North/South and move the pile, he took a bunch of hats in his ribs and back before it really sunk in when it was too late to help.

Until I hear of something better, next season I'm going to drill both zone plays with half line and no LBs to teach the back the read starting from day one, and I'm not going to scrimmage the plays until I'm confident the back is reading it properly. That way I can focus on coaching the reads and he can focus on executing the reads that will allow him to clear L1. Once he gets it, I'll go back to it periodically to make sure he remembers it.

Dropstep your running back on the snap of the ball to allow the Quarterback to get the ball deeper to the back which helps the back read his cuts and linebackers better. Coach CAmpbell

In a zone scheme its not how long an offensive line holds its blocks but how the running back reads the push and the scraping backers. Remember the footwork by the o-line and how the ball is delivered is what will dictate the path the back takes. Coach CAmpbell