Midline Belly

groundchuck,

The midline belly is very similar to the regular midline in that the QB is still reading the first down lineman to the call side(preferably a 2 or 3 tech). The only difference is that you must somehow account for the OLB who really no longer has a threat to his outside with the 2nd RB inside the off tackle hole. You can account for him by running 3 backs or by lining a WB up 1X1 outside the TE. Then you can change your blocking scheme. We do this both for our midline and belly midline.

vs 4-4

BST-OLB or END
BSG- DT
C- BSILB
PSG- Pick grass and aim for PSILB near jersey to FS
PST- Fan to OLB
PSE- Fan DE
WB- Crash behind T and E to outside # of PSILB to FS
FB- Run up midline
HB-Replace read man, be ready for ball
QB make read and give back. Carry out fake around the end(holds the corner)

Let me know if this sounds like it would work for you. Has worked for us in the past

Coach O

coach, would the qb faking a sweep, or even an option pitch to a third back keep that linebacker home? if he continues to fall inside on the second dive, would a qb sweep not pop to the outside or even a double option play? thanx

Groundchuck,


I did not know you ran a "double dive" Belly Series. I've posted a number of times out here (use the forum search engine and type in the phrase "Double Dive" to find the thread, which is an extensive example) about this play, and I can't get enough information or share enough information about it. We ran it when I was in High School back in the early 90's, and I've always had it as part of my offensive attack...but over the last 3 years, we've really dedicated ourselves to making that be our "signature" running play in our offense.

I'd love to know what you do with it, how you run it, block it, etc. We are a multiple formation team and we run it out of any 2-RB set (I, split backs, off set I, etc.). We have a whole series built off of it.

Please respond or contact me by email (lochness_23@hotmail.com) if you want to chat about it.

To the point of running it as a midline belly, we experimented with it this season, and got pretty sub-standard results. It seemed that the 3-technique tackle we were optioning was always making the tackle, no matter what read the QB made. I'd never run it before, so maybe I wasn't coaching it properly, but it just wasn't very successful. I've heard others out here say that this is a very effective way of running it, and they may have more midline option experience than I. I can tell you that I will be trying to install it again next season.

Chuck -

Your alma mater runs that play really well.

Teams will usually bring'm all up to the LOS. We had an aweful passing game this year so they basically dared us to put it up. Sometimes we'd get lucky and connect on a 25 yard dump pass, the other team would back off and we'd run some more. If I was playing us I would just keep coming, and dare us to throw. The Rbs we have had were very good for our league. Not all americans by any means whatsoever but good IMO. Our backs have been able to get alot of long runs outside b/c they are faster than most of the guys our opponts put out there. As a whole we do not have much team speed or strength, we just get lucky sometimes. The RB slips a tackle and gets 30 yards. Teams that gave us the most trouble were 50 front teams b/c they we able to stop the 2nd part of the double dive and outside veer better.

Govert--I was watching the Newman/Carthage game on tape and Newman ran midline belly.

Coach,

We've found that most teams have played us in the following way to stop our Belly play:

1. The ILB'ers "cross key", particularly in splitbacks, and come downhill to the side we show Belly action to. So, we have the playside ILB scrape to C gap to stop the 2nd man, and the backside ILB scrapes to A gap to stop the first man when they read Belly action. We've put in a "Belly Handback" play to take advantage of this defensive adjustment. We also have a WB "Belly Counter" we run. A straight-ahead "Dive" with divide action between the two backs is also useful.

2. Any invert player will be very aggressive to help stop the second man through. Usually an OLB in a 4-4 or a SS / Monster type in an even defense. We try to control him with playacton passing in the flat area, as well as running an occasional "Belly Keeper" with the QB (although our QB's have been dropback-style guys lately, not a lot of mobility). We've also found that if we can establish a successful 3-step game out of our "Pro" look (2 RB, 1 TE, and WR to each side) with slants, outs, and hitches...it will widen those invert players well out of the box to get in the passing lanes. We will also put a WB / 2nd TE type player on the wing outside the TE and have him be responsible for the invert. If the invert sits, we will block him head up. If the invert loops or stunts hard into C-gap, we will "zap" him by having the WB loop under the TE and through the hole.

We've had a good deal of trouble with teams that run 3 LB defenses (43 and 53). I think we've got some adjustments that will help us now, particularly the "Zap" block and perhaps the "Belly Option" (what you call Midline Belly) against the 43, but it's still been more difficult to establish against these teams. We've also had a great deal of difficulty recently against the 46 Bear, particularly with the TE-side alignment of the 3 Technique DT, the inside shade SS on our TE and the outside shade DE on the TE.

Have you established any particular attack or blocking scheme you like to use against any of these defenses that you find successful?

Like you, there really isn't any one else in our division that runs the Belly Series, and teams have a great deal of difficulty stopping it. I think a lot of defensive coordinators underestimate it. We've dedicated ourselves to making it our signature play, and our job as coaches to to make certain that nobody should be able to take this play away from us.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated!!

Coach,

I'd love to see some film. I have a cut-up of our stuff too (1st man, 2nd man, different formations, different blocking, playaction, counters, etc.)

WE also G block the 2nd man play. We combo the TE with the playside OT, working from 1st level to 2nd level and pull the playside Guard who traps the DE, kicking his butt out of there. If the DE comes down hard, we log him and have the back bounce it.

Running the crossbuck (we'd call it a Handback in our terms, but I think we're talking the same animal) first to check everyone's key is a good idea against defenses that employ the middle LB. Excellent stuff, coach!

Coach,

That's interesting, WE have a "CrossBuck", but it belongs in our Lead Series. I guess a spade is a spade, no matter what though!

You can reach me at lochness_23@hotmail.com.

Appreciate it!

We like the Belly Series best from the I and Wishbone. From bone you get a lead blocker, and great misdirection.

We have been a pretty good midline team in the past. We haven't run the 2nd back thru with it, just the QB. Would love to see some tape on what you and Lochness do.

Coach Newton
North Bullitt High School
3200 East Hebron Lane
Shepherdsville, KY 40165

bnewton@bullitt.k12.ky.us

Coach Bailey,

I think that the play is very easily taught at all levels of football, particularly at the youth level. We run it from any standard 2-back or 3-back set (I, splitbacks, offset I, Wing-T look, Straight T, Wishbone, Power I). The basics of the play never change from any of these looks.

It is even easier than coaching the Straight-T at the youth level in my opinion because all the blocking is pretty much straight up. If you can teach your QB to fake well and your backs to carry out their fakes in a realistic manner, you are going to put the core of your opponent's defense in a true bind. The key at the youth level is making sure the second back play does not hit too slowly. It's harder for youth OL to sustain their blocks, so you have to work on the timing a little bit and make sure everyone is on the same page.

I would say the pre-determined call would be much easier to coach than as an option. But, the option if properly coached would be a VER Y effective youth play!

CUI,

Glad to hear that the stuff worked out for you!

Let's see if I can hit upon a few of our questions:

1. MAKING THE FB MORE OF A THREAT:
This a a question with a lot of different answers. First, you have to have a FB that can run. I know that sounds simple, but in the past, we've opted to go more with the 5'10" 185 lb fullback that runs a bit more like a TB in our offense than a typical I-Formation FB, and it's served us well. In HS, if you teach the kid the proper fundamentals of blocking, you don't necessarily need a bruiser.

Anyway, I've found that if your second back play is a danger, the LB's will often come hard downhill toward playside at about 45 degrees. You'll notice in the film I gave you two plays that take place against the team in red, white, and blue (day game, playing on field turf, us in blue jerseys). There are two FB gives against that team that were very successful. One was from the I and the other from splitbacks (for a TD). You'll see the playside ILB coming downhill immediately at the C gap, obviously playing assignment football to defend belly action. This takes him out of the pay. You'll see the backside ILB coming downhill to playside A gap, playing assignment football to defend the first dive back, usually the FB. We were able to use our backside G to wash him down, the FB simply cut behind the over-pursuit, and there's nobody there to stop him. We actually practice this read and cut with our backs if we know our opponent is going to play us like this.

We also run a very effective FB trap on the midline. You can run it in either A gap, and it is executed just like a Wing-T "Buck Trap" except for the TB who fakes belly. We run it as a FB counter, with the HB faking away from the point of attack.

You've also seen on the film us running the FB behind the lead block of a "sniffer" back. We run it like Lead, but it hits much quicker than most isolation plays. Have the sniffer lead block on the ILB and the OL powers open the hole with double teams. Just train the FB to stay on that blocker's back and cut at the last second.

2. CROSSBUCK

We'll run it straight-up and with trap blocking (CrossTrap). If you find the ILB's taking the action I described above, this is a wide-open play. We don't end up running it much, because our base stuff has been very successful lately. However, it can be particularly dangerous. If you trap it against a 50 or 30 front, you can block it just like the Wing T FB trap.

3. STACK "I"

A fellow coach emailed me his series he runs exclusively from the stack-I look. He uses the extra back to either kick out the DE or to lead up through for the second man, depending on what blocking scheme you like. I can send you the files if I still have them...

4. PLAYACTION BLOCKING / EXECUTION:

We block with aggressive slide protection away from the play side. The FB fakes hard and looks to pick up any stunts or dogs if they come. The TB fakes and picks up the play side outside rusher, usually an OLB or DE type. We have also used straight-up playaction blocking with a double read executed by the uncovered SE side OL.

This past season, we had a hot read on the SE side against blitzing OLB's or inverts. If the QB and the SE read a blitz on a called PAP, they would check to a quick slant. We'd slant the SE and throw the ball into the zone that the blitzing invert would normally be covering. Ended up being a nice play, often with a good gain, and it ended up keeping them honest.

Coach, I hope this helps. Let me know if you want it, and I'll see if I can dig up that stack I stuff for you...!

We want the FB to get tackled by the MLB because we are leading the PSHB up on the PSLB. Usually the MLB is the best guy on defense so he takes himself out of the play by tackling a guy who does not have the ball. If he is a selfish player eventually he will leave the FB and flow to the C gap. If this happens (hopefully) we spot it and take advantage.

I like the concept of the FB bending back slightly. To the LBs it would look like he was cutting back right? Also if the MLB does tackle him he might be moving away from the actual point of attack and now it will take him one more step to catch up to the real ball carrier. We might play with it in camp. We were really good in 2002 & 2003 at ball handling so just faking worked for us. It was funny because if we ran the belly 20 times, the FB only got the ball maybe 5 times. But teams always bit.