frogbone offense, v:1.5 the bullfrog spread...

Frogbone Offense, V:1.5The Bullfrog Spread Option

The Bullfrog Spread Option, what we call the Frogbone,is a series‐based offense that uses the Triple Option as the core scheme, and is executed from a Run and Shoot Formation. The Frogbone has the potential to have 4 WR's in the pass game and run an option game with 4 RB's.

Thus spake the master Coach:

“When you can know the error in the mesh, it will be time for you to leave.”

Formations and Positions

The formation is the foundation of the play and determines where the players are placed in relation to each other. This placement in turn controls what the individual players can do and

what the offense can do.

We will use two base formations, Purple and Gold, and two supporting formations, Brown and Pro, with variations/tags, to run the option offense.

Formations

• We will use a single formation, Gold, as the primary formation

– This will be the basis for all formations used by our offense

– Gold is a combination of the Flexbone/Spread

• Wide OL splits

• Two receivers out wide

• QB is in the pistol alignment

• Wings are split out 5 yards from the OT

– Purple is the ‘standard Flexbone’ with the QB under center and the wings 1x1 off of the OT’s

• We will use two other formations, Brown, and Pro

– Brown is a Wishbone with no tight ends

• It can also be viewed as Gold but with the wings brought back and aligned behind, and to the side, of the Tailback

– Pro is 2‐backs (I or split), a TE, and a split end

• We will use tags to adjust the alignments of the players

– Both Purple and Gold will be able to utilize all tags

Formation Identification

• The strength of the formation is called to the Y/TE/wide receiver side

– In a Right call the Y is on the right of the formation

– In a Left call the Y is on the left of the formation

– The X is always away from the Y

• Except for the X Over/Y Over formation tag

• Player Identification

– 1: Quarterback

– 2: B‐back /Tailback (formerly the Fullback)

– 3: A‐back/Halfback

– 4: A‐back/Halfback

– X: Wide receiver or tight end

– Y: Wide receiver or tight end, our strength call

Note on X/Y Alignment

Personnel‐Position CharacteristicsPosition Characteristics / Who Are We Looking For?

Tackle

The tackle has to have good feet in order to rip inside for the veer release and combo block with the guard. He must be quick enough to deal with quick defensive ends that get upfield and around on the pass rush. He would normally be an OLB type body style.The tackle is #3 on the list of importance for linemen.

Guard

Should be the strongest lineman and be able to block a 2‐ and possibly a 3‐technique for the inside veer. He has to be quick enough to pull for G’s, Counters, and screens. He must have good balance and enough strength to handle a bull rush.The guard is #2 on the list of importance for linemen.

Center(The most important lineman, regardless of

the formation.

–Frank Leahy)

The center is the best overall offensive lineman and is #1 on the list of importance for linemen. We will take the best lineman and teach him to snap the ball. Must be smart in order to make the correct line calls. He needs to have quick feet so he can check frontside on passes and be able to block back. He will be pulling on the Wrap, Zone Read, and Outside zone. He has to have the concentration level to deal with any audible and Check‐with‐me.

1 – QB

Needs intelligence and can move. He must be able to make quick decisions for the option plays. He must be able to throw an accurate pass. Does not have to be fast, but must have the composure and aggressiveness to stay on, and attack into, the line of scrimmage. He must be able to follow directions for audibles.

2 – B‐Back, Tailback

Strong and quick off the snap. Must hang onto the ball and be able to block. But he is not just a blocking back like he would be as a fullback in the I or Wishbone formations. He will have to block but his importance is as a running threat, not a blocker.

This is often the best running back because he can threaten the defense from so many plays.

3, 4 – A‐back, Wings

These are the fastest offensive players. The must be able to get the ball to the corner, run between the tackles, and catch a pass. They must also be in great condition because of the constant pre‐snap motions that are used.

X, Y

The ends are very similar to basketball players because they have to be strong enough to block a defensive end (crack), quick enough to stalk in the open field, and tough enough to catch a pass over the middle. Good hands are the most important quality for this position. Any player that can catch the slant route can be considered.

Line Splits

• The line split is the distance between the outside foot of a lineman and the inside foot of the next lineman between he and the sideline

– The split is used to spread the defense out and make their alignments, and likely assignments, very clear.

• All line splits are at least 3’, all the time.

– May want to consider going 4’ for G‐T

– May also want to ‘Boil the frog’ to widen the defense

– We cannot close the splits down, no “herding”

• Linemen Depth

– We want the OL to align as deep/off the ball as possible. We want the top of the helmet even with the belt of the center

– The best way to do this is to align with the down hand on the heels of the center.

– This will help with the pulling and zone/scoop blocking

• Our linemen will follow these rules because:

– We need the splits to spread the defense so we have room

– We also want the DL & DE’s to play in ‘air’, make them uncomfortable

– Defenders will be coming at the FB from angles and the side, resulting in more arm tackles

– Defenders will be farther away so the QB has more time for the reads

T G

3’3’

Y

3’

TG

3’ 3’

Y

3’

Point of Attack (POA) Numbering

• The holes are used in our playbook to indicate where the ball is going (POA) and to provide us with a consistent way of referring to the play

• All holes are based on the centerline of the player

• In this scheme we will number the holes from the right outside to the left outside, using 1‐9 to identify each POA

• 1 is the far right, 9 is the far left, and are used identify the sweeps and very wide plays

6 4 3 2789 15

FormationsCall/Tag Description / Purpose

PurpleBase Flexbone/Spread formation with 3’ splits for the OL, wings 1x1 outside of each OT, QB under center, Tailback behind, and X/Y split wide

GoldPurple formation but QB is 2‐4 yards off nose of the ball (pistol), FB is 1.5 yards behind the QB, and the wings are 5 yards outside the OT’s.

Brown Wishbone formation with two receivers split out (X, Y)

Pro Base 2‐back (I or split), with a split wide receiver (X), a tight end (Y), and a split end (4/Z)

• When the ball is on a hash the X/Y to the wide side of the field will align at the opposite hash + 4 yards

• The A‐back will split the difference between the OT and the X/Y

Formation TagsCall/Tag Description / Purpose

Empty

2‐back moves into a trips formation to the side called. He aligns inside the slot, splitting the distance between the OT and the slot. Slots may move out wider based on scouting.

Empty Left, Empty Right

Flex

X/Y moves to 2‐3 yards from EMLOS, outside of the 3‐4 backs.

Flex, Flex Left, Flex Right

Go

Guard Over. The call will likely be GOR (left guard moves over to the right) and GOL (right guard moves over to the left). The guard that moves will be closest to the C.

Heavy

Both X & Y move to the TE position. OL goes to 1’ splits and moves up to the LOS. 3 & 4 split out 5‐10 yards away from EMLOS.

Heavy, Heavy Left, Heavy Right

(In)Vert

The WR and Slot exchange horizontal alignment. The objective is to change which defender is covering our receivers.

Vert, Vert Left, Vert Right

King / Queen

The B‐back aligns to the side of the QB, with his heels on the toes of the QB. His inside foot splits the OG.

King is to the left, Queen is to the right.

Left / Right

The base formation is Right, with Y on the right. Depending on personnel may also swap the wings (3 & 4)

Purple Left, Gold Right

Quads

Wings move out 1‐2 yards inside the X/Y receivers

Quads, Quad Left, Quad Right


Stack

The X/Y moves closer to the OT and the A‐backs/slots stack behind the X/Y

TOL

Tackle over left. The right OT moves over and aligns outside of the left OT. The right X/Y receiver replaces the OT as a TE.

Purple TOL, Gold TOL

TOR

Tackle over right. The left OT moves over and aligns outside of the right OT. The left X/Y receiver replaces the OT as a TE.

Purple TOR, Gold TOR

Trips

Three receivers to the same side with a TE. Trey Left the X would move down as the TE, 4 would move to the left side, outside of the 3.

Purple Trey Left, Purple Trey Right, Gold Trey Left, Gold Trey Right

Trey

Three receivers to the same side with no TE. Trey Left the 4 would move to the left side, splitting the X and 3. Trey right the 3 would move to the right, splitting the Y and 4.

Purple Trey Left, Purple Trey Right, Gold Trey Left, Gold Trey Right

X Over

X moves to same side as the Y, becomes dead trips. Splits the distance between the EMLOS and the Y.

Purple X Over, Gold X Over

Y Over

Y moves to same side as the X, becomes dead trips. Splits the distance between the EMLOS and the X.

Purple Y Over, Gold Y Over


Prince/Princess

The A‐back aligns to the side of the QB, with his heels on the toes of the QB. His inside foot splits the OG.

Prince is the left A‐back, Princess is the right A‐back.

Rhino

Both A‐backs move into the Prince and Princess alignments.

Bunch

Tag for the Trey formation. X/Y would move to 8‐15 yards from the OT, and the 3 & 4 would bracket the X/Y, 1 yard off LOS. This would be a passing formation.

Purple Trey Left Bunch, Purple Trey Right Bunch, Gold Trey Left Bunch, Gold Trey Right Bunch

Base Formations

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Purple (“Purple Right”, the base formation)

Gold (“Gold Right”, the base formation)

Brown (“Brown Right”, the base formation)

Pro Right

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1

3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1

3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Note: The skill players are color coded to match the practice jerseys. This concept is also used when we run the scout offense against our defense.

Purple Alignment

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Position Alignment

1 – QB • The QB, the 1, is under center. He is aligned directly behind the C.


• The toes of the B‐back, the 2, are 3‐4 yards from the heels of the QB. He is aligned directly behind the QB.


• The A‐backs, the 3 and 4, are generally aligned less than 1‐yard from the OT and just behind of the OT

• These backs are generally aligned with their inside foot aligned behind the outside foot of the OT

• Their depth is such that the can stretch forward and just touch the outside hip of the OT

X, Y• The WR’s, the X and Y, are split 13‐18 yards from the OT, but no closer to the sideline than the bottom of the numbers

Notes

• The depth of the TB may vary based on the relative speeds of the personnel and the type of play.

• The key is that the depth is not locked and can/should be changed to ensure that the play timing runs as well as the players can execute

Gold Alignment

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Position Alignment

1 – QB• The toes of the QB are 1.5‐4 yards (3 is preferred) from the heels of the C. He is aligned directly behind the C.


• The toes of the B‐back, the 2, are 1.5‐3 yards from the heels of the QB. He is aligned directly behind the QB.


• The A‐backs, the 3 and 4, are split 5 yards from the OT and aligned at the same depth as the QB


Notes

• The depth of the QB and TB will likely vary based on the relative speeds of the personnel, the type of play, and the ability of the C. These depths will have to be identified before the season starts.


Brown Alignment

1

3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Position Alignment

1 – QB• The QB, the 1, is in pistol (he can be under center). He is aligned directly behind the C.


• The toes of the B‐back, the 2, are 2‐3 yards from the heels of the QB. He is aligned directly behind the QB.


• The A‐backs, the 3 and 4, are aligned with their outside foot splitting the center of the OG

• They are in a 2‐point stance, with their toes aligned on the heels of the 3‐back


Notes

• The depth of the TB may vary based on the relative speeds of the personnel and the type of play.


• The assignments for the players are the same as Purple and Gold, but the use of motions is likely not necessary

Gold Formations

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Right (“Gold”, the base formation)

Gold Flex

Gold Heavy

Gold Left

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1 3

T G G T

2

4

XY

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Formations

Gold TOL – Tackle Over Left

Gold TOR – Tackle Over Right

Gold X Over

Gold Y Over

13

T GG

2

4

YTX

13

TGG

2

4

YTX

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Note: In TOL/TOR one OT will always be outside, the other will always be inside. This will help with learning and executing assignments.

Gold Formations

Gold King

Gold Queen

Gold Stack

Gold Quads

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

24

X Y

13

TGGT

24

X Y

Gold Formations

1 3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Trey Right

Gold Trips Right

Gold Trey Right Heavy Left (Miner Right)

Gold Trips Right Heavy Left

1 3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1 3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1 3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Formations

1

3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Trey Right Bunch

Gold Trey Left Bunch

Gold Trey Right Heavy Left (Miner Right)

Gold Trips Right Heavy Left

1

3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1 3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1 3

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Formations

Gold Empty Right

Gold Empty Right

Gold Vert

Gold Vert Right

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2 4

X Y

13

TGGT

2 4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Gold Formations

Prince

Princess

Rhino

Rambo (Empty)

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

1 3

TGGT

2 4

X Y

Formation Notes

• Given the number of formation tags the possible configurations is pretty large, large enough that we will not be able to practice/use all of them

– However, there are some combinations that are worthy of more investigation

• Trips Right TOL

– Trips to the right, into the boundary, and then move the OT to the left

– This creates a situation where there is trips to one side but the 3‐blocker side is away from the TE

– This is likely to create alignment stress for the opponent while not limiting our offense significantly

1 3

T GGT

2

4

X Y

Purple Formations

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Purple (“Purple Right”, the base formation)

Purple Flex

Purple Heavy

Purple Left

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

T G G T

2

4

XY

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Purple Formations

Purple TOL – Tackle Over Left

Purple TOR – Tackle Over Right

Purple X Over

Purple Y Over

13

T GG

2

4

YTX

13

TGG

2

4

YTX

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Purple Formations

Purple Trey Right

Purple Trips Right

Purple Quads

Empty Left

13

TGGT

2 4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

Purple Formations

Purple Vert

Purple Vert Right

xxx

xxx

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

13

TGGT

2

4

X Y

IDENTIFICATION OF DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENTS

The positions of the defensive personnel are identified using the standard nomenclature. This identification mechanism is used throughout the football world and will form a common basis for our team communications regarding the positions of defensive personnel.

Defensive Numbering

• In this structure the position that is head‐up on the C is the 0 position. – The numbering is replicated on each side of the C

• Even numbers to each side ‐ 2, 4, 6, 8 are head up on the G, T, TE, and wing respectively.

• 1 is the A‐gap and is usually shaded over the C– This commonly called a ‘Shade’ technique as well

• 3 is the B‐gap

• 5 is outside shade of the OT

• 7 is the D‐gap

• 9 is outside the Wing

• A “i” tag is used to indicate that the defender has an inside shade, usually on the 2 (G) or 4 (T) positions

2i4i 42 86031 5 7 9

Defensive NumberingLinebackers and other second‐level defenders are identified using the same numbering scheme, but have the addition of a “0” to the number: A 10 would be a LB aligned 2‐4 yards off the LOS with his inside eye over the shoulder of the center. A 40 would be a defender aligned off the LOS head up on the OT.

Technique Description Responsibility

0 / 00N head up on the center, responsible for the physical play side

Either A‐gap

1 / 10DL inside eye to outside shoulder of the center. Also called a shade technique

A‐gap

2i / 20i DL outside eye to inside shoulder of the OG A‐gap

2 / 20 DL head up on the OG in a pre‐slant alignment. A‐gap

3 / 30 DL inside eye to outside shoulder of the OG B‐gap

4i / 40i DL outside eye to inside shoulder of the OT B‐gap

4 / 40 DL head up on the OT in pre‐slant alignment B‐gap

5 / 50 DL inside eye to outside shoulder of the OT C‐gap

6 / 60 DL head up on the tight end in pre‐slant alignment C‐gap

7 / 70 DL inside eye to outside shoulder of the tight end C‐gap

8 / 80 DL head up on the TE in pre‐slant alignment Contain

9 / 90 DL inside eye to outside shoulder of the wing Contain

frogbone offense, v:1.5 the bullfrog spread...

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