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AFM Magazine


The Fly-T

Division II Winona State has averaged close to eight yards per play since emphasizing the \'Fly-T\' offense.
Offensive Coordinator, Winona (Minn.) State
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The Fly-T offense is an offshoot of George Halas' T-formation." Its development is attributed to former L.A. Rams offensive coordinator Hamp Pool. From 1950-55, the talented Rams used this offense to lead the NFL in total offense four times and finish a close second the other year.

I played in the Fly-T in high school. And I've been using the fly series sparingly for several years - mainly as a distraction to defensive coordinators. Our present head coach and defensive coordinator, Tom Sawyer, assured me that the series "gave the defense fits" in practice. This encouraged offensive line coach Ron Williams and me to keep searching the secrets to its consistency.

Winona State was expected to score a lot of points during the 1997 season. We returned nine starters off an offensive unit that set a school scoring record and ranked 13th in Division II in total offense. However, after three games we sat at 1-2 and had scored just 59 points. To make matters worse, a knee injury in game two left us without our only big back.

Film analysis revealed that most of our offensive breakdowns were resulting from the lack of experience in just one line position. It also showed that our first two opponents had virtually eliminated our 6-5, 270-pound senior tight end from the passing game. Facing impending disaster as the conference season approached, we made two significant changes.

First, we switched our tight end to tackle and replaced his position with a third wide receiver. Secondly, we elevated our Fly series, which requires neither a lead blocker or a tight end, to core status within our running game. The success was immediate and profound.

We won our next 17 games, breaking Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference records for scoring (over 47 points per game) and total offense (514 yards per game). The starting offensive unit has averaged close to eight yards per play since we began emphasizing the Fly-T offense.

The following are most of the plays from the fly series as we used it in 1997-98. It includes the halfback fly (fly pitch and jet), fullback Fly (kickout fly, fly zone and fly trap), fly trap option, fly pass, fly reverse and fly-reverse passes. The signature of the series is the outside fly or halfback fly. It includes the fly pitch and the jet, which are run strong and weak from both the normal and split backfield sets. The assignments are outlined in the following diagrams.

In diagram one (48 Fly), the ballcarrier must first try to break contain but could cut one of several different ways.

Diagram 1.


Line assignments: The frontside tackle pulls to block the corner or seal. The frontside guard drives through the defender and releases to the first linebacker if he is covered, or double-teams with the center if uncovered. The center double-teams with frontside guard unless he is uncovered, then he will block away from the play. The backside guard will pull and chop the outside knee of the first defender past the center. The backside tackle will release downfield after bumping his man.

Backfield assignments: A right-handed quarterback will reverse-pivot to the right, then shuffle with the right foot and deliver the ball with a left-foot step. Following the pitch, he leaves arms fully extended and fakes to the fullback. The halfback lines up about six yards deep, splitting the outside leg of the front side tackle. He will cross step, then start turning downfield, looking for the ball on the third step toward the line of scrimmage. The fullback lines up slightly deeper than the halfback and works downhill toward the play. He opens his inside arm before clamping down as the pitch flies in front of him. He will then fake through the line and look inside for the linebacker.

Perimeter blocking: The widest receiver will block the safety unless the inside receiver calls "X," in that case he will crack on the outside linebacker. The inside receiver will attempt to hook or seal the outside backer. If that cannot be accomplished, he will call "X," jab at the outside linebacker, then belly behind widest receiver and block the safety. If the outside linebacker blitzes, the inside receiver gets him.

In diagram two (48 Fly with "X" call), the slot sets up the block for the wide receiver before releasing to the safety, and the frontside tackle uses the bump technique vs. the defensive end.

Diagram 2.


A schematic key to the play is to protect the pitch area. The frontside guard must be aware of the proximity of the defensive tackle to the pitch-release point. He must delay the defensive tackle until just before the backside guard arrives on his pull. The backside guard must be ready to sell out to make a hit should the defensive tackle gain penetration. A simple hit is enough to prevent the defensive tackle from reaching out far enough to affect the pitch.

In diagram three (29 Jet), the quick pitch is run to the weak side vs. a soft corner. Zone blocking can be used on the front side. The backside can release immediately and the tackle must pull flatter than on the fly pitch.

Diagram 3.


This is a quick pitch that will be released before the fulllback can reach the handoff area. The quarterback does not shuffle and pitches the ball immediately from under the center. The fullback will not be able to reach the fake area until the ball is gone, but the speed of the play will make up for the deception.

Diagram four (34 Kickout Fly) is the companion play to the halfback fly.

Diagram 4.


The fullback gets the ball off the pitch action. The blocking can be the kickout variation (as shown) or inside zone blocking. This is the play on which play-action passes can be derived.

Diagram five (24 Kickout Fly) shows split backs vs. a 5-2 defense.

Diagram 5.


The quarterback will fake the pitch without shuffling and turn back to handoff inside before dropping to pass. The frontside tackle is released inside to the backside linebacker and kick out the defensive tackle.

Diagram six (30 Fly Trap) is run vs. an eight-man front.

Diagram 6.


The line blocking is identical to the fly pitch, except the pulling guard now traps the defensive tackle. The frontside guard will block the backside linebacker after screening the defensive tackle and allowing him to penetrate. The backside tackle blocks the most dangerous man. The quarterback again fakes the fly pitch without shuffling before handing back to the fullback.

In diagram seven (348 Fly Pass), we have the play that is used when facing an aggressive perimeter.

Diagram 7.


We usually hit the outside receiver after he fakes a block on the safety. The key is having the inside receiver duplicate his run- block in earnest for three counts before releasing to a depth of eight yards. The outside receiver must also exhibit patience and deception before running his flag route.

Diagram eight (30 Fly Trap Option Left) is the first play devised to counter backside linebackers collapsing against the inside zone scheme and defensive tackles coming over the top of the center.

Diagram 8.


This play is slow getting off, which allows the halfback to take two steps into his fly action before reversing his field and becoming the pitchman. The frontside tackle performs a "slice" technique, in which he jolts the defensive end with his outside forearm then blocks the outside linebacker. The tackle blocks the defensive end if he slants inside and we option the outside backer. The backside tackle hinges and the other linemen block 30 Fly Trap.

Diagram nine (48 Fly Reverse Left) has the wide receiver intercepting the pitch and picking up the blocks of the center and guard once he breaks contain.

Diagram 9.


This play is used to counteract pursuit. The wide receiver intercepts the fly pitch and picks up the blocks of the center and pulling guard once he has cleared contain. The "X" checks outside linebacker and goes for the safety, if possible.

Diagram 10 (48 Fly Reverse Pass) and Diagram 11 (48 Fake Reverse Pass) are the plays to run once opponents have scouted the reverse.

Diagram 10.


In the fake reverse pass, the wide receiver fakes catching the pitch out. This freezes the corner and safety, allowing the flag route to open. This ball must be thrown quickly by the halfback.

The pitch is a fundamental unique to the fly offense. As such, it is the limiting factor during the installation of this series. It takes as long as two weeks for the quarterback to master. The ball is shot from the hip and is not a pendulum type movement. It should travel at least seven yards with very little arc.

Secondly, your fastest linemen should be placed at the tackle positions in this scheme. Our players at Winona State will tell you that the faster the tackle can run, the more successful the play will be. The halfbacks can be big or small, slashers or scatbacks. But they must be able to throw a spiral 25-30 yards. Do not underestimate the ability of your backs to improve. We've found that we don't have to ask twice for our backs to work on their passing.

In this article we have described only the basics of the Fly-T offense. We use several variations of man-in-motion, and false keys become mandatory at the college level.

In conclusion, the Fly series has certainly been a boon to the Winona State offense. By recycling an old but successful idea, we have created unique recognition problems for defenses. Also, the fly has allowed us to utilize the talents of halfbacks who are considered too small for other offenses. And, finally, the fact that linemen love to pull and backs love to throw makes the Fly-T fun for the players.






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