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AFM Magazine


Pistol Spread Option Offense

by: Anthony M. Pratley
Head Coach, Leonardtown High School (MD)
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The pistol offense is one of the latest crazes in football. Ever since Coach Chris Ault at the University of Nevada introduced it to the world, the variations have exploded across the high school and college ranks. Having been a spread option (Navy and Air Force-style) and spread offense coach, I decided to take a closer look at the pistol and have since adopted my own variation of it known as the Pistol Spread Option Offense.


As a spread guy, I was married to option plays such as inside veer and zone read. The problem running it out of the shotgun was that most teams were able to key on our offense because of the alignment of the back. The back had to be next to the QB and it was a dead giveaway as to which direction the ball would go. With the pistol, we were able to line the back up directly behind the QB and still be able to run the base plays that we love without tipping our hand to the defense. It also allowed us to run one of my favorite plays from the spread option – the Midline.


Another distinct advantage that we immediately discovered was that our QB was much more comfortable reading plays from the pistol. He felt that he could get a quicker read because he was facing his read as soon as he caught the ball from center. It also allowed him to make his pass reads quicker. In essence, it had all of the advantages of the shotgun and of being under center all rolled into one.


When I took over the program at Leonardtown High School in Leonardtown, MD) we were at the bottom of a long, turbulent ride for most of the players. I was the 4th head coach in just three years, using the 4th system for the players in three years. Not only that, but the Raiders had only one victory in the previous two seasons, and just six victories since 2000. I knew that I would have to bring in a system that would not only have to provide an effective way to move the football, but a system that would be simple to learn and would adapt to the athletes that I had inherited. The Pistol Spread Option Offense did just that. It combines the passing ability of the Shotgun Spread – four wide receivers on nearly every play – with the quick-strike running game of the option offense.


The simplicity of the system is perhaps its greatest advantage. We knew that by showing four wide receivers on nearly every play, we would be able to predict what type of front our opponent would show us. We came up with about five possible combinations that our front-five would face: (See Diagrams 1 – 6)














By knowing what front your opponent is in ahead of time, and by knowing which player is responsible for Dive, QB, and Pitch as well as Flats, we have taken the odds and put them in our favor. We have developed a system by which we will count the box, and determine which plays to run against each front. We even have been known to have a run/pass option called on every play. Although there may be some other front combinations possible, these are the main fronts that we will face. Each of them presents its own unique opportunities for us to take advantage of, using our “two-headed monster” of the option offense and the spread passing game.


While we still have a long way to go as a team, we were able to average over 260 yards per game on offense and accumulated the best record at our school in over ten years utilizing the Pistol Spread Option Offense. In the first season, we had the leading rusher in our conference, and in the second year of the offense, we had a QB that ran for over 200 yards in three different games. In a conference like ours, where we constantly face teams with superior athletes, and recently a state championship team, the system gives us a great equalizer. We are able to capitalize on matchups created by formation, and by knowing each player’s responsibility. The biggest advantage that the offense offered us was the ability to get the ball to our best athletes in space.


Recently, teams in over 13 states and five countries have begun running our system. The best part about the system is that it allows coaches to tweak and put their own stamp on it. In many cases, you won’t even realize that two different teams are running the same system because of the tremendous amount of flexibility that it allows. Some teams focus on the option running game. Some are very pass-happy, and still others use the system to establish a power running game. It really is a system designed to utilize the talent that you have and fit your kids. You don’t have to change offenses from year-to-year based on the athletes that you have. You simply just call different formations and plays that are already in your playbook.

About the Author

Anthony Pratley is currently the Head Coach at Leonardtown High School in Leonardtown, MD. He took over a program that had won just seven games in the past eight seasons and is in a conference where a team has reached the state semi-finals every season. Anthony previously served as the DC at Frankfort HS in Frankfort, MI and Head Coach at Mesick High School in Mesick, MI.

Questions?
If you have any questions you can email the author at:
AnthonyPratley@AmericanFootballMonthly.com





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