- More Solutions to Problem #3

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Continued from:
32 Solutions for the 12 Biggest Problems You'll Face this Season

Problem 3: Not being able to get the ball in the hands of your playmaker and teams finding ways to limit his touches...what do you do to counter the frustration inherent to this problem?

As the offensive coordinator in a triple option offense it is important for me to look for and identify mismatches in our opponent's scheme, fronts, coverages, and personnel. It is my job to use formations, motions, and personnel groupings to create those mismatches and get the ball to the playmakers. Being that football is a team game, we also look for what the defense is giving us and then use that to our advantage. One player is not going to make or break us.

Keith Wheeler, Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach
Holbrook Roadrunners (AZ)

The solution: Teams will try to neutralize your best player ( playmaker) in varying ways? The opportunity is to let your playmaker get his touches and you, as his coach, need to re-inforce it? If he is a WR, TE or RB you have many ways to devise, adjust and implement him through planning and preparation. You need a contigency or reseve plan--which has been practiced--in case of this situation. If your QB, he needs to rely on his ability, knowledge and instinct to alleviate the problem.

Ron Price, Assistant Coach
Santa Rosa High School (CA)

As with all coaches, formations and motions help with this situation. Some unique motions we use are ‘orbit’ and ‘track.’ In’Orbit’ the motion man sprints across the formation and then circles back through the tailbacks location towards the side he started from. ‘Track’ is similar-- once across the fromation he spins and runs right back across in his same tracks. Being a spread option team, we also use the flip option where the motion man becomes the dive back and the dive back becomes the pitchman. And finally we incorperate crossing combination routes in the passing game and crossing scheme with the bubble screen.

Randy Pinkowski, Head Football Coach
C.B. Aycock H.S. (NC)

Perhaps the most important part of game planning durring the week is figuring out ways to get the ball in your playmaker's hands. It is up to the coach and his staff to make sure he is getting the ball. You need to mix up formations, move your playmaker into different positions, use different motions. Address in the booth what the defense is doing and make adjustments. Under no circumstances can you let your opponent take your playmaker out of the game.

Bill Kennedy, Head Football Coach
Spring Valley HS (NY)

I assume you are talking of receivers. We put him in motion. It's much harder to jam or set the defense to stop him when in motion and moving out of different sets.

Sam Harp,Head Football Coach
Danville High School (KY)

I'm a firm beliver that you cannot put all of your eggs in one basket meaning that you cannot win football games if your offensive game plan is based on one individual. Defensive coordinators will game plan by taking away what your offense does best especially if that means a certain playmaker. As an offensive coach you've got to be able to spread the touches among your skill players. Confidence is the key to spreading the touches and putting those players in the position to make plays. If you have confidence in all the skill players they will have confidence in themselves.

Jared Van Acker, Head Varsity Football Coach
Galax High School (VA)

This usually happens when you don't have another weapon. Teams need a person and a system they can hang their hat on. If the person is not the option, the system has to be. I have coached teams that believed so much in the trap that they believed that no one could stop it. Because of their belief, they were mostly right.

Bob DeLong, Offensive coordinator
Xenia high School (OH)

Defensive coaches want to take away what you do best. A team will not have regular and consistent success if it relies on a single playmaker or type of play. There has to be a way to make the opponent pay for shutting down a certain play or playmaker. Look to companion plays and exploit defensive weaknesses.

Larry Payne, Assistant Coach (retired)
North Bend H.S. (OR)

Motion and moving the player around. I will do everything I can to get the ball in his hands. If I have to, he will take the snap. I can also hand the ball off to him or throw to him. Another thing I like to do is use him as a decoy and make the defense defend the rest of our team so we can get him the ball some more.

Zak Bessac, Head Coach/OC
Warner Park HS, Madison (WI)

Like many high schools today, we feature a multiple formation offense. By placing our 'playmaker' in a number of positions and places on the field, we can exploit a defense and force it to over compensate to defend him. When that is done, we use all of the weapons at our disposal. We are not a single player team. In addition, an outstanding player can be of use in a number of beneficial ways; as a blocker, a decoy, a special teams threat, etc. His responsibility is to the TEAM. His contribution(s) are measured in a number of manners and ways. If the player has extraordinary talent, we/he can perform regardless of the tactics devised to stop him. Do not hesitate to use him. His talent must be available and used! The opponent still must perform. We do not ever allow the opponent to take him out of the game. A well coached team will always find ways to use him. Finally, frustration, only occurs when emphasis is misplaced.

Ron Stolski, Head Football Coach
Brainerd High School (MN)

We use the shovel pass as our play whenever we have a key player who has not had enough touches. We run a misdirection shovel (old run ‘n shoot play—a simple trap for the OL), a fake option play with an underneath shovel, and a slip screen type of shovel. These plays offer virtually a 100% completion rate (not a bad selling point to the QB also) and because the OL blocks each as standard plays, we can generally get a guaranteed touch with a chance for that playmaker to have an opportunity for such a play. We always include these in our script to make sure we get the ball in his hands early or at key moments in the game.

Steve Hopkins, Head Football Coach
Basehor-Linwood H.S. (KS)

You need to get other complementary plays rolling and allowing your playmaker to open up other aspects of your playbook. I think you need to sit down with your playmaker and explain that this will better the team and will eventually lead to more success for him when he gets his opportunities. Be sure that you do have complements to everything you do within you playbook to avoid over-dependence. Also, show the playmaker that you still believe in him by going to him as often as possible and still provide the touches.

Joe Pearson, Head Coach
Solanco High School (PA)
Make adjustments using this playmaker as a decoy, and opening up the offense to get everyone more involved.

Gerald Aubrey
Asst.Coach

Remembering that the playmaker sometimes is unavailable for whatever reason is really the key. We ask ourselves "What if Jones is out?" and make emergency provisions. When "Jones" is not out he becomes a totally distracting influence. If we will recognize that they are devoting a big part of their scheme to stopping him. A simple shift to the contingency plan starts questions by the defense that has geared for "Jones" all week. Questions in their minds mean an equal advantage to us!"

J. Gawen Stoker, former HFC
Indian Valley HS (PA)

Obviously, if a team is focusing so much on one of our players they are leaving a weakness elsewhere. We attempt to exploit that weakness until our opponent re-adjusts-- then we go to our playmaker. With regards to the frustration, if the culture of your team has become team oriented, your playmaker will take pride in his blocking, fakes and routes even if they are not getting the ball.

R. Scott Thompson, Head Football Coach
Montgomery Lonsdale JHS (AL)

Our playmakers at our level are our backs so we can get the touches they need.

Allan Amrein, Head Coach
Kennedy Middle School, Hays (KS)

Being a Wing-Y /Option coach for over 20 years, I have had playmakers at all positions. My initial solution is a versatile offense that is not position dependent. I had a slotback with over 1800 rushing yards one season. In 2001 my fullback was our best player and he rushed for over 1300 yards. In 2002 with our fullback graduated, our quarterback had over 1200 rushing yards featuring the midline, inside veer, and speed option. I have had a couple of receivers who required a lot of attention from the opposing defense. In those seasons, and every other in which we had success, teams obviously knew we wanted to feature those playmakers and their defensive game plans were designed to prevent that from happening. Sometimes they succeed in limiting the productivity of your best player, but when that happens it usually opens up other facets of your offense. In 2007, we relied heavily on the jet and rocket sweeps. We had a great little slotback who could really fly. We played our big rival and they were determined that he would not beat them. Every time he came in motion their defense rotated heavily to that side and predictably he did not have a great game, but our quarterback ran for over 100 yards on the midline and threw for over 100 yards and 3 TD's on boot passes. Our little slotback responded the next week with 180 yards and 3 TD's. No matter what offense you run, you have to develop versatility and be a good counter puncher. Secondly, even though we are not complicated on offense, we do use a lot of formations and we are able to move our best player around and try to get him the ball in various ways. We have also started using more of a no-huddle offense to force the defense to find the playmaker and line up to defend him in a short amount of time. This is how we try to approach this problem. I think it is just good common sense in planning your attack.

Tony Byram, Head Football Coach
Crawford County HS, Roberta (GA)

This has happened many times. The one plan we have used successfully is to put this player (receiver or ball carrier) in motion. This does two things--1) it generally frees up the playmaker and 2) observing how the defense adjusts to the motion may open other holes in the defense. This has worked well for us.

Jerry Parrish, Retired Head Coach
North Kitsap High School (WA)

I try to move him around. Change formations, backfield sets, etc. I also try very hard to be unpredictable. One way I know I'm becoming predictable is when the other team starts taking him away from me. Of course, you have to have plan B. If you can't get him the ball you better have a back-up plan to move the ball. If it works, you can always go back to him later when they are worrying about something else.

Thomas Taylor, Teacher/Football Coach
Weir High School (WV)

Use motion and multiple formations so the defense can't be set by last week’s game film.

Fred Wieck, Head FB
Clear Lake High School (IA)

Move him to different positions. Use formations to hide"him. Use motion to disrupt the defense.

Bob Reeves, Offensive Line Coach
New Hope High School (MS)

Fortunately, our guy is both a special player and smart! Eventually he will be rendered ineffective, or have an off-night. He knows that at times he'll need to be the decoy, and the rest of the guys know that someone will need to step up. You need to keep giving him the ball though, and hopefully he can break one. We tell the team that everyone will at some point have an opportunity to contribute, and you just don't know when you'll be called upon. It's an 11 man game and you better have some other weapons that you have worked on in anticipation of this.

Barton W. Miller, Offensive Coordinator
Trinity HS, Camp Hill (PA)

Get the ball to him on short routes. If he is a back, swing him out of the backfield, screen passes. But good backs will usually bust one at some point. Keep giving the ball to your STUD!

Anthony, Defensive Coordinator
Lawrence High School

We plan ahead. We always have a player who we know going into the season is a playmaker and can make a difference in any game. We prepare that player to be able to be used in more than one position. They have to find him. He can line up as a RB, TB, WR, TE, Slot, motion and shift to a position. When we find the weakest match up, we make the adjustment to use him in that position when the game situation calls for it. A lot of pressure goes into the offensive coordinator and the guy's in the booth to track all the early coverage of our gamebreaker.

Louis Farrar, Head Coach
Charter Oak High School (CA)

I get the playmaker the ball. The defense does not limit the touches of a playmaker, the coach does. If you have an outstanding athlete on your team as the coach you must get him the ball. This especially true at the high school level. There are so many different ways to get ball in the hands of your playmakers.

Andrew Cotter, Head Football Coach
Moreau Catholic High School (CA)

If the athlete is truly your best player then he should be able to adapt to playing different positions. You can get him into these different positions through trades and motions. This eliminates any sort of definitive double teams or keys that your opponent may have on him and allows him clean touches and space to work with the football.

Joe Davis  Associate Head Coach/OC  North Park University (IL) If he is not a running back, make him one! Give him the ball on reverses, hand-offs, or direct snaps. Include him on the special teams.

Jim Glover, Assistant Coach
Jackson Central-Merry High School (TN)

Utilize motion or put that player in a slot position to keep him off of the LOS. We run the Wing-T and utilize the Rocket toss to get our best player on the perimeter at full speed. We also utilize the midline and veer option to keep teams honest between the tackles. The combination of the Rocket toss and the midline and veer option have allowed us to get the ball in our best players’ hands.

Joe Bosley III, Assistant Football Coach
Hereford High School (TX)

Over the years our best players have been our running backs. We are a Wing-T offense and recently ( over the last four years) we move our backs around. That is, halfbacks to fullbacks, etc. We even moved a back out as a wide reciver against an opponent who we felt had a weak secondary player on him! We ask a lot out of our players regarding learning different positions.

Ed Sadloch, Head Football Coach
Cedar Grove High School (NJ)

Assuming our playmaker is a WR, we align him in different places and motion him to and from different alignments to challenge the defenses' ability to deny him the ball. We vary the routes, releases, and route combinations. For instance, if we were running the mesh route from the bunch set our playmaker would align in or motion to all three spots in the bunch which then gives him three different routes to run. Obviously we complement our mesh route with other routes from the same set or motion.

Thomas A. McDaniels, Head Football Coach
Massillon Jackson HS (OH)

Here at King we will put our playmakers in different positions in our formations and use our motion package to help free them up. We will also make it a point to go away from our known playmakers at different times early during the game to help set up what we want later in games. Force the defense to be aware of all of our skill kids and have them cover the entire field. The last thing we will use if need be is the few trick plays that all coaches have deep in the playbook.

Danny Gouin, Head Football Coach
King

We are a small school and often run into this problem. What I do is put this individual in a lot of different formations and use motion to keep the defense unsure of where he may get the ball from. I will try to be very creative and use the willingness to bracket him to our advantage by shifting late in the cadence. We have been pretty successful with this and it has made us very tough to prepare for.

Kevin Miles, Head Football Coach
Putnam County R-1

To get the ball in the hands of our best playmaker more regularly, we would move him around in our offense (play him at halfback, fullback, wing, slot, flanker, end --even at Shotgun QB if need be) to get him the ball. On special teams we might move him around (disguise him as much as possible) to get him the ball on returns (pitch him the ball, etc.) Also, we would motion him to get him into a position to either hand off the ball to him (jet sweep) or get him open in the flat area for an easy reception. In our offense (mostly Wing-T) we can move him around to get him the ball from a variety of positions.

John R. Mackay, Director of Athletics/Head FC
St. George's School (RI)

As far as I know, you decide which player gets the ball and how often. Unless, the other team is calling your plays and determining your formations getting the ball to your playmaker is entirely up to you. Some will say but he is a receiver and they double team him and we cant get the ball to him. My response to that is then he's not the playmaker you thought he was. Put him at QB and he'll get 60 touches a game!

Casey Ruthenberg, Head Coach
Annapolis High School (MD)

If we noticed (or heard due to the opposing coach yelling at his players from the sideline) the opposing team keying a back we would then fake to that back and give the ball to the other back either directly, or through a counter play, That usually worked as our other backs are also good.

Robert J. Sayfie, Coach
IHM (7 - 8 grade)

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