Article CategoriesAFM Magazine
|
CONVERSION ROUTES IN THE EMPTY OFFENSEby: Mike KucharSenior Writer, American Football Monthly © More from this issue The Pivot and Spacing concept – easy to execute and even easier to install. Running the empty offense has many advantages; the ability to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically, getting advantageous matchups on the perimeter and opening up run seams in the defense are just a few of them. Yet, many coaches are hesitant when it comes to installing the empty-look variation in their playbooks. Some even feel as if it needs to be an integral part of the offense in order to be run correctly. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t. Where there is shotgun, there is empty; the adjustment is simply making a substitution for the single back. Most empty teams will even use their 10 personnel (one back, no tight end) structure and line the back up as a slot either way or motion him out on cadence. Whichever way one chooses, there is no better way to make a defense declare their rotation, coverage or front than coming out in a five-wide, no-back set.
The Spacing Concept In concept, the spacing route’s rules don’t change. The furthermost inside receiver (H) runs an arrow route. The number two receiver (Y) will set on the number two defender’s hip and run an option route or shoot, usually breaking inside. The receiver closest to the sideline (Z) will run what Wilkinson calls a mini-curl route and shut it down at 6-7 yards (See Diagram 2).
The QB’s read will change depending on coverage, but in any type of quarters or cover three, the read must be that flat defender. “In three it’s an easy read off the flat defender. If he gets width with the shoot/arrow, the mini-curl should be open. If he drops under the mini-curl, then the shoot/arrow is open.” Because the zones change in cover two, so does the QB’s read progression. “The biggest thing in cover two is keeping the Mike LB in the middle of the field. If we can do that, we are still working three-on-two to the spacing side. We can not allow him to push to our trips side,” says Wilkinson. “If he is in the middle, then we are thinking we are now going to play the mini-curl to the sit route because the roll corner would play the flat and take the shoot/arrow. If the Mike starts to overplay towards the spacing side, then we must attack away from him. Our favorite way to do this is to use double slants on the backside (See Diagram 3).”
Pivot Concept Once Flinn gets the right situation, he’ll run the pivot route concept which gets his better receivers the ball in the open field. “The rules for the receivers are relatively simple. On the snap of the ball, both pivot runners (depending on the call) will depart on a 45-degree angle inside. Their aiming point is 3-4 yards down the field. Once they get to the top of their stem, they will plant off their inside foot and kick their dead leg out flat to the boundary,” said Flinn. At the top of their stem, they will quickly check the quarterback because they are the hot alert on this particular pattern. The dig runner (the receiver adjacent to the pivot) will depart on a vertical stem up to ten yards. At ten yards he will edge break the route flat by kicking his dead leg flat down the line. Once he reads man or zone, he will continue down the edge looking for an open window versus zone or sticking and separating versus man coverage.” In the X Pivot (See Diagram 4)
At Villanova, Flinn teaches his QBs to use a combination of movement key and progression reads. Whether the Wildcats are running the Pivot to the field or boundary, the routes will build a triangle with a dig high and two pivots down below. The movement key – which depends on coverage – will tell the QB where to go with the ball in the triangle. “For all Pivots, the movement key is the defender over the slot to the call side. If this defender zone-drops out at the snap, the quarterback will throw the ball to his number one read in the progression – the call-side pivot,” said Flinn. “Versus a spot-dropping team we will take this throw early in game and on normal downs as much as they want to give it to us.” “If the movement key runs out with the callside pivot, the quarterback will immediately go to his number two read in the progression – the dig. Once that movement key runs out of the dig window, the quarterback should replace him by throwing the dig inside. Whether it’s man or zone, the dig should come open if all involved are reading coverage correctly. If both number one and two in the progression are covered, that means any additional defender has moved to the call side. The great thing about empty formations is that they allow us to quickly outnumber defenders in the underneath zones. The quarterback knows that if both the call side pivot and dig are covered, he should be able to work back to read number three is his progression – the pivot away from the call side.” Every coach has to make decisions about when to call certain plays, but to Flinn and the Villanova staff, any time is a good one to run the Pivot. “When we first started running Pivot it was primarily a long yardage or cover two call because you can high-low the underneath defender to the call/dig side,” said Flinn. “Now we’re at the point where we can run it just as much on normal downs and verses man and bail coverage. It has become one of the primary patterns that we run. So many of our players have become comfortable with it and our QB sees it well too.” |
|
HOME |
MAGAZINE |
SUBSCRIBE | ONLINE COLUMNISTS | COACHING VIDEOS |
Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved