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ESTABLISHING A QUICK-PACED OFFENSE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL

by: C. Gordon Davis,
Teacher and Coach, Conestoga High School (PA)
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Aside from scoring, the ability to control the clock and the tempo of a football game is the primary objective of any offense. For years, the pattern was to pound the ball slowly and chew up the clock to control a game and defeat an opponent. Yet, with the advent of the spread offense, the speed of play calling and substitutions has quickened, allowing coaches to better manage the tempo and get more offensive scoring opportunities.

Adopting a quick-paced, quasi-huddle at the middle school level allows coaches the opportunity to change the flow of the game and get more offensive plays. After all, an offense can score only once per possession, so coaches want to increase the number of scoring opportunities they have. 

At Conestoga Unlimited, we want to establish a quick-paced offense in a simple manner. It always struck me as silly when you see a team huddle at seven yards, then send the center out to the line to get set.  If he only needed to hear the play once, why did everyone else need to hear it twice? Furthermore, what does the coach expect of the center? We don’t ask our center to call defenses or blocking schemes, so it seems unnecessary to use this approach. Besides, huddling seven yards back and then running to the ball wastes time and energy. 

Our approach is quite simple since we use wristbands and have a budget which allows us to purchase these wristbands. We call our high-tempo offense Pioneer, after our mascot. It may seem  oxymoronic that Pioneer would represent our up-tempo attack, but it just matters that the staff agrees on a term and sells it to the players.  I’ve heard some coaches use Indy for an up-tempo offense to remind players of the auto race, but that term is part of our practice vocabulary during individual time, and we want to avoid confusion for our players. Again, we strive to keep it simple for them.

By the nature of our offense, we call personnel packages first. At the middle school level, coaches will want to choose a personnel group that allows them the most useful formations and plays for this fast-paced offensive attack. This tempo might only be run with one personnel package depending on the players’ ability to grasp the concept. Next, we call the motion, followed by the formation and play. 

Let me provide a scenario.  On first down we huddle as a group in a college-type huddle. Linemen turn their backs to the ball; the other six huddle in a modified circle. The center sets the huddle at four yards. Believing the defense has the ability to listen to the play call at this depth, then dissect the terminology, and make adjustments is foolish. Players in middle school have enough difficulty with their play calls. We call the play, they then break the huddle, and sprint to the ball.

Suppose we pick up two yards on first down and are now faced with a second and eight. Immediately we call PIONEER TEMPO and our personnel grouping. If we want two TEs, one WR, a FB, and HB, we call Rhino. This particular personnel package includes larger, run-blocking personnel and is most frequently used for our base, I-FORMATION offense. The rhino is a strong animal which reminds the players of the likely play calls and also sets a tone for the attack. Some coaches might prefer to use a white board or even a laminated card to communicate the package. We are able to simply call out the package. 

Whatever the case, it is important that players understand which personnel packages they are a part of and what position they play in those packages. All personnel players outside of linemen wear wristbands. Usually, personnel packages do not join the quasi-huddle; doing so allows them to move immediately to their formation position upon receiving the call from the sideline.

The center will set the quasi-huddle at three yards with his back turned. The linemen position themselves in the most convenient spot so that they may simply turn around and get set. Remember - we want to save time and energy for competition, not to use it getting in and out of the huddle.  

Now, the play caller from the sideline can call the wristband number or the actual play. The wristband call works well for us. Imagine the coach calling “Rip, Wristband One.” This tells the players that the play will use rip motion (meant for the WR) and the play call is on the wristband as number one. Personnel players need only to read their wristbands and align as prompted. 

The QB will relay the play to the linemen twice, along with the snap count. For simplicity, we assume each play is on one, unless otherwise noted in the play call. The term will change throughout the season or game. Otherwise our players know the snap is on one. If necessary, we will use a dummy call. Once the play call is delivered to the line, they will break, turn and get set, allowing us to minimize time and save their energy for the actual play.

The whole scenario might go like this: “Rhino, Rhino.  Wrist band 1.” Notice no motion was called. Wrist band one happens to be Tight Right Formation, 33 ISO (a run play with a running back running through the three hole). Without a call at the end, it is assumed the snap count is one. Personnel will check their wristbands while the QB relays the play to the line and everyone gets set. 

Running our offense at this pace allows us to spot the ball and run a play in fifteen to twenty seconds, while saving energy and time for the actual play. We want our energy expended from the line of scrimmage forward, not from the huddle. 

Some coaches may fear the defense recognizing the play call number and the play, in which case they can alter how they deliver it; for example, wristband ten becomes wristband 110

Choosing to run a quasi-huddle like our Pioneer tempo requires commitment and patience. It is not something that must be run with every string of offense, nor is it something that must be run throughout the entire game; however, utilizing a fast-paced attack will allow coaches to control the tempo, waste less energy and time getting in and out of the huddle, and will increase the amount of scoring plays run on offense. 






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