In Support of Lead Option

Last installment, I extolled the virtue of the base dive versus the shaded 44 stack defense. The problem we were having was dealing with the stacked backer over the 3 tech on ISV. Since we were double teaming the 3 tech, the shade was able to scrape hard and hit our FB in the mouth on the dive. We've decided that rather than try and check off on the LOS with our green QBs, we would just base it on the line and let the FB hit A gap... and it has worked pretty good for us so far.

However, running right up the gut every time you encounter a 3 tech didn't seem to be the complete answer either.

Then we remembered that old veer standby, the Lead (double) Option.





No matter if you have a 3 tech or not, you still have the psILB accounted for with the FB. But that's not the best thing about running the ISV Lead Option vs. the 44. Remember the 5 tech you've been using as the read for the dive? Well, unless you call time out and tell the Defensive Ends the deal, they're still going to be playing the FB. What we've seen from this play, the 5 techs crash in, giving the QB a quick - but managable- pitch read. And let me tell you - man, does the 5 tech give the QB a pitch key!

We let the FB take care of the fake on the dive and it seems to work. We usually have a 3 tech, a 5, and 2 ILBs trying to tackle the FB. The best part is when the interior defensive players all look up and see the Wingback sprinting into the secondary.

Priceless.

Coach Smith

Addendum (11 May 2009):

After running this a few days, something else has become evident. While the Load Block has been outlawed in all states but Texas... and the Load Option has pretty much faded away because of this, you might get a 5 technique so fixated on tackling your FB that you get, in effect, the Load Option while running Lead Option. We had this happen about a third of the time we called Lead Option. The 5 tech crashed so hard the FB never made it to the LOS... the QB pitched right behind the collision and the pitch back was off the the races. The ILBs were also compressing down on the dive and were out of the picture as well.

So why run Lead Option instead of Rocket Toss? Well, I really like Rocket Toss so I'd say you'd better keep running it! But if everybody - and I mean everybody - is compressing down on your dive on ISV, the the Lead Option can get the ball out on the edge almost as fast as Rocket... with the added benefit that inside out pursuit will be slowed as well. (And don't forget Midline Triple or Freeze Option as other means of getting the ball on the perimeter while as the same time getting the defense to compress down instead of fast-flowing to the ball.)