The Cutback Veer

Cody Mallory
Offensive/Defensive Line Coach
Frankfort High School
Frankfort, MI


This play is a variation of the midline veer play, and just like Coach Dieterich's out scheme, it is a way to take the "fall" player out of the play. Typically, when running midline from a split back formation, we are forced to block defenders one on one with poor angles.

For some teams this might not be a problem, but when you are outsized by most of your opponents, this is unsatisfactory. As you can see from the figure above, the pitch back is a wasted player. The odds that the ball is going to get out to him on the pitch are not good. Therefore, to give ourselves an extra blocker and eliminate the wasted player, we switch roles.

Now the backside halfback is going to recieve the dive, and the frontside halfback will kick out the outside linebacker. The quarterbacks footwork will change slightly for this play. He will step with width and depth at seven or five o'clock. The quarterback also has to get his shoulders parallel to the path of the runner. From there, the quarterback carries out the normal midline ride and read. If the quarterback does not give the ball he will slide into the B gap and make a cut off the block of the frontside halfback.
Another thing that we will do to get better angles and a double team is run a horn block with the PST and TE, with the PST going first and the TE coming down on the inside linebacker.

Position responsibilities
Quarterback- step to 7 or 5, get shoulders parallel to the path of the dive player, preform the dive read, slide into the B gap and get vertical.
Backside Halfback- Step inside foot first directly at the centers butt, no dancing allowed.
Frontside Halfback- Step with outside foot first, and kick out the outside linebacker.
Tight End - Horn block with the PST, seal the inside linbacker to the inside.
PST - Kick out the playside defensive end.
PSG - Inside release to the inside linebacker

...You can determine the rest of the assignments using the play diagrams provided.


Thanks again, Coach Mallory, for sharing with us with a fresh new take on the Midline from splitbacks!

ps. (you'll no doubt notice that some of the position responsibilities "disappeared" when I opened or saved the document... "DOH!" I have no idea what happened, but I'm going to blame MS Word on this one... )

Coach Smith