Implementing the Triple Option Offense

In todays day of commercial athletics, particularly high school and college football. Many strategies have been incorporated to not only win football games, but sell tickets as well. One of these strategies has been to open the game up to pass oriented offenses. This strategy has been very beneficial for schools with abundant talent, but what about the schools that do not have a pro style passer or 6'4" receiver in their program? Thats were the Flexbone comes in.

Many schools have been able to implement the triple option and establish success at their particular school. examples are Air force and Navy in Division I, as well as Georgia Southern in Division I AA. Not to mention the countless high schools and small colleges through out the nation. What we are going to discuss is the reasons why the Flexbone is an advantage for schools with lesser talent, and some of the intricacies of this great offense.

First what are the advantages of running the Flexbone? This is an offensive system that allows lesser athletes to be competitive on the field. The flexbone leaves two defenders unblocked and exploits both the inside and outside of a defense. The flexbone makes a defense balance out. The defense must play responsibility football, or run the risk of a big play. Takes away the aggressiveness of the defense, defensive coordinators can not blitz as readily. The flexbone allows a team to control the clock and the tempo of the game. One does not need a great passer to run this offense. Allows for more speed on the field. One can run the ball with smaller quicker lineman.

The Flexbone offense starts with a base formation and specific line splits. The base formation has two slot backs which we will refer to as "A" backs lined up 1X1 from the tackles in a 2 point stance , the split receivers are lined up outside the numbers if in the middle of the field.

Line splits for the offensive line are 3 feet, from guards to center. From tackle to guard is 3 1/2 to 4 feet. This done in an attempt to widen the read key ( which we will discuss later). The fullback will line up in a 3 point stance with his hands at 4 yards from the heels of the quarterback.

In running the triple option , one must understand the rules and philosophy of the play. Philosophically speaking the premise of the play is to establish the fullback. This is done by reading the First down lineman from the B gap out. The path of the fullback, will be the outside hip of the guard. Now running the play is not as simple as calling it and running it, you must run to the side with the least amount of defenders. This is done by by using a count system, their various methods to count defenders to run the option, but I will discuss the most simple. the quarterbacks pre-snap read will start by locating the free safety in a cover 3 , if the safety or any defender is head up on the center they count as half a man, if the free safety is to either side of the field than the play will be run away from the free safety since it would be a 5 defender side. Against a cover 2 the quarterback will run to the side of the largest technique on the line. For example a 9 technique instead of a 5 technique. Now comes the read, the quarterback will read the hat of the read key. if the read key attacks the dive the quarterback will disconnect and continue on with the pitch key.

Attacking the pitch key is another aspect of the play, the quarterback will attack the outside shoulder of the pitch key in order to open up the alley. If the pitch key attacks the quarterback he pitches the ball, if the pitch key sits or chases the pitch man the quarterback keeps the ball. I hope this article was of benefit to anyone looking to implement the triple option offense.