X's and O's (Football 101)

[Finwad32]

We have a lot of bright football minds on this board. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start a thread to break down X's and O's on individual plays. Ideally, I'd like to do this with specific plays that Syracuse runs during a game. Until we play one, though, I'm going to utilize basic concepts that you'll see on any Saturday this Fall.

I love talking football, and I love talking it on this board. I just thought this would be something a little different than what we typically do.

Today - Inside Zone Read with a Backside Bubble Tag.

So here, we've got your basic spread (a 2 by 2 concept.) Meaning there a two eligible WR's on each side of the formation. This is drawn up against your basic 4-3 defense with a Buck coming up to cover the backside slot WR. Strength of this formation is not necessarily declared, so for the purpose of this exercise, the right hand side will be strength. This means any player I refer to as front-side will be to the right, any player I describe as backside will be to the left. The play sequences as follows:

1) Offensive line will work combo blocks on the 5 defenders in the "Box" The sixth defensive player (The circled Defensive End) will not be blocked as he is the read man.
2) As a combo block, the lineman will work together to reach a defender and then the other player in the combo will release to the linebacker.
3) Frontside WR's are responsible for the #1 and #2 defenders. (#1 is indicated by closest to the sideline (C on the right,) #2 by second closest to the sideline, First B on the right hand side.))
4) The QB meshes with the RB, If the circled DE crashes down the line of scrimmage, the QB will not give the football to the running back, he will pull the ball and keep it.
4a) If the circled DE maintains backside responsibility the QB will hand the ball off to the RB.
5) If the DE crashes and the QB pulls the ball, he now isolates the Alley Defender (The B with a Triangle around it).
6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.
In this scenario, we've effectively created a numbers mismatch backside.

This is a base zone read play that you can see on any Saturday.

 

[javadoc]

Despite having watched football for 30 years, I never took the time to learn the X's and O's in detail. I like the idea of this kind of discussion. If I may, I think it would be great if we looked at specific examples from series this year where you think Lester or Bullough did really well, or really poorly, and why. I'd also love to see examples where you can say the design was sound, but execution messed it up - QB missed a read, LB took the wrong angle, etc. Hopefully there will be video we can access so that you can point right to the series and we can watch it happen.

 

[Millhouse]

We have a lot of bright football minds on this board. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start a thread to break down X's and O's on individual plays. Ideally, I'd like to do this with specific plays that Syracuse runs during a game. Until we play one, though, I'm going to utilize basic concepts that you'll see on any Saturday this Fall.

I love talking football, and I love talking it on this board. I just thought this would be something a little different than what we typically do.

Today - Inside Zone Read with a Backside Bubble Tag.

View attachment 49919

So here, we've got your basic spread (a 2 by 2 concept.) Meaning there a two eligible WR's on each side of the formation. This is drawn up against your basic 4-3 defense with a Buck coming up to cover the backside slot WR. Strength of this formation is not necessarily declared, so for the purpose of this exercise, the right hand side will be strength. This means any player I refer to as front-side will be to the right, any player I describe as backside will be to the left. The play sequences as follows:

1) Offensive line will work combo blocks on the 5 defenders in the "Box" The sixth defensive player (The circled Defensive End) will not be blocked as he is the read man.
2) As a combo block, the lineman will work together to reach a defender and then the other player in the combo will release to the linebacker.
3) Frontside WR's are responsible for the #1 and #2 defenders. (#1 is indicated by closest to the sideline (C on the right,) #2 by second closest to the sideline, First B on the right hand side.))
4) The QB meshes with the RB, If the circled DE crashes down the line of scrimmage, the QB will not give the football to the running back, he will pull the ball and keep it.
4a) If the circled DE maintains backside responsibility the QB will hand the ball off to the RB.
5) If the DE crashes and the QB pulls the ball, he now isolates the Alley Defender (The B with a Triangle around it).
6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.
In this scenario, we've effectively created a numbers mismatch backside.

This is a base zone read play that you can see on any Saturday.

you had chip at backside bubble tag. it's his favorite game

 

[Finwad32]

Despite having watched football for 30 years, I never took the time to learn the X's and O's in detail. I like the idea of this kind of discussion. If I may, I think it would be great if we looked at specific examples from series this year where you think Lester or Bullough did really well, or really poorly, and why. I'd also love to see examples where you can say the design was sound, but execution messed it up - QB missed a read, LB took the wrong angle, etc. Hopefully there will be video we can access so that you can point right to the series and we can watch it happen.

I think this is a great idea, I'd love to have some of the board members hanging around breaking down some film. It's a lot easier to formulate your opinons on the staff once you really have a good idea of what they're trying to do and why it is or isn't working.

 

[javadoc]

I think this is a great idea, I'd love to have some of the board members hanging around breaking down some film. It's a lot easier to formulate your opinons on the staff once you really have a good idea of what they're trying to do and why it is or isn't working.

For years I have been reading the post-game breakdowns, and it seems like every game upprdeck cites a handful of plays that were well designed, but the QB just plain missed a golden opportunity. Time to take a look for myself.

 

[TheCusian]

I think this is a great idea, I'd love to have some of the board members hanging around breaking down some film. It's a lot easier to formulate your opinons on the staff once you really have a good idea of what they're trying to do and why it is or isn't working.

More knowledge = always better. Love it.

 

[BomberOrange]

I'm thinking out loud so and just want to see what you think. Say the End is a stud, say in the mold of Vic Beasley from Clemson. He has enough athletic ability to crash more straightforward. That would leave the QB with the only option to hand off yet the End could still pursue the RB from the backside which could result in a short gain. Otherwise you the End has the QB, the Alley has the slot. Yes they are 1 on 1 matchups but with the right personnel they could be relatively easy to defend. That's just one little scenario I came up with on the fly and makes me think of the talent needed to run the spread effectively. Speed is everything (and a smart QB).

 

[Finwad32]

We have a lot of bright football minds on this board. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start a thread to break down X's and O's on individual plays. Ideally, I'd like to do this with specific plays that Syracuse runs during a game. Until we play one, though, I'm going to utilize basic concepts that you'll see on any Saturday this Fall.

I love talking football, and I love talking it on this board. I just thought this would be something a little different than what we typically do.

Today - Inside Zone Read with a Backside Bubble Tag.

View attachment 49919

So here, we've got your basic spread (a 2 by 2 concept.) Meaning there a two eligible WR's on each side of the formation. This is drawn up against your basic 4-3 defense with a Buck coming up to cover the backside slot WR. Strength of this formation is not necessarily declared, so for the purpose of this exercise, the right hand side will be strength. This means any player I refer to as front-side will be to the right, any player I describe as backside will be to the left. The play sequences as follows:

1) Offensive line will work combo blocks on the 5 defenders in the "Box" The sixth defensive player (The circled Defensive End) will not be blocked as he is the read man.
2) As a combo block, the lineman will work together to reach a defender and then the other player in the combo will release to the linebacker.
3) Frontside WR's are responsible for the #1 and #2 defenders. (#1 is indicated by closest to the sideline (C on the right,) #2 by second closest to the sideline, First B on the right hand side.))
4) The QB meshes with the RB, If the circled DE crashes down the line of scrimmage, the QB will not give the football to the running back, he will pull the ball and keep it.
4a) If the circled DE maintains backside responsibility the QB will hand the ball off to the RB.
5) If the DE crashes and the QB pulls the ball, he now isolates the Alley Defender (The B with a Triangle around it).
6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.
In this scenario, we've effectively created a numbers mismatch backside.

This is a base zone read play that you can see on any Saturday.

here is an example to see it live.

 

[Toga]

Not much of a defense.

 

[Rocco]

Good stuff Finny.

I'd also like to do this for some of our unique blitz packages on D. Then we can see through the eyes of opposing OC's.

 

[Millhouse]

We have a lot of bright football minds on this board. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start a thread to break down X's and O's on individual plays. Ideally, I'd like to do this with specific plays that Syracuse runs during a game. Until we play one, though, I'm going to utilize basic concepts that you'll see on any Saturday this Fall.

I love talking football, and I love talking it on this board. I just thought this would be something a little different than what we typically do.

Today - Inside Zone Read with a Backside Bubble Tag.

View attachment 49919

So here, we've got your basic spread (a 2 by 2 concept.) Meaning there a two eligible WR's on each side of the formation. This is drawn up against your basic 4-3 defense with a Buck coming up to cover the backside slot WR. Strength of this formation is not necessarily declared, so for the purpose of this exercise, the right hand side will be strength. This means any player I refer to as front-side will be to the right, any player I describe as backside will be to the left. The play sequences as follows:

1) Offensive line will work combo blocks on the 5 defenders in the "Box" The sixth defensive player (The circled Defensive End) will not be blocked as he is the read man.
2) As a combo block, the lineman will work together to reach a defender and then the other player in the combo will release to the linebacker.
3) Frontside WR's are responsible for the #1 and #2 defenders. (#1 is indicated by closest to the sideline (C on the right,) #2 by second closest to the sideline, First B on the right hand side.))
4) The QB meshes with the RB, If the circled DE crashes down the line of scrimmage, the QB will not give the football to the running back, he will pull the ball and keep it.
4a) If the circled DE maintains backside responsibility the QB will hand the ball off to the RB.
5) If the DE crashes and the QB pulls the ball, he now isolates the Alley Defender (The B with a Triangle around it).
6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.
In this scenario, we've effectively created a numbers mismatch backside.

This is a base zone read play that you can see on any Saturday.

how did we butcher this so bad last year in your opinion? my theory is that mcdonald didn't know how to teach anything and when push came to shove, he wanted defenses to think they were making all these reads when they were really just predetermined screens.

i don't think defenses have a very good answer for this. they can do that scrape exchange (another term that makes no sense to me) to fool a qb into thinking they should keep by having a linebacker show up where the DE isn't

if you're willing to get your QB hit (it's college, they don't cost anything and they're gone in a couple year anyway), it's a no brainer. i want to see this on saturday and sunday this year

 

[Millhouse]

baylor putting their WR out so wide helps make that read so much easier. if that pointy head guy is going to cheat inside enough to help stop the run, it's so much easier to tell before it gets chaotic. you have to make a longer throw but that's ok because you're only throwing it when he's really alone

 

[NineOneSeven]

Let's break down the play where we tossed the ball to our running back five yards deep in the end zone against a top rushing defense

 

[javadoc]

We have a lot of bright football minds on this board. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start a thread to break down X's and O's on individual plays. Ideally, I'd like to do this with specific plays that Syracuse runs during a game. Until we play one, though, I'm going to utilize basic concepts that you'll see on any Saturday this Fall.

I love talking football, and I love talking it on this board. I just thought this would be something a little different than what we typically do.

Today - Inside Zone Read with a Backside Bubble Tag.

View attachment 49919

So here, we've got your basic spread (a 2 by 2 concept.) Meaning there a two eligible WR's on each side of the formation. This is drawn up against your basic 4-3 defense with a Buck coming up to cover the backside slot WR. Strength of this formation is not necessarily declared, so for the purpose of this exercise, the right hand side will be strength. This means any player I refer to as front-side will be to the right, any player I describe as backside will be to the left. The play sequences as follows:

1) Offensive line will work combo blocks on the 5 defenders in the "Box" The sixth defensive player (The circled Defensive End) will not be blocked as he is the read man.
2) As a combo block, the lineman will work together to reach a defender and then the other player in the combo will release to the linebacker.
3) Frontside WR's are responsible for the #1 and #2 defenders. (#1 is indicated by closest to the sideline (C on the right,) #2 by second closest to the sideline, First B on the right hand side.))
4) The QB meshes with the RB, If the circled DE crashes down the line of scrimmage, the QB will not give the football to the running back, he will pull the ball and keep it.
4a) If the circled DE maintains backside responsibility the QB will hand the ball off to the RB.
5) If the DE crashes and the QB pulls the ball, he now isolates the Alley Defender (The B with a Triangle around it).
6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.
In this scenario, we've effectively created a numbers mismatch backside.

This is a base zone read play that you can see on any Saturday.

When the DE maintains backside responsibility, where does he position himself relative to the LOS? Does he stay at the LOS and drift sideways to keep his targets from getting to the edge? How much space would there typically be between the RB and the DE if there is a handoff? Can a quick DE neutralize this option by being able to catch the RB at the LOS or behind?

Which linemen would typically release to get to the LB's? It seems like the LT and C would be the logical choice because the play is going to the weak side and they would be better positioned to block the LB's away from the play, toward the strong.

Would the LB's typically be able to create enough havoc to keep the RB from busting through? It looks like on the handoff scenario, the RB needs to get by the DE and then the only other player he needs to deal with is the deep safety. A fast RB could be off to the races if the WR's hold their blocks.

 

[sutomcat]

6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.

In a real life example, I think Notre Dame ran this play against us a lot last season. We kept having our alley defender attack the QB, who then kept throwing the bubble to the backside slot receiver. Their backside WR did a great job blocking our corner (he was always way bigger and stronger) and they got solid yardage every time they ran this.

Except a couple times they unwisely tried to run it at Reddish, who was excellent getting off the block and blew up a couple passes for no gain.

You need 2 Reddish type CBs to effectively defend this play against a good offense. Last year we had one. This year, it is too early to say but I am worried we might have none.

 

[KaiserUEO]

i cant wait for the ignorami here to tell you that you are wrong...

 

[Scooch]

i cant wait for the ignorami here to tell you that you are wrong...

I didn't want to say anything, but I mean of course he's wrong...

 

[MSOrange]

We have a lot of bright football minds on this board. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start a thread to break down X's and O's on individual plays. Ideally, I'd like to do this with specific plays that Syracuse runs during a game. Until we play one, though, I'm going to utilize basic concepts that you'll see on any Saturday this Fall.

I love talking football, and I love talking it on this board. I just thought this would be something a little different than what we typically do.

Today - Inside Zone Read with a Backside Bubble Tag.

View attachment 49919

So here, we've got your basic spread (a 2 by 2 concept.) Meaning there a two eligible WR's on each side of the formation. This is drawn up against your basic 4-3 defense with a Buck coming up to cover the backside slot WR. Strength of this formation is not necessarily declared, so for the purpose of this exercise, the right hand side will be strength. This means any player I refer to as front-side will be to the right, any player I describe as backside will be to the left. The play sequences as follows:

1) Offensive line will work combo blocks on the 5 defenders in the "Box" The sixth defensive player (The circled Defensive End) will not be blocked as he is the read man.
2) As a combo block, the lineman will work together to reach a defender and then the other player in the combo will release to the linebacker.
3) Frontside WR's are responsible for the #1 and #2 defenders. (#1 is indicated by closest to the sideline (C on the right,) #2 by second closest to the sideline, First B on the right hand side.))
4) The QB meshes with the RB, If the circled DE crashes down the line of scrimmage, the QB will not give the football to the running back, he will pull the ball and keep it.
4a) If the circled DE maintains backside responsibility the QB will hand the ball off to the RB.
5) If the DE crashes and the QB pulls the ball, he now isolates the Alley Defender (The B with a Triangle around it).
6) If the Alley Defender commits to tackling the QB, the QB will then throw the bubble to the backside Slot Receiver and Backside WR will be responsible for blocking the Cornerback. If the Alley defender shades to the Slot WR, the QB will take off up the alley and get whatever yardage he can until the Safety or ILB can tackle him.
In this scenario, we've effectively created a numbers mismatch backside.

This is a base zone read play that you can see on any Saturday.

I read this on my phone initially and got totally lost since I'm an X and O novice to say the least. But very informative with the photo to help me out. I'm a very visual person.

 

[Finwad32]

I'm thinking out loud so and just want to see what you think. Say the End is a stud, say in the mold of Vic Beasley from Clemson. He has enough athletic ability to crash more straightforward. That would leave the QB with the only option to hand off yet the End could still pursue the RB from the backside which could result in a short gain. Otherwise you the End has the QB, the Alley has the slot. Yes they are 1 on 1 matchups but with the right personnel they could be relatively easy to defend. That's just one little scenario I came up with on the fly and makes me think of the talent needed to run the spread effectively. Speed is everything (and a smart QB).

Ok, while game planning, if you have a DE that's blowing you up you simply just don't run at him. Read the other DE. But, no matter how good a DE is, they can still be pulled in, it's all a matter of the set up.

 

[Finwad32]

how did we butcher this so bad last year in your opinion? my theory is that mcdonald didn't know how to teach anything and when push came to shove, he wanted defenses to think they were making all these reads when they were really just predetermined screens.

i don't think defenses have a very good answer for this. they can do that scrape exchange (another term that makes no sense to me) to fool a qb into thinking they should keep by having a linebacker show up where the DE isn't

if you're willing to get your QB hit (it's college, they don't cost anything and they're gone in a couple year anyway), it's a no brainer. i want to see this on saturday and sunday this year

I'd have to go back and watch it, there was probably a plethora of reasons why it wasn't successful. I honestly thought George had sound theories, in some respects. But, I know that some didn't concur with his play design, blocking scheme especially. I also think he had a terrible feel for playcalling. It's an art, an art that should be backed by a firm understanding of what the defense is trying to force you to do or giving you. I'm not sure he had the best feel for how to attack a defense. I also don't think he reacted well under pressure.

 

[Finwad32]

baylor putting their WR out so wide helps make that read so much easier. if that pointy head guy is going to cheat inside enough to help stop the run, it's so much easier to tell before it gets chaotic. you have to make a longer throw but that's ok because you're only throwing it when he's really alone

Definitely something to be said for spacing. Honestly, coaches laugh about Baylor's offense. Basically spread the field as wide as you can, run four verticals and fire it to the WR with the most room. It's so simple it's almost dumb. Obviously there's more to it than that, but hey, kudos to them, it's been very successful.

 

[Finwad32]

Let's break down the play where we tossed the ball to our running back five yards deep in the end zone against a top rushing defense

Oofa

 

[Finwad32]

When the DE maintains backside responsibility, where does he position himself relative to the LOS? Does he stay at the LOS and drift sideways to keep his targets from getting to the edge? How much space would there typically be between the RB and the DE if there is a handoff? Can a quick DE neutralize this option by being able to catch the RB at the LOS or behind?

Which linemen would typically release to get to the LB's? It seems like the LT and C would be the logical choice because the play is going to the weak side and they would be better positioned to block the LB's away from the play, toward the strong.

Would the LB's typically be able to create enough havoc to keep the RB from busting through? It looks like on the handoff scenario, the RB needs to get by the DE and then the only other player he needs to deal with is the deep safety. A fast RB could be off to the races if the WR's hold their blocks.

Somebody has done their homework. Positioning is typically feel and varies depending on game plan. You'd like him to push up field and be able to freeze the QB. If he stays to maintain the edge and starts to squeeze he's got to be one hell of an athlete or make one he'll of a play ton tach the RB from behind. This shouldn't happen on paper, but, it does.

Which lineman climbs to 2nd level is going to be dependent on the DL Technique. Essentially whichever OL has the best angle to their block will maintain position while the second member of the combo climbs. This is hard and your line must communicate well to be effective.

LBs are usually the best athletes on defense. They have a habit of busting up plays. On paper your back should have a one on one with the S once through, as we all know though, it doesn't always look how it's drawn up.

 

[Briancuse]

As someone who grew up playing and loving the sport, and coaching a little bit I love this thread. Spacing is ideal, its easier to run the ball when the defense is spread out.

 

[Marroniac]