About a month ago, I wrote an article on the I formation and its many uses in the 8-man football game. In that article, I covered everything under the Option and Run Heavy variants, and soon promised a go at the Spread variant. I finally got back around to it in this article. The spread I is a well used and well worn variant of this offense. It stands the test of time well, and is still very viable. In retrospect, I don't think I've seen a more used offense than this one, whether as a change of pace or as a base. It just seems to work for everyone. Unfortunately, this means that some coaches don't really think that it is a viable option, since everyone sees it. This could not be farther from the truth. This is a good offense whether the defense has seen it the last six weeks, or not ever. Formations: Base "Bear" "Spread" Offset As you can see, you will always be keeping people split out, as this is a "spread" variation offense.
The Base formation is just the basic I with two split outs. You can run the ball the best out of this formation, as your FB can easily get to both sides of the line, and the TB is set deep. Your best routes in this formation is probably slant-ins and curl routes. These are quick hitting and are sure to make 5 yards if completed. The "Bear" variation is good if your FB is quick enough to run a sweep around behind the QB. You can fake the Iso, and then hand to the FB on a sweep. It is also the best one for running that wheel route I talked about. You should run a post route right at the safety, make the CB commit, and then hit the wheel up the sideline about 15 yards. If the CB sits and doesn't go with the WR, hit him before the Safety. Most teams should be playing a deeper Safety on you, since you have 2 WR's. The "Spread" formation bleeds a little bit into the Singleback offense. No, I didn't forget this is an I formation article. There is only one way to split 3 guys out in 8 man, and this means losing a man from the backfield. In this formation you can put another WR in for your FB, or split your TB out and keep the FB deep. This formation is the best passing one, and you can run any number of things out of it. You can try running slant-flat combos, scissor combos, or curl-wheel combos. Running is quite basic. Depending on who you keep in the backfield, you are going to really just run a Sweep, a Jet Sweep with the SR, and a Dive. The "Offset" formation is just like the Base in plays, with one exception. You can run the Post-Wheel combo out of it. This is traded with the ability to easily have the FB block both sides. The only way to have him block across is to have the TB take a counter step, and have the FB cross-block behind the QB. This takes some work to say the least. However, you do get a good head start on off-guard plays, since the FB is already behind the Guard. Personnel QB: Smart, able to learn to throw timing routes TB: Best pure runner on the team, good blocker, able to get 4 yards a carry, good hands FB: Best backfield blocker, able to get 3 yards a carry OL: Solid blockers WR: Able to catch, a little bit of speed helps Conclusion This offense is both easy to install and complicated to implement. Your QB must be coachable and your OL must be able to stay solid. Your RB's just need to be able to get a couple yards a carry, but they can't lose yards. They must be willing to just stick their heads into the line and get what they can. Possession WR are great, but a little speedy guy is always good to have. Play calling can be fun and intricate, but don't overburden your players with too many plays. About 25-30 is a good number for this offense. Teams still struggle to counter the I-formation, and I have personally been on the giving and the taking end of that problem. Comments are closed.
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