The Flip
THIS PLAY IS OUR VERSION OF THE OLD IOWA WING T QUICK PITCH PLAY. WE CALL IT FLIP, HOWEVER, BECAUSE FLIP IS EASIER TO CALL IN THE HUDDLE. WE STRIVE TO KEEP OUR HUDDLE CALLS SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL, AND ONLY ONE SYLLABLE IN LENGTH MAKING IT EASIER FOR THE QB AND THE MESSENGER SERVICE FROM THE SIDELINE.
THIS PLAY CAN BE CALLED FROM THE POWER FORMATION OR FROM THE REGULAR FORMATION. FROM THE POWER FORMATION THE TB CARRIES THE BALL AND FROM THE REGULAR RIGHT OR LEFT FORMATION THE FB CARRIES THE BALL. THE PLAY IS DESIGNED TO GET THE BALL CARRIER WIDE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WITH BLOCKERS IN FRONT. FOR THE FLIP, WE WILL PULL BOTH THE OOT AND THE IOT. DEPENDING UPON THE TYPE OF MOTION THAT IS CALLED WE CAN HAVE UP TO THREE BLOCKERS LEADING THE BALL CARRIER AROUND THE CORNER.
WHEN THE DEFENSE IS LINED UP CROWING THE LOS EXPECTING THE FB BLAST ON SHORT YARDAGE, CALLING THE FLIP CAN CATCH THEM ENTIRELY OFF GUARD AND MAY RESULT IN A BIG PLAY. OBVIOUSLY IN THAT SITUATION WE WANT TO "MAKE THE FIRST DOWN." THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RUNNER ARE "THE MINUTE YOU CAN MAKE A FOUR YARD GAIN (OR ENOUGH YARDAGE FOR A FIRST DOWN) YOU ARE TO CUT UP AND THROUGH THE LOS. THE PLAY IS DESIGNED NOT TO RUN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DEFENSE BUT TO CUT UNDERNEATH THE BLOCK OF THE OOT ON THE SS. ONCE YOU GET BY THE BLOCK, YOU CAN THEN BREAK IT TO THE OUTSIDE FOR YARDS.
THE OOT PULLS AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BLOCKING THE SS OUT, SIMILAR TO A TRAP BLOCK. THE IOT ALSO PULLS AND LEADS THE BALL CARRIER UP THE SEAM BETWEEN THE BLOCK OF THE SE AND THE OOT.
ON THIS PLAY THE BALL CARRIER (EITHER THE FB OR THE TB) ALIGNS A FULL 5 YARDS DEEP BUT CHEATS TO THE OUTSIDE AND ALIGNS BEHIND THE OOT. ON THE SNAP IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE BALL CARRIER TO BELLY BACK TO A DEPTH OF 6 - 7 YARDS AND GET WIDE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE QB TO GET YOU THE BALL. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET WIDTH AND DEPTH. THE WIDER AND DEEPER YOU GET AT THE SNAP, THE MORE POTENTIAL TACKLERS YOU WILL LEAVE BEHIND ON THE LOS. RUN PARALLEL TO THE LOS IN THE HIP POCKET OF THE OOT TO SET HIS BLOCK. CUT OFF THE BLOCK OF THE OOT, CROSS THE LOS AND PAST THE BLOCK OF THE OOT, GET TO THE OUTSIDE AND GAIN YARDS.
THE QB ON THIS PLAY IF RIGHT HANDED ALWAYS OPENS TO THE LEFT. BY ALWAYS OPENING TO THE LEFT, HIS STRONG HAND WILL ALWAYS BE UNDER THE BALL BOTH FOR FLIPS TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT. (IF THE QB IS LEFT HANDED, HE SHOULD ALWAYS OPEN TO THE RIGHT ON THIS PLAY.) IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE BOTH HANDS WHEN FLIPPING THE BALL. THE STRONG HAND ACTUALLY IMPARTS MOST OF THE POWER TO THE FLIP WHILE THE OFF HAND ACTS AS A GUIDE. THE ACTION USED IS THE SAME ACTION THAT MOST OFFICIALS USE WHEN FLIPPING THE BALL AROUND THE FIELD TO POSITION FOR THE NEXT PLAY - THE UNDERHAND THROW.
THE SG AND THE CENTER ON THIS PLAY SHOULD "REACH" BLOCK TO THE PLAY (IF THEY ARE UNCOVERED OR IF THERE IS A DEFENDER IN THEIR OUTSIDE GAP). THEIR BLOCK DO NOT HAVE TO BE DEVASTATING; THEY JUST HAVE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDERS TO KNOCK THEM INTO A POOR PURSUIT ANGLE TO THE SIDE LINE.
THE BACK NOT GETTING THE BALL SHOULD EXECUTE A CROSSOVER PLANT STEP SEQUENCE AND DRIVE STRAIGHT UP INTO THE LOS AT THE 2 OR 3 HOLE TO TRY AND HOLD THE LB'ERS FOR AT LEAST A ONE COUNT.
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