The Option Pass
THE THIRD MOST RUN PLAY IN THE OFFENSE IS THE PASS PLAY OFF THE DIVE/OPTION GAME. THIS PLAY IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND CONSISTENTLY SUCCESSFUL PASS PLAY WE HAVE. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY, ALL ACTION IS THE SAME AS FOR THE DIVE AND OPTION. BECAUSE WE HAVE RUN SO MANY OF THESE OTHER PLAYS PREVIOUSLY, THE DEFENSE IS USED TO REACTING TO THEM AND DOING SO HERE WILL ALLOW OUR RECEIVERS TO GET OPEN. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THIS PASS PLAY ARE:
1. EVERYTHING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY IS EXACTLY THE SAME FOR EVERYONE AS FOR THE DIVE AND THE OPTION FOR THE FIRST TWO STEPS.
2. THE WB IN MOTION AT THE SNAP OF THE BALL ARCS UP FIELD AS RUNS A DEEP POST CORNER ROUTE. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO GET AS DEEP AS HE CAN AS SOON AS HE CAN. HIS PASS ROUTE RUNS TO A DEPTH OF AT LEAST 25 YARDS.
3. THE SE RUNS A BLOCK-RELEASE ROUTE. AT THE SNAP OF THE BALL, THE SE BLOCKS THE DE TO THE INSIDE HARD FOR TWO COUNTS. HE THEN RELEASES TO THE OUTSIDE AND RUNS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE SIDELINE. AT A DEPTH OF 15 YARDS, HE LEVELS OFF AND SQUARES OUT TO THE SIDELINE.
4. THE FB EXECUTES A GOOD BALL FAKE TO THE LOS AND RELEASES INTO THE FLAT AT A DEPTH OF 5 YARDS AND SQUARES OUT TO THE SIDELINE
5. THE TB STARTS ON A PITCH ROUTE. WHEN HE PASSES THE PLANE OF THE SE/DE BLOCK HE TURNS UP FIELD AND TAKES OVER THE BLOCK ON THE DE KEEPING HIM SEALED OFF TO THE INSIDE.
6. THE QB EXECUTES A GOOD BALL FAKE TO THE FB. AFTER THE FAKE HE SPRINTS BACK TO A DEPTH OF AT LEAST 7 YARDS BEHIND THE LOS. HE ROUNDS THE CORNER AND ATTACKS THE LOS AS SHOWN. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE QB TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS AS MUCH A RUNNING PLAY FOR HIM AS IT IS A PASS. HE MUST ATTACK THE LOS. BY ATTACKING THE LOS, HE FORCES THE DEFENDERS IN THE FLAT TO MAKE A DECISION TO EITHER PLAY PASS OR COME UP TO TACKLE HIM. THE MAIN READ FOR THE QB IS TO LOCATE THE DEFENDER RESPONSIBLE FOR FLAT COVERAGE. IF THE DEFENDER HANGS BACK TO PLAY PASS, THE QB SHOULD RUN THE BALL. IF THE DEFENDER COMES UP TO TACKLE THE QB, THE QB PASSES THE BALL TO THE OPEN RECEIVER IN THE FLAT (EITHER THE FB OR SE). THE RULE FOR THE QB IS TO LOOK SHORT, MIDDLE, LONG. THE RECEIVER THAT MOST OFTEN COMES OPEN ON THIS PASS PLAY IS THE SE BECAUSE OF HIS BLOCK-RELEASE ROUTE AND THE FACT THAT HIS ROUTE USUALLY TAKES HIM BEHIND THE SS IN THE FLAT.
7. THE OFFENSIVE LINE "FIRES OUT" INTO THE DEFENSIVE LINE, MAKES CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDERS AND KNOCKS THEM AWAY FROM THE PATH OF THE QB. THE LINE THEN GETS SEPARATION FROM THE DEFENDERS, HINGES, AND MAKES ANOTHER CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDERS KEEPING THEIR FEET MOVING AT ALL TIMES.
8. THE TE BLOCKS THE DE FOR 2 COUNTS AND THEN RELEASES OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE FORMATION. THE IDEA IS FOR THE TE TO GET IN BETWEEN THE LB'ERS AT A DEPTH OF 8-10 YARDS AND RUN ACROSS THE FIELD WITH THE QB.
9. THE WG IN THIS CASE IS THE "UNCOVERED LINEMAN." IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNCOVERED LINEMAN TO CLOSE THE BACK DOOR AND BLOCK THE DE AFTER HE COMES OFF THE BLOCK OF THE TE. ONCE THE TE GETS TO A POSITION THAT IS EVEN WITH THE QB, HE SITS DOWN IN THE HOLE OF THE DEFENSE AND ACTS AS A SAFETY VALVE RECEIVER FOR THE QB.
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