The Veer
THE RUNNING GAME
AS STATED, THE BASE PLAYS FOR THE RUNNING GAME (AND THE PLAY ACTION PASSING GAME) ARE THE FB DIVE, DIVE OPTION, AND THE DIVE OPTION PASS. THE FB DIVE WILL BE CALLED AROUND 50% OF THE TIME WE HAVE THE FOOTBALL. WE WILL RUN THE DIVE FROM VARIOUS FORMATIONS USING A VARIETY OF MOTION CALLS. WE KNOW THE DIVE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR WHILE RUNNING THE DIVE IS HOW THE DEFENSE IS ADJUSTING TO FORMATION AND MOTION CALLS. EVERY DEFENSE HAS WEAKNESSES THAT MAY BE EXPLOITED. VARIOUS FORMATIONS AND MOTIONS ACCENTUATE THESE WEAKNESSES. WHEN A GLARING ADVANTAGE PRESENTS ITSELF, WE WILL FAKE THE FB DIVE AND RUN A COMPANION PLAY WHICH USUALLY RESULTS IN A MUCH BIGGER GAIN.
THE VEER
THE VEER IS A TRUE TRIPLE OPTION, AND YES, WE DO RUN IT, ESPECIALLY TO THE SHORT SIDE OF HE FORMATION AGAINST A SEVEN MAN FRONT. IT IS NOT AS GOOD A PLAY AGAINST THE EIGHT MAN GAP ALIGNMENT (EXCEPT ON THE GOAL LINE). AGAINST AN EIGHT MAN GAP ALIGNMENT YOU WOULD WIND UP WITH A LOT OF "LOADED" CALLS (LOADED MEANS THAT THE DIVE BACK'S PART OF THE OPTION IS OFF AND HE BECOMES A BLOCKER BECAUSE THE DEFENSE HAS OVER LOADED THE LOS). IF YOU FACE MANY SEVEN MAN FRONTS, THE VEER IS AN EXCELLENT ATTACK.
A WORD ABOUT THE DEFENSIVE FRONT
ANOTHER MAJOR REASON WE RUN THE FORMATION WE DO IS THAT IT FORCES THE DEFENSE TO ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO HANDLING. IN A NORMAL PRO OFFENSIVE SET THE DEFENSE MUST ACCOUNT FOR 8 SLOTS ON THE LOS THAT CAN EASILY BE ATTACKED.
AGAINST OUR BASE FORMATION THE DEFENSE IS FORCED TO ACCOUNT FOR 2 MORE SLOTS ON THE LOS WHICH USUALLY FORCES SOME MAJOR CHANGES IN THEIR ALIGNMENT.
OUR OFFENSE IS UNIQUE IN THAT A VEER RUN TO THE TANDEM'S SIDE IS AN INSIDE VEER, WHILE A PLAY RUN TO THE SHORT SIDE OF THE FORMATION BECOMES AN OUTSIDE VEER. THE STEPS FOR BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE VEER, THEREFORE, ARE THE SAME FOR THE BACKFIELD. YOU GET DOUBLE THE ATTACK WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF PRACTICE TIME.
SINCE THE VEER IS A TRIPLE OPTION, THERE IS A "READ MAN" AND AN "OPTION MAN" IDENTIFIED ON THE DEFENSE. OUR BLOCKING ASSIGNMENT IS TO DOUBLE THE FIRST DOWN LINEMAN ON OR PAST THE CENTER ON THE LOS EVERY TIME VEER IS CALLED (EXCEPT WHEN THE DEFENSE ALIGNS IN A GAP DEFENSE IN WHICH CASE THE ASSIGNED BLOCKING WOULD BE ONE MAN DOWN).
THE OOT IS TO BLOCK THE FIRST MAN TO HIS INSIDE ON OR OFF THE BALL. THE SE RELEASES OFF THE LOS TO BLOCK SECONDARY SUPPORT. THE WB FROM MOTION IS TO BLOCK THE FORCE MAN. THE READ MAN IS SO CALLED BECAUSE THE QB "READS" WHAT HE IS DOING. WE TELL OUR QB'S, "YOU ARE NEVER WRONG IF YOU GIVE THE BALL TO THE FB." WE FEEL THAT WITH A GOOD DOUBLE TEAM ON THE LOS AND THE OOT'S BLOCK ON THE LB'ER THAT OUR FB WILL GAIN YARDAGE ON THIS PLAY. THE ONLY TIME THAT THE FB DOES NOT GET THE BALL ON THIS PLAY IS WHEN THE READ MAN STEPS TOWARD THE MESH POINT BETWEEN THE QB AND THE FB. WHEN THE MESH POINT IS THREATENED BY THE READ MAN, THE QB PULLS THE BALL, USING A SOFT BALL TECHNIQUE, AND STEPS AROUND THE VIOLENT COLLISION CREATED BY THE FB BLASTING INTO THE READ MAN. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FB TO MAKE CONTACT WITH AND STOP THE PENETRATION OF THE READ MAN INTO OUR OFFENSIVE BACKFIELD.
IF THE QB DECIDES TO GIVE THE BALL TO THE FB, HE USES A "HARD BALL" TECHNIQUE. A HARD BALL TECHNIQUE IS EXECUTED WHEN THE QB HAS BOTH HANDS ON THE FOOTBALL, PLACES THE BALL IN THE POUCH OF THE DIVE BACK AND RIDE STEPS HIM TO THE LOS AS HE READS THE READ MAN. IF THE QB IS GOING TO HAND OFF TO THE DIVE BACK, HE SLIDES HIS INSIDE HAND OUT OF THE POUCH AND PRESSES THE BALL INTO THE STOMACH OF THE DIVE BACK THEREBY, SIGNALING THE DIVE BACK THAT THE BALL AND PLAY IS HIS. IF THE QB IS GOING TO PULL THE BALL, HE USES A SOFT BALL TECHNIQUE WHERE HE USES FLEXIBLE ELBOWS TO PULL THE BALL AWAY FROM THE POUCH OF THE FB.
WHEN KEEPING THE BALL, THE QB MUST STEP AROUND THE COLLISION CAUSED BY THE DIVE BACK AND THE READ MAN. THIS IS A CRITICAL PART OF THIS PLAY. ONCE AROUND, THE QB MUST PLANT HIS FOOT AND GET UP FIELD ATTACKING THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF THE OPTION MAN. MANY TIMES THERE WILL BE NO OPTION MAN BECAUSE HE HAS SUPPORTED ALREADY AND IS IN THE PITCH BACK'S FACE LEAVING THE RUNNING LANE WIDE OPEN FOR THE QB. TOO OFTEN YOUNG INEXPERIENCED QB'S MOVE TOO FAR LATERALLY TRYING TO GET AROUND THE COLLISION AND PURSUIT DEFEATS THE PLAY. THE QB MUST NOT GET BEYOND THE OPTION POINT (1 YARD OUTSIDE THE ALIGNMENT OF THE DE) WITHOUT EITHER PITCHING THE BALL OR GAINING POSITIVE YARDAGE THROUGH THE RUNNING LANE THAT OPENS.
THE VEER PLAY TO THE SHORT SIDE OF THE FORMATION IS RUN WITH THE SAME STEPS AND PROCEDURE. BY ALIGNMENT, HOWEVER, THE READ MAN BECOMES THE DE AND THE OPTION MAN IS THE FORCE MAN FROM THE SECONDARY.
AS ON THE STRONG SIDE, THE QB READS THE READ MAN AT THE MESH POINT AND EITHER GIVES THE HARD BALL TO THE FB OR PULLS, STEPS AROUND THE COLLISION AND MOVES ON TO THE OPTION MAN ATTACKING HIS INSIDE SHOULDER. THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR THE QB TO GET TOO WIDE. THE FB NEEDS TO RUN THROUGH THE OUTSIDE LEG OF THE WG. RUNNING WITH THIS ANGLE FORCES THE READ MAN TO MAKE A DECISION. HE MUST EITHER STEP DOWN TO TACKLE THE FB OR DO SOMETHING ELSE. THE HARDEST READ FOR A QB IN THE OPTION GAME IS THE DE WHO DOES NOTHING OR "SLOW PLAYS" THE QB UNTIL PURSUIT COMES TO HIS AID. WHEN THE DIVE BACK RUNS THE PROPER PATH, THE QB'S READ IS EASIER BECAUSE A SLOW PLAY DE WILL BE BEATEN TO THE INSIDE BY THE DIVE BACK.
AFTER MOVING PAST THE READ MAN, THE QB MOVES TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHERE THE OPTION MAN EITHER THREATENS THE QB AND HE PITCHES TO THE TB, OR THE OPTION MAN GOES FOR THE TB AND THE QB KEEPS THE BALL AND RUNS.
BOTH THE OPTION AND THE VEER ARE EXCELLENT PLAYS IN OUR OFFENSE. THE DEFENSE REALLY BITES ON THE FB. SUCCESSFUL DIVE PLAYS PRIOR TO THE OPTION MEAN THE DEFENSE REALLY CONVERGES ON THE DIVE BACK. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE THE WHOLE SIDE COLLAPSE ON THE DIVE BACK LEAVING THE QB NO ONE TO OPTION. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IT IS THE QB'S JOB TO GAIN POSITIVE YARDAGE IMMEDIATELY. HE WILL EITHER SCORE OR BE THREATENED BY SOMEONE ROTATING THROUGH THE SECONDARY. WHEN THREATENED, SQUAT AND PITCH THE BALL TO THE TB WHO WILL CONTINUE THE PLAY RUNNING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DEFENSE. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS CREATED WHEN THE QB TRIES TO RUN AROUND THE DEFENSE AND GETS TOO WIDE, RUNNING TO THE SIDE LINES, THE PLAY GETS STRUNG OUT AND POSITIVE YARDAGE STOPS. IT IS THE JOB OF THE TB, NOT THE QB, TO RUN THE BALL ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DEFENSE.
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