Verticals 2.0

This year I am going to install the R4 operating system in our offense.  We are going to keep our 4 Verticals and apply R4 to this concept.  I am a big believer in the Pat-N-Go throw in-order to throw it your receivers must be disciplined enough to stay on the numbers and physical enough not to get pressed into the sideline.  (remember the sideline hasen't missed a tackle since 1869).

These are the Rules

R4 from Darren Slack

Rhythm: Option 1 Throw on 3rd step in the Pistol (No hitch) Ball in Thrown in 1.8 seconds

Read: Option 2 Thrown off one hitch Ball in Thrown in 2.2 seconds

Rush: Thrown off ANY Step in Route Breaks under 5 yards

Release:  The QB Practices scrambling drills can buy an additional 1.5 seconds

Identify Coverage

The Reads are based on coverage so it is critical that the QB understands how to Identify the coverage: 

Man vs Zone

Vs Man the Read route is not an option. since you only have 2 seconds. 

Vs Zone you have 3 seconds so there are 3 reads. 

Collision and Cushion Conformation 

Collision Conformation if any inside route is re-routed by a defender then that speeds up the QB read to the next one.  

Cushion Conformation if an outside receiver breaks the cushion of the defender then the ball is thrown deep its pre-snapped then confirmed on the last step of the drop.         

Pre Snap

Look left to right low, look left to right high QB is looking for Grass and Leverage with Rhythm Routes. 

The Routes 

All of the Receivers have some sort of sight adjustment this is only for 2 X 2 Formations 

Outside Receivers X and Y They must stay on the top of the numbers which will allow the QB to have 7 yards to work with on a Pat-N-Go throw.  They run their route after ten yards they look in at the QB and will be able to see the back shoulder fade if the QB throws the football.  It is important that both the QB and WR know he is all ways open if they both are on the same page. We will rep this every day and I am really think about outlawing the Deep Ball Throw in Practice during 7 on 7 or just make him throw the Pat-N-Go or the Back Shoulder Fade.  

Inside Receivers H and B They must get to their hash if there are two safeties they have to win over the top by 12 yards if not they stop and do a half curl.      

A Back runs a check Down he releases through B gap and gets to 5 yards and turns to the QB

Vs Zone he turns and replaces the dropping linebacker.

Vs Man he works leverage against the linebacker maned up with him works leverage inside leverage go out side outside leverage go inside.   

Putting it All Together

Cover Zero: Man Two Reads

Rhythm: Go, Pat-N-Go, Back Shoulder Throw

Read: Seam or 12 yard stop

Rush: Check Down 

Release: Scramble 

Cover One: Man Two Reads

Rhythm: Go, Pat-N-Go, Back Shoulder Throw

Read: Seam or 12 yard stop

Rush: Check Down 

Release: Scramble  

Cover Two Zone Three Reads

Rhythm: Hole Shot

Read: Seam or 12 yard stop

Rush: Check Down 

Release: Scramble

Cover Three: Zone Three Reads 

2 Read Routes= Read the Free Safety  

Read: Seam or 12 yard stop

Read: Seam or 12 yard stop

Rush: Check Down 

Release: Scramble

Cover Four: Zone Three Reads

Rhythm: Go, Pat-N-Go, Back Shoulder Throw

Read: Seam or 12 yard stop

Rush: Check Down 

Release: Scramble

Darren Slack Links:
http://www.youtube.com/user/darinslack/videos

http://www.nationalfootballacademies.com/      

http://coachxo.com/darin-slack-r4-quarterback-system/

http://www.footballcoachingpodcast.com/dubmaddox/

http://smartfootball.com/uncategorized/improving-a-quarterbacks-throwing-motion

 http://www.nationalfootballacademies.com/staffbio/darin-slack/

http://www.quarterbackacademy.com/

  

           

Transitioning from Position Coach to Offensive Coordinator

This past spring I changed jobs for various reasons the most import was family time I was driving an two hours plus a day in my commute.  I also was coaching two additional sports to go along with being the offensive coordinator.  It really cut into my family time a position coaching position opened up closer to my house fifteen minute commute and no second sport and I had the Athletic Director/ Head Football coach in a couple of my Graduate School classes. So I start attending spring ball, summer seven on seven, and summer strength and conditioning.  After the 4th of July holiday the Offensive Coordinator leaves for another job and I get named the Offensive Coordinator.   Here are the steps that was taken to align our offense and make sure everybody was on the same page.

The Head Coach and I met to go over the offense during this meeting several changes were made.

• A playbook was developed I used PPT and playmaker pro so if anything happens to me car wreck, I get a head coaching job, brain injury ect. there is something out there for the next guy to build off of.
• We went to the Tony Franklin wristband system we did convert the positions and one of the colors purple to blue.  We based this off of the number of reasons: the major one being that we had a large number of busts during Spring Practice and Seven on Seven during the summer.
• Changed the pass protection scheme from Big on Big to a Man Fan protection
• Had our Offensive Linemen Vertical Set  
• We installed a screen game which included Jail Break, Slow Screen and and the Fast Screens.  
• I made sure that we did the following drills every day Noose, Pat-n-Go, Routes on Air and we had at lease 2 screen periods a day.
• Changed how we went to Trips using our Slot receivers they were better athletes than our Outside receivers and kept them only having to learn one set of routes than a different set of routes on one side
• I met with James Vint during coaching school and got a great one on one clinic about the Pistol Offense  

Things that we did keep: 

• We worked Mesh Drill every day had very few dropped balls in the option game.
• We utilized the Pistol Formation using 30 personnel 
• We kept the option element to all of our run game there are 4 options on every play (Blog explaining this coming later!) 
• We had two basic run blocking schemes a zone and a gap scheme.
• We Two Platooned everybody

Things that needed to be changed for next year

• I have to do a better job of keeping up with our players lives.
• We are going to utilize the R4 and C4  from Darren Slack
• Going to use some silencer concepts from Anthony Pratley 
• Want to install the Midline 
• Need to use Wristbands at all levels 7th grade through Varsity we only used them for Varsity and JV this year.  
• Going to use Gus Malzahn's Fire Alarm Ten Play Menu 
• Kill our Mesh Route Concept and replace with the Shallow Concept.  
• Going to install Solid and Counter Screens.  

A New season has all ready started

We put up shoulder pads last Thursday and Friday and started QB meetings this past Wednesday.  My intent is to try to develop several quarterbacks so we just don't have to count on that one quarterback who may not be a QB when he gets to high school.  We had three varsity players at the meeting and three seventh grade QB's at the meeting.  We would have had more but our 8th grade was having tryouts on the same day.  My goal is to have 2 QB's for every sub-varsity team and they are to share equal time playing QB.  So with A & B teams 7th grade through Freshmen there should be 12 QB then 2 of them will be moved to other positions when they get to JV.  This is a similar to what Southlake Carroll did under Todd Dodge. Our Quarterback meetings we accomplished the following: 

• Watched the first of the C4 DVD's
• Went over all of the reads for 4 Verticals   (Blog about 4 Verticals soon to come) 
• We went into all of the different coverage's verses 4 Verticals.  
• We went over the Stick Route 

After the meeting the varsity guys got out the football on their own and tried to apply the thumb and hand placement, the cocked wrist, and the breaking the panel with their elbows.    

http://www.afmservers.com/share/?p=1240

http://coachgrabowski.wordpress.com/tag/four-verticals/

Total Program Football 7th to Seniors Part 2

The Quarterback 

Most of these ideas of how to develop a Quarterback were taken from Todd Dodge during his Southlake Coaching Stint.  One my philosophy that is good high school quarterbacks can be grown great ones have to be a perfect storm of coaching and total commitment from athlete and the determination to get as close to his genetic ceiling as possible.  

Other Developers:

• Film, Grade, and Coach the Details of every throw made in practice. 
• 7 on 7 Leagues after offensive has been reintroduced in the Spring
• National_Football_Academy
• Manning_Camp
• Air_It_Out_Camp
• Tony Franklin Team Camp if a Client 

7th Grade 

• For every team there will be two Quarterbacks Big Schools who have A & B teams four quarterbacks smaller schools two.
• They will play 1st and 4th quarter or 2nd and 3rd quarter
• Introduction to the C4 System 
• Put in Leadership role in Competitive Off-season Games  
• Learn the following passing concepts:

1. 97 Go
2. 92 Mesh
3. 90 H & Y Shallow
4. 68 Stick
5. 68 Shake
6. 69 HI-LO Y & H Corner
7. Rodeo Lasso Hi-Lo

8th Grade  

• For every team there will be two Quarterbacks Big Schools who have A & B teams four quarterbacks smaller schools two.
• They will play 1st and 4th quarter or 2nd and 3rd quarter
• They will play 1st and 4th quarter or 2nd and 3rd quarter
• Refine to the C4 System 
• Put in Leadership role in Competitive Off-season Games  
• Learn the following passing concepts:

1. 90 X & Z Shallow
2. Rodeo Lasso Out

• Refine the following passing concepts:

1. 97 Go
2. 92 Mesh
3. 90 H & Y Shallow
4. 68 Stick
5. 68 Shake
6. 69 HI-LO Y & H Corner
7. Rodeo Lasso Hi-Lo

Sub Varsity 

• For every team there will be two Quarterbacks Big Schools who have Freshmen teams they will have four quarterbacks smaller schools who play freshmen on Junior Varsity they will have two.
• They will play 1st and 4th quarter or 2nd and 3rd quarter
• They will play 1st and 4th quarter or 2nd and 3rd quarter
• Refine to the C4 System 
• Put in Leadership role in Competitive Off-season Games  
• Learn the following passing concepts:

1. 92 Mesh X & Z Pyramid 
2. Rodeo Lasso Sail 
3. 66 Hitch 

• Refine the following passing concepts:

1. 97 Go
2. 92 Mesh
3. 90 X, H, Y & Z Shallow
4. 68 Stick
5. 68 Shake
6. 69 HI-LO Y & H Corner
7. Rodeo Lasso Hi-Lo 
8. Rodeo Lasso Out

Each Spring of their High School Year they will have to Diagram and Explain the Progression for the Following Plays

1. 97 Go
2. 92 Mesh
3. 92 Mesh X & Z Pyramid 
4. 90 X, H, Y & Z Shallow
5. 66 Hitch
6. 68 Stick
7. 68 Shake
8. 69 HI-LO Y & H Corner
9. Rodeo Lasso Hi-Lo 
10. Rodeo Lasso Out
11. Rodeo Lasso Sail

Diagram the Following Coverages 0,1,1, Robber, 2, Tampa 2, 2 Invert, 3, 4, 8(2-man),   

Also Explain the following for each coverage:

• Theory
• Strength
• Weakness
• Variations