Flexbone and the B back, the guy that makes it all go...

Going to do a couple of posts on the B back in the flexbone offense.  I get several questions via email and phone calls on the nuances of the Flexbone offense, and one question that comes up time and time again is the fullback position, or what most of us "die-hards" refer to as the B back.  This first post is going to be dedicated to what it is you are looking for in a B back and drills you can use in practice to facilitate your search. 

Prototypical B back
To be honest, at the high school level, it's hard to hammer things down into what many would consider a prototypical B back.  I guess, if all were equal, the B back would be the size of a traditional blocking fullback, but with the speed of a tailback.  Basically put, he would be the cliche that you most often hear during NFL and college games, "he's a tailback in a fullback's body". 




Yeah...this guy!


This is all fine and dandy if you are in college where you can recruit, however those of us at the high school level are not afforded the luxury of hand picking our players (well, most of us anyhow).  So, what are you looking for in your B back, especially when you cannot recruit him?  Here's the list:

1. Physical Toughness: Yes I know, coaches use this "catch phrase" all too often, however with this position toughness is a MUST!  The B back in the Flexbone offense will get hit on every play, whether he has the ball or not.  The B back must be able to get up from every collision and be able and willing to go and do the exact same thing again.  A B back that cannot withstand this punishment will wither and not be as strong in the fourth quarter, when you need your B back the most.  Look for players who "take a licking and keep on ticking".  This is the first step in finding the right player to play B back in your offense.
2. Quickness:  B backs must possess a great first step and be able to get off the ball quickly.  I have had B backs who turned right around on defense and played defensive end (DE) or defensive tackle (DT).  A quick get-off is a must for a B back as the base play (the inside veer) must be run with an explosive B back. 
3. Tackle breaker: Sounds simple, but this is very important too.  The B back HAS to run through arm tackles.  If you have a back that goes down on first contact, regardless of his toughness or quickness, he is NOT a B back.  A B back that can run through contact is a MUST for a young triple option QB just learning the system, as there will be misreads.  If you don't want to be looking at second-and-ten, then find a B back that can run through tackles.

Ok, that's my list.  Many coaches' lists are longer, but remember you are looking at your team for a kid that fits a certain criteria.  The more attributes you add, the more you narrow your search down.  I figure if a kid is tough, quick and can run through arm tackles, we can use him.  Size is NEVER a qualification.  Since you cannot recruit, I don't feel that size is something you are looking for.  The first year I ever ran this offense I had two kids that played this B back position.  The starter was a body builder looking guy who was 5'9" and 198 pounds.  This young man was a state qualifier in weight lifting and a beast on the football field.  His backup was a little runt, at 5'6" and 150 pounds, however he was the most explosive kid on the football field and had what many scouts call "closing speed".  In our first year the starter rushed 159 times for 779 yards and 13 touchdowns.  The backup rushed for 565 yards on just 84 attempts and had 7 touchdowns.  We rotated them by series as both played defense as well, and they were tough to handle.  Both fit the above criteria.  I've had them come in all shapes and sizes with the smallest being the young man mentioned above and the two largest were 6'2" 200 pounds and 5'8" 225 pounds.  This is why I say size matters not, if the player is tough and can take a pounding, has a quick, explosive first step, and can run through tackles, play him at the B back position.

Finding the Right Man for the Job
Looking for the three qualifications listed above takes some doing, but it's not rocket science.  I'm going to take you through some drills we utilized to help us find our B backs during pre-season camp. 

1. Circle of Life/Oklahoma/Eye Openers: What???  Yes I know, doesn't sound like a list of drills where you find a fullback does it?  Well, hear me out!  Circle of Life is a drill I stole from Urban Meyer at the University of Florida (he's used it everywhere he's been) and it involves circling the team up and pitting two players against each other.  The idea is to do whatever it takes within the game of football to get the opposing player out of the circle.  It's intense and the players love it.  What I look for here is guys that continually win, or want to keep going.  This is a tough character, because this drill will wear you down.  Oklahoma is no different.  The guys who continually want to go, love contact, and are tough.  These are the first qualification to being a good B back.  Eye Openers is the same thing, if you have a guy who wants to run the ball a lot in this drill, give him a look at B back, he might just surprise you.
2. Short Sprints: I used the ten and 20 yard sprint to see who my quickest guys were.  Change of direction quickness drills don't measure what you need when looking for your B back, as most plays for the B back in the Flexbone offense are straight ahead.  Run these with a stopwatch on and see who your quickest 3 players are.  A tip is to put your backs in the linemen chutes so they have to stay low when coming out of their stance and still be quick.
3. The Gauntlet: I've been fortunate to have one of these most everywhere I've been, but if you don't use your running backs to hold dummies and let the ball carrier run through them.  Have them try to knock him down with the pads when he runs through them.  If you have a gauntlet then run them through and look at these two factors:
1. Overall speed through the drill- Time each back to help you with this, and go so far as recording this data.  This lets you know who runs within their pad level and has good tackle breaking ability.
2. Movement through the drill- Some of my best B backs hit the gauntlet and never slowed down coming all the way through in what looked like one seamless motion.  This is your guy!  At worst he should stutter a moment upon contacting the gauntlet and be able to stay upright through the length of the drill.

These are just a few drills you can use to help find you a B back for your offense.  More often than not you find that if you are changing from a one back or pro style offense, one of these guys is your tailback.  Find AT LEAST two, preferably four of these guys, as they do take a pounding.  Rotate them to keep them fresh as well. 

In Addition
Lastly, a criteria I did not add to the first list, but is one everyone looks for in a good running back, and that is ball security.  The Flexbone offense requires a great deal of ball handling, and the B back must be able to carry the rock.  I did not add this to the original list because in my opinion, this is a qualification for any player who possess the football.  If you have a guy that fits all three criterion, but fumbles, he cannot play B back.  The B back is NOT a fumbler, and neither should ANY of your running backs be known as a fumbler. 

Mentally, I would add that most B backs I've had, are not selfish ball players.  They are usually guys that love playing the game for what the game is all about, running and hitting.  They usually care little about stats, and just want to play.  I know that's not a criteria, but as you find these players, this usually seems to be the trend.

The next post is going to be teaching the stance, and the start on the Flexbone's base play...the Inside Veer!

Duece

Flexbone and the B back, the guy that makes it all go...

Going to do a couple of posts on the B back in the flexbone offense.  I get several questions via email and phone calls on the nuances of the Flexbone offense, and one question that comes up time and time again is the fullback position, or what most of us "die-hards" refer to as the B back.  This first post is going to be dedicated to what it is you are looking for in a B back and drills you can use in practice to facilitate your search. 

Prototypical B back
To be honest, at the high school level, it's hard to hammer things down into what many would consider a prototypical B back.  I guess, if all were equal, the B back would be the size of a traditional blocking fullback, but with the speed of a tailback.  Basically put, he would be the cliche that you most often hear during NFL and college games, "he's a tailback in a fullback's body". 




Yeah...this guy!


This is all fine and dandy if you are in college where you can recruit, however those of us at the high school level are not afforded the luxury of hand picking our players (well, most of us anyhow).  So, what are you looking for in your B back, especially when you cannot recruit him?  Here's the list:

1. Physical Toughness: Yes I know, coaches use this "catch phrase" all too often, however with this position toughness is a MUST!  The B back in the Flexbone offense will get hit on every play, whether he has the ball or not.  The B back must be able to get up from every collision and be able and willing to go and do the exact same thing again.  A B back that cannot withstand this punishment will wither and not be as strong in the fourth quarter, when you need your B back the most.  Look for players who "take a licking and keep on ticking".  This is the first step in finding the right player to play B back in your offense.
2. Quickness:  B backs must possess a great first step and be able to get off the ball quickly.  I have had B backs who turned right around on defense and played defensive end (DE) or defensive tackle (DT).  A quick get-off is a must for a B back as the base play (the inside veer) must be run with an explosive B back. 
3. Tackle breaker: Sounds simple, but this is very important too.  The B back HAS to run through arm tackles.  If you have a back that goes down on first contact, regardless of his toughness or quickness, he is NOT a B back.  A B back that can run through contact is a MUST for a young triple option QB just learning the system, as there will be misreads.  If you don't want to be looking at second-and-ten, then find a B back that can run through tackles.

Ok, that's my list.  Many coaches' lists are longer, but remember you are looking at your team for a kid that fits a certain criteria.  The more attributes you add, the more you narrow your search down.  I figure if a kid is tough, quick and can run through arm tackles, we can use him.  Size is NEVER a qualification.  Since you cannot recruit, I don't feel that size is something you are looking for.  The first year I ever ran this offense I had two kids that played this B back position.  The starter was a body builder looking guy who was 5'9" and 198 pounds.  This young man was a state qualifier in weight lifting and a beast on the football field.  His backup was a little runt, at 5'6" and 150 pounds, however he was the most explosive kid on the football field and had what many scouts call "closing speed".  In our first year the starter rushed 159 times for 779 yards and 13 touchdowns.  The backup rushed for 565 yards on just 84 attempts and had 7 touchdowns.  We rotated them by series as both played defense as well, and they were tough to handle.  Both fit the above criteria.  I've had them come in all shapes and sizes with the smallest being the young man mentioned above and the two largest were 6'2" 200 pounds and 5'8" 225 pounds.  This is why I say size matters not, if the player is tough and can take a pounding, has a quick, explosive first step, and can run through tackles, play him at the B back position.

Finding the Right Man for the Job
Looking for the three qualifications listed above takes some doing, but it's not rocket science.  I'm going to take you through some drills we utilized to help us find our B backs during pre-season camp. 

1. Circle of Life/Oklahoma/Eye Openers: What???  Yes I know, doesn't sound like a list of drills where you find a fullback does it?  Well, hear me out!  Circle of Life is a drill I stole from Urban Meyer at the University of Florida (he's used it everywhere he's been) and it involves circling the team up and pitting two players against each other.  The idea is to do whatever it takes within the game of football to get the opposing player out of the circle.  It's intense and the players love it.  What I look for here is guys that continually win, or want to keep going.  This is a tough character, because this drill will wear you down.  Oklahoma is no different.  The guys who continually want to go, love contact, and are tough.  These are the first qualification to being a good B back.  Eye Openers is the same thing, if you have a guy who wants to run the ball a lot in this drill, give him a look at B back, he might just surprise you.
2. Short Sprints: I used the ten and 20 yard sprint to see who my quickest guys were.  Change of direction quickness drills don't measure what you need when looking for your B back, as most plays for the B back in the Flexbone offense are straight ahead.  Run these with a stopwatch on and see who your quickest 3 players are.  A tip is to put your backs in the linemen chutes so they have to stay low when coming out of their stance and still be quick.
3. The Gauntlet: I've been fortunate to have one of these most everywhere I've been, but if you don't use your running backs to hold dummies and let the ball carrier run through them.  Have them try to knock him down with the pads when he runs through them.  If you have a gauntlet then run them through and look at these two factors:
1. Overall speed through the drill- Time each back to help you with this, and go so far as recording this data.  This lets you know who runs within their pad level and has good tackle breaking ability.
2. Movement through the drill- Some of my best B backs hit the gauntlet and never slowed down coming all the way through in what looked like one seamless motion.  This is your guy!  At worst he should stutter a moment upon contacting the gauntlet and be able to stay upright through the length of the drill.

These are just a few drills you can use to help find you a B back for your offense.  More often than not you find that if you are changing from a one back or pro style offense, one of these guys is your tailback.  Find AT LEAST two, preferably four of these guys, as they do take a pounding.  Rotate them to keep them fresh as well. 

In Addition
Lastly, a criteria I did not add to the first list, but is one everyone looks for in a good running back, and that is ball security.  The Flexbone offense requires a great deal of ball handling, and the B back must be able to carry the rock.  I did not add this to the original list because in my opinion, this is a qualification for any player who possess the football.  If you have a guy that fits all three criterion, but fumbles, he cannot play B back.  The B back is NOT a fumbler, and neither should ANY of your running backs be known as a fumbler. 

Mentally, I would add that most B backs I've had, are not selfish ball players.  They are usually guys that love playing the game for what the game is all about, running and hitting.  They usually care little about stats, and just want to play.  I know that's not a criteria, but as you find these players, this usually seems to be the trend.

The next post is going to be teaching the stance, and the start on the Flexbone's base play...the Inside Veer!

Duece

Revolutionary Safeties and Quarters Coverage- Smart Football/Grantland

Good article on the revolutionizing of the safety play in the NFL.  This has been important to the success of many teams down through the decades as most often safeties are asked to be some of the most versatile players on the field.  

Nothing like versatility!

From playing the run to covering receivers in both zone and man coverages as well as rushing the passer, safeties like Polamalu and Ed Reed have revolutionized the game.  Their ability to do this has been greatly enhanced in the invention of Quarters Coverage.  Read more over at Grantland.

Looks like the Huey board is up and running, thanks Coach Huey for all you do!!!  Thought I was going to have to medicate myself this past weekend...oh wait, I did!

Also, for all you Tebow haters out there, really?  Yes he looked ugly at times, but he's a rookie quaterback in the NFL, don't forget that.  Please also don't forget he's not responsible for pass protection, catching passes that he throws, hanging on to the football he just handed off, or stopping the opponent's run game.  Tebow did just what he was drafted to do, make those around him better.  Isn't this what you want out of the most important postion on the football field?  I think so.  I didn't really think his throwing motion looked that awkward, but hey, being a Gator fan and alumni, I'm biased!

Well, one more game to go for us!  No matter what level I coach, or what the record is, the end of the season still sucks.  I always miss the guys I coach, no matter how they played, or how the season went.  Is that weird?  Hit me up and let me know what you think at footballislifeblog@yahoo.com.  Hope all of ya'lls seasons went well, and those headed to the playoffs, now's not the time to let off the gas, keeping pushing...full steam ahead.  For those with less than stellar season, get ready for the off-season, as the time is NOW!




Keep your foot on the gas baby!


Duece

Withdrawls!!!!!

Now that the Huey site is down, I'm having withdrawals!  It's amazing how much I check that board, but then again, it's amazing how much I love to talk football.  It's amazing how much sites like that have changed football is just the last five years.  Where would we be without those sites?  Kinda hard to imagine isn't it?

So, enough with my little rant, been doing some research here recently and came across some good sites, thought I'd share them with you guys.  The first is Runcodhit football.  This site is not new, and is one I've mentioned on here numerous times.  However, he's back up and running and has a great post on defending trips formations while disguising your coverage.

Gridnotes is a site I check often, and to be honest it's how I found a lot of the blogs and sites I share on here.  This is a listing of all new blog posts, and they do a very good job of it.  Check them out, as they've been up and running here for several months and they are just splitting at the seams with a wealth of football information.

Since starting to coach youth football again, I've leaned towards those sites, and one I've found to be very handy is Dumcoach.  Doesn't sound like much of a name, but it's a very good site, similar to the Huey site.  If you are a youth coach, tired of rubbing elbows with high school and college or semi-pro coaches, then go to Dumcoach, you won't be disappointed.

Footballcoach360 is a site I got from Gridnotes, and is a very interesting site.  What I really like is the amount of video on this site, as I am very much a visual learner.  This site has excellent drills broken down by position to aid you in finding drills to help train your players.  Check them out, and thanks to Gridnotes for posting.

Another good site, also provided to me by Gridnotes, is Full Throttle Coaching Solutions.  This site is very similar to Footballcoach360 and has tons of instructional video to go along with some very good "how" and "why" posts on scheme and philosophy. 

In my single wing research I have come across some good sites as well.  The first is Direct Snap Football.  This all informative blog on the "oldie but goodie" single wing and direct snap offenses has been very informative.  The other one, is a site similar to the Huey board and that is the Delphi Single Wing Forum.  For those of you who do not know much about the offense and would like to know more, these two sites are great places to start.  I will say, I don't care for the Delphi site's setup as it does not appear user friendly and has a page full of ads, but the advice and coaching knowledge on the single wing and direct snap offenses presented there is second to none.

Hopefully the Huey site will be up and running soon, I'm really beginning to go out of my mind not being able to check in there!  Good luck, we have two more games, and it's the off-season for me!!!!

Duece

Single Wingin'

Always looking for info. on new stuff.  One thing I've never been around much is single wing football.  As a matter of fact, I've never defended a single wing offense!  I've seen some film on it, but not much.  So I've been digging around trying to find information on the offense, and I tell you, it's like some kind of cult or something.  I guess I don't have the secret decoder ring you're supposed to have to be able to get information on this offense.  So as usual, I'll try begging.  If anyone out there has some single wing information they'd like to share, then hit me up, maybe we can trade or something.  When it comes to offenses I like rare and different, so I really like the single wing!

I've been watching some Apopka, FL film, and they are flat amazing.  I've also been watching some youth films on the offense, and it really intrigues me.  This seems like it would be a tough offense to stop, and yet very few people utilize it.  I know the Urban Meyer's and the Gus Malzahn's of the world have worked single wing stuff into the modern spread offense (good luck finding anything on that), however you rarely see the old formations such as the A formation, short punt, the Notre Dame Box, or the Beast formation.  Like I said, I've got stuff to trade if you're interested, but I'd really like to join this "cult" and would like to know how to get my secret decoder ring!

Season is almost wrapping up, how's everyone's been going?  We had a rocky start but are getting much better week after week.  Hang in there, and for those working the grind toward that district championship, keep up the hard work!

Duece

Eating My Words...

One part of being a good coach is learning to eat your words.  I had put a post out a while back where I was discussing all the nuances of the position of the strong safety (SS) in the 46 defense.  Well, I have to say, I have significantly shifted my perspective from where is was just months ago.  Here is the original post for those that haven't read it.  I think it wise to do so before proceeding with this article.

The proving grounds, or the field as it's called in football, has a way of humbling even the smartest of coaches when it comes to implementing something...this is no different.  Last season at the varsity level, I ran the 46 Nickel with 4-2 personnel and had some success with it.  We got into the front as an adjustment with no personnel substitutions whatsoever.  It was simple, it worked and the kids liked it.  Enter this season now as a junior high defensive coordinator and I simply install things the way we did last year with the exception that we are 3-3 personnel now instead.  As I'm working this look in the first few weeks of practice, I'm noticing we are struggling with some of our adjustments and we never can seem to keep the tight end (TE) covered.  Well, when I sat down and looked at what I was doing, I had realized the error of my ways.  Let's go back now and look at the different philosophies of the position of the SS in the 46 defense.




Original Position of SS in 46 Bear Defense Under Buddy Ryan



SS is now in 7 technique.  This alignment was used by Boston College.



SS position outside the TE, this is how Rex Ryan currently runs the 46 defense.

 

As most know, the defense got its name from famous SS, Doug Plank who had jersey number 46 when playing for the Chicago Bears back in the mid-80's.  Coach Buddy Ryan played Plank over the weakside tackle against 2 back teams that employed a TE.  The SS was the adjuster in the defense from this position.  As time moved on, people began to move the SS around.  Even Buddy's son Rex, has changed the original position of the SS in the defense.  Rex puts the SS outside the TE when aligning.  He feels this keeps the SS's alignment consistent and allows the SS to see his adjustments quicker.  This is what I originally advocated, and I'm sure with the NFL talent that Ryan has, along with the large amount of time given to coaches to work with their players at the NFL level, Ryan has little to no trouble teaching his system.  However, at my level, where we get a grand total of six hours (if we're lucky) of practice per week before gameday, things need to be quite simpler.  So, I opted to move to the alignment I found in a Boston College defensive playbook.  The defense they ran was based out of the 3-4 and simply put the SS inside the TE as the seven technique.  I had my doubts about this alignment, but since then I've seen just how much teaching I've eliminated by doing so, and have quickly come to enjoy this new alignment (and subsequent corrections in my playbook). 





As you can see, remove the TE and the "box" players remain the same with the SS as the 7 technique.

 
One thing to point out though, NONE of our opponents have run with a TE so far this season.  We are in a "spread to run" league where everybody feels they are Appalachian State or Urban Meyer, so we see very little TE sets.  So this basically translates my defense into a double eagle nickel package, with two outside safeties (OSS's) taking the brunt of the adjustments in our man coverage scheme (ok, it's just cover 1).  Anyhow, the OLB's in my defense (shown as S and R in the diagrams) only have to learn a couple of techniques, where before, my OLB to the TE side had to learn how to cover a TE man to man from the seven technique position.  The SS had to learn the OLB's job was well as learning how to cover displaced receivers man to man.  This led to a lot of overlapping teaching, but too much of a job description for both positions.  So, by moving the SS inside to the seven technique, I effectively eliminated any teaching time teaching him how to force, play boot, reverse, cutback (BRC) on runs away and simply had to teach him to cover a TE man to man from the seven technique, as well as man coverage on displaced receivers.  The OLB's job was made simpler too by teaching him one consistent alignment.  I align my guys one yard outside the EMOL, and keep it at that.  Now they play quicker, faster and with less of a thought process, which is EXACTLY what I as a coach strive for.




Play Faster!!!!


So, as I'm writing you this, I'm eating my words on my original stance on the position of the SS in the 46.  I think all three philosophies have merit, however, when applied "to grass", I like Boston College's version for the simplicity it presents in teaching the concepts based on what player's jobs are.  Ok, so hopefully I didn't steer anybody in a direction they are cussing me for, but if I did, shoot me an email and we can talk.  Otherwise, enjoy and gloat in the joy of me eating my previous words.

Well the grind is on, as most of us are entering mid-season.  I need some help, especially from youth coaches.  We are struggling to keep our practices from being a grind to the kids, and we need something fun and "lifting" to do in practice.  If you have any ideas please shoot me an email at footballislifeblog@yahoo.com .  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  Keep working fellas, keep your eyes on that prize!

Duece