26/27: The back to the strong-side scats and the strong guard/uncovered lineman scat protects. west coast offense orientation & terminology start from scratch when learning it. The original Air Raid was basically taking the West Coast passing game, simplifying it to a purely conceptual level, and then making every formational and personnel decision around maximizing those passing concepts. The two pass routes are designed create a two-on-one isolation on a defender dropping back in a hook zone. Strong back and guard double read the ILB (Mike) and the back check-releases. Due to this, when they see any type of potential run play, the defense may overact, letting the offense take them off guard. They release, because that defender theyre assigned to is not a threat to sack the quarterback, so rather than wasting a blocker, they want those players to get involved as receivers incase the primary receivers on a play are not open. NORM CHOW POST SNAP READS.doc. The weak-back coming to the strong-side double-reads the ILB to strong OLB (Mike to Sam). The receiver fakes route in one direction and then runs the route in the opposite direction. BOB means big on big/back on backer. That means offensive linemen block the nearest defensive lineman, and any backs in the formation block linebackers (or linebacker-types) to that side. What we like about it is its a simple high/low read for the quarterback to make. It's a great concept: the shallow pulls the linebackers while the square-in -- aptly known in Airraid . 400: Slide protection away from the call with a cross-action/misdirection backfield or run fake. The quarterback is looking to see what the defense gives him and looks to take advantage of it. If you call the protection to the right, that means the offensive linemen on that side will BOB protect. For those that dont know MOFO simply means "middle of the field open," or no deep middle safety. Since this article is about pass protection, we will cover what in Walshs system are the 20s, 50s, 70s, 80s, and a BASIC introduction to 2/3 Jet protection. During these years, BYU regularly led the nation in passing offense. What the West Coast offense does is exploit the natural holes and weaknesses of a defensive formation or structure with short, fast, precisely timed passes before the defense can flow to the ball, or drop to their coverage areas (these are the planes that initially attack strong-points to soften defenses for the tanks). They release if the ILB does not blitz. Consequently, higher completion percentages are expected and, with that, fewer turnovers. Coach Bill Walsh is credited with inventing this system as a Quarterbacks Coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. One of the biggest drawbacks in the West Coast and Air Coryell offenses are their elongated play calls. 300 is an AGGRESSIVE slide protection (so slide protection with the O-line and backs attacking and holding their blocks at the line of scrimmage (LOS). If the ILB blitzes, they sneak a peak at the outside linebacker (OLB) to their side. The quarterbacks dropback is critical to the timing of the offense, so defenses have targeted this element in an attempt to disrupt the offensive scheme. This makes it a quick pass, where the line and backs will block aggressively and hold the defense at the line of scrimmage. Recently with Patrick Mahomes, arguably the best quarterback in the league, he has moved into more shotgun formations allowing Mahomes more freedom with his decision-making. Walsh ignored the critics and at the end of his career Walshs system started a new era in the NFL with the passing attack being the focus of offenses. Developing the West Coast Offense Walsh's "nickel-and-dime" offense was one that relied heavily on a method, ball-control passing game that utilized the backs and tight ends as primary. When you run pocket protection, the uncovered lineman to each side double-reads ILB to OLB to that side. Weak flow with scat protection to the strong-side: The TE is now free releasing. His offensive coordinator was Darrell Bevel, a West Coast Offense guy. In addition to wide receivers running routes, the running back and tight end typically will also run routes to overwhelm the defense. Also a pocket and two-back protection series. The inner most receiver runs a flat route. If no one comes, the lineman assists to their side, or picks up any garbage they happen to see coming through. Outstanding breakdown. Still, Reids offense led the NFL in yards after the catch in the 2020 season due to the extremely talented pass-catching duo of Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. As with any offensive system, specific player qualities are needed for each position. In both protections, the default rule for all running-backs and tight-ends is to execute an assignment called check-release, which means they are assigned to a defender (or two), and if that defender blitzes (blitz is called dog in the playbook), they block them. The Passing Game II: Slants and Flats. On all play actions, if the faking back sees their primary blocking assignment blitz, they come off the fake immediately to make the block. The deep back/tailback is the weak back. In any 2-back formation, the back closest to the TE is the strong back. Play action is where the offense fakes a run in an attempt to make the defense react to the run, then uses the quarterback to roll out and pass to a receiver running down the field. Originally, the term referred to the Air Coryell system popularized by Don Coryell. This system looks to control the game through the air and sets receivers up to make plays after the catch. In your summary, you say that an odd number means that the TE is on the left! For this article we show several common pass routes and route combos that you will find in real football and video game football. Both can be a hot receiver. We know that on first down our ball-control passing is vital. Teams That Have a Variety of Pass Catchers - The West Coast Offense is famous for involving tight ends, fullbacks and halfbacks, in addition to at least two wide receivers. The weak-side back has OLB, and the strong-side back has ILB/extra/garbage. If the defender covers the deep in route, the hitch route underneath will be open. Those combined, with the wide zone running offense, make for a deadly play-action passing game that stresses linebackers to their extreme. A new kind of offense has taken over the college level and has made its way into the NFL recently called the Spread offense. In terms of protection, scat indicates that the side a back free releases to calls for the offensive guard, or uncovered lineman to that side to double-read the the linebackers to that side. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. Bill Walsh, who was the offensive coordinator at the time, had to step back and completely redesign the teams offense. If both blitz, they block the inside defender. He then break outside towards the sideline at a 45 degree angle. The idea of the Snag passing concept is to horizontal stretch the defense by creating three on two isolation. Triangle - Defense. Some team's may refer to it as the triangle. Air raid is a spread passing attack looking to throw the ball to 5 playmakers in space using triangle reads. it gets too hard. They then would blitz the quarterback using a zone blitz in an attempt to disrupt their timing. From this alignment, the West Coast Offense can run the majority of their route combinations, which include slants and curls, to attack the underneath half. The quick slant is the signature play of the West Coast Offense. The back to the weak-side (away from the TE) scats (free releases) to their side into a route. Pocket/Cup Protection: Your center and guards protect the center-three defenders of the defense. . The goal was to get these pass catchers the ball in space as they ran across the middle of the field to allow them to make plays after the catch for extra yardage. Typically, there will be two backs in the backfield split to either side of the quarterback. If the call is 314 the slide is going to the left, and 315 means the slide is going to the right. (Image courtesy of Bruce Eien; check out more notes on their version here .) Some of the most notable are the following: With all of the advantages of the West Coast system, it can be hard to imagine a way to stop this type of offense. By them switching, it creates an opportunity for a big play deep down the field. With all of these advantages, it may come as a surprise that this system was created out of necessity rather than want. For each play, there is a certain number of steps for the quarterbacks drop back. The second way to stop the West Coast offense is for cornerbacks, or those guarding the receivers, to try and jump the route to intercept the ball. Throughout this article, well cover the origin of the system, positional roles, different variations of the West Coast offense and much more so stick around! The West Coast Offense is an innovative horizontal passing offense based on timing and route running. In the last three seasons under Moore, the Cowboys offense ranked 14th in 2020 when Prescott missed 11 games with a fractured ankle, first in 2021 when Prescott set franchise record for passing . The first digit indicates the type of play action protection, and the 2nd and 3rd numbers indicate the run action. 56/57: Rip/Liz to the strong-side only. Often this creates a high/low read for the quarterback to make. The Flood concept does this by having three receiver running pass routes towards the same of the field. In the 1970's, Darrel "Mouse" Davis began having tremendous success with the offense at Portland . Below is an example of the type of formation and play Coach Walsh would run: It is important to note that Coach Walsh won three Super Bowls with this offense. 109. Instead, Walsh turned them into pass catchers and gave them horizontal routes designed to get them in space. 300: Remember, this book does not use 300 like modern WCO terminology uses it. Strong back only has ILB (or Mike) to their side, and check releases off them. We break the sections down with quick pass, medium pass, and deep pass. Since the West Coast system has so many pass catchers on the field, when a defensive player blitzes, the quarterback just needs to find the open, unguarded player. Scat protection strong-side with both backs free releasing. Walsh had two elements he found to be crucial to the success of the offense. The TE is not blocking at all, and both backs go weak, so there are only lineman blocking to the strong-side, requiring the scat protection. A Complete Overview. Offensive Packages. The West Coast Offense provided a blue-print for the modern offensive game in the NFL, primary with its flexibility of various pass protections. Visit our Shop to see our latest tools to help you work faster! Paperback - July 29, 1997. In slide protection, you BOB to the call side, and slide to the other side, with the uncovered lineman on the slide side checking the Will LB first (because in slide, the sliding linemen are responsible for the Will LB), then look for the OLB to that side. Most protections have two numbers. Bill Walsh was the leader in creating the system, which is still used todays game. The essence of the West Coast system is rhythm & timing, and ball protection. %PDF-1.2 % Rather than using tanks and planes (the passing game) to support the infantry, attack head-first with your planes first, tanks second, then let the infantry bat clean-up. If both blitz, they block the inside defender. Two digits. Therefore that back attacks A-gap, and the second back attacks B-gap. Requires a TE on each side. Rip(Right)/Liz(Left): The back on the side called check releases on the inside linebacker to that side. If that defender does not blitz (no dog), they then look to block the outside defender. In the E-P system, there are no requirements, except for a competent quarterback. Another difference is that the West Coast system looks to make quick passes across the middle of the field, but the Spread looks to spread the defense out across the whole field and uses vertical routes just as much as horizontal routes. The QB takes a 5-step drop, and the protection becomes slide protection (in other version of the WCO, you see 200/300 as both slide protection, and a 3-step drop). Invented by Bill Walsh, it was born in Cincinnati but popularized in San Francisco, earning its "West. The back away from the call side is coming over to that side to get the blitzing ILB. 0000001428 00000 n The first was using the timing of the quarterback dropbacks to set the pace for the play. trailer << /Size 291 /Info 271 0 R /Root 281 0 R /Prev 675259 /ID[] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 281 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 273 0 R /Outlines 266 0 R /OpenAction [ 282 0 R /XYZ null null null ] /PageMode /UseNone >> endobj 289 0 obj << /S 918 /O 996 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 290 0 R >> stream Walsh then added more layers by sending players in motion to create mismatches and used the passing game to set the tempo of the game. A core concept in West Coast systems, here are four combinations within the Hi-Lo series that we see across the league. Backs free release and both TEs block the OLB/OLB-area to their side. Unless a specific protection says otherwise, players not mentioned use the rules described above. The schemes are often based in West Coast or Air Coryell concepts, but incorporate a lot more options in the run game, quarterback reads are minimized, and routes are simplified. If the OLB blitzes, the back then becomes the hot receiver, and replaces the OLBs position to get open. Cook, who was drafted as a big-armed, vertical passer, no longer had the arm strength to throw the ball deep. A Financial Overview, What Is a Cycle in Baseball? The terminology you will see in this article are being borrowed from this 356 page, 1985 49ers Playbook that can be found on Google. This means four receivers are automatically in route. Bill Walsh helped changed the offensive playing field with his West Coast offensive system. Weak back free releases. A West Coast staple passing concept is called Texas. Cornerbacks can take advantage of this by playing underneath the receiver or looking to jump the passing lanes to beat the receiver to where the ball is being thrown. Lastly, this means that The Catch came from this philosophy as well. Frankfurt, Germany. The West Coast offense does the exact opposite. In the play-option pass, all these schools are seeing the marriage of pass and run in a way that's changing the game. The back typically does not come across the formation, or at least behind the QB. Slow means a back or tight-end releases only if their assigned linebacker (or linebackers) does not blitz. 84/85: Scat protection weak (TE to that side free releases). Strong back and guard double read the ILB (Mike) and the back check-releases. A few years ago, there was a lot of speculation about what Jon Gruden's offense would look like in his return to the NFL. This default/watered down play action system is a slide protection (so half-slide in modern terms, just like 2/3 Jet). The comeback has the receiver taking an outside release and running about 18-20 yards up the field. The final aspect of the West Coast offense is the use of pre-snap motions to create mismatches on the defensive side of the ball. Additionally, Roger Craig, Dwight Clark, and Tom Rathman were among many Pro-Bowl caliber players on offense during this era. From Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers juggernaut, to Brigham Young University's record-smashing Cougars, to the 1997 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, this passing attack is a proven winner. Watching their highlights from with the 49ers almost certainly means you are watching the WCO. Remember, this book does not use 300 like modern WCO terminology uses it. He so firmly believed in this, every play was created with a predetermined number of steps for the quarterbacks drop back. Offensive schemes and tactics This is a discussion on Offensive schemes and tactics within the EA Sports College Football forums. Even though this system was created almost four decades ago, its influence is still evident in the league as almost every offense has taken to using the West Coast system in some way. In terms of tactics, you would run the ball until the other teams defense got too strong against the run, or the defensive backs got too close to the line, then you would throw the ball deep, over their heads. Concepts Efficient language. Its a 6-man version of this play action protection where you fake to the tailback/halfback, and the 2nd back and TE are free releasing. Watch for defenders dropping back in buzz zones as they do a good job at defending corner routes. This leads to the question. Doug Pederson, another West Coast. 500: Gap protection: The O-line steps to the back-side/away from the call and protects the gap. NEW System Evolutions. The West Coast system looks to establish the pass, to set up the run. 76/77: Weak flow with scat protection to the strong-side: The TE is now free releasing. The West Coast was, at the time of its inception, known for being very pass heavy, which helped revolutionize offensive football during the 80's and 90's. McCarthy always fully embraced those. Defensive Install 2021. Remember pocket and slide protection that was mentioned above. 101 Plays from The Coastal Carolina Offense, 101 Plays from the College Playoff Book Bundle, 101 Plays from the Georgia Offense - 2022, 101 Plays from the 2022 Ohio State Offense. 0000002771 00000 n Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. When Brown was at Cincinnati, he had a QB coach named Bill Walsh, who would go on to set the gold standard for modern offensive schemes in the NFL with the 49ers in the 1980s. Both can be a hot receiver. There are a few spread offenses in college that are markedly different than what you see in the NFL and worth mentioning. If man coverage is called, the quarterback looks to see if the slot receiver is able to get seperation from the defender in coverage, especially if no safety is playing the deep middle of the field. Im always open to feedback as well, so if there is something you feel is incorrect or should be described more thoroughly, please drop a comment! Spot The Spot passing concept is design to attack zone coverage. 1985 BYU Passing Offense.pdf. An offensive player is assigned two defenders to block. The West Coast Offense is a philosophy that remains relevant at every level of competition. This real football play passing concept features a high-low read between a receiver, who runs a post , and a running back, who runs an angle route. Backs protect inside-out, meaning they block an inside rush threat first, then work outside if there is no inside threat. How the POP play streamlines the pro-style approach. The guard or uncovered lineman to the weak-side must now scat protect to that side, meaning they double read the ILB to OLB on the weak-side. His very popular version of the offense averaged scoring a touchdown every ten plays and once scored 98 points in a single game. If the number called is odd, it means the TE is to the left. Tanks were introduced in WWI to support infantry as they charged across no-mans land, and planes were used for reconnaissance, and to drop bombs over enemy strong-points in the trenches and cities. Along the way, Ill also answer general sports related questions. H stands for halfback (so think your primary running-back. 86/87: Scat protection strong-side with both backs free releasing. The idea is to anticipate a defensive blitz, get the quick fake to hesitate LBs and the secondary, then quickly get the ball out to the TE or 2nd back. Updated on 02/21/19. The weak-back coming to the strong-side double-reads the ILB to strong OLB (Mike to Sam). The West Coast Offense would then equate to the tactic of blitzkrieg developed by the Germans in WWII. First, our offense uses "precision-timed passing, variable formations, and the exploitation of each player's skills" (quote by Bill Walsh) to attack the opposition. Post Corner High-Low Isolation Vs Cover 2 Zone Coverage, Gun Trips Left Hb Strong S Motion Z Post. Kaepernick has been running a West Coast offense for the entirety of his NFL career. The pass route the receiver runs during the play is based on the type of pass coverage called. Generally one of them gets open once they cross each other. One of the most popular styles has become the West Coast offense, a system that many NFL teams use today to various degrees. we call plays in the following series: a) teens: all runs. In most conventional offenses, the idea is to run the ball to draw the safeties and linebackers in closer to the line of scrimmage, thus opening up . The quarterback looks to throw to the receiver once he makes his break towards the side line. Please, The West Coast Offense Walsh used primarily relies on numbers to call pass protections. This style also limits the defense from stacking the line of scrimmage to stop the run as they are spread across the whole field. This typically involves getting a linebacker in coverage on a running back, wide receiver, or tight end. 9,884 posts . It is a traditional Cover 3 beater that goes all the way back to the passing concepts of Sid Gillman and Don Coryell and into the West Coast offense. These are great for setting up boot passes to get the defense going one way, so the QB has room to run the other way. 300 is an AGGRESSIVE slide protection (so slide protection with the O-line and backs attacking and holding their blocks at the line of scrimmage (LOS). 17 Bellstone Drive, Bellingham, MA, 02019. 55 is TE left, so we Rip). True to form of the 'west coast offense' these concepts are excellent ball control, short passing plays which rely on accuracy and timing between the QB & WRs to take advantage of different defensive structures and coverages. The Shanahan offense is derived from the West Coast offense made famous by Bill Walsh. The Shake has a receiver making a quick fake before running a shallow crossing route. 0/1: Off the centers left/right butt-cheek. Coach Vigen explained what concepts fans should look for that are tell-tale elements of . In 1969, the Bengals had a rising superstar in rookie quarterback Greg Cook, but in week 3 Cook tore his rotator cuff. Usually, they work inside-out, blocking the inner-most defender first. If man coverage is called, the tight end will generally matched up against slower linebacker or a smaller defensive back. However, the Walsh offense wanted to use quick, short passes as a partial substitute for a traditional running game.