9 Man Football F-Counter
FirstDown PlayBook has been featuring a play or two from our 6 man, 8 man and now 9 man football sections over the past couple of weeks. As we have mentioned before, this has been a fun learning process for us. We have visited and consulted with some excellent coaches as we have grown theses sections. Today we want to taken look at this 9 man football F-Counter.
One of the first things you realize when you look at 9 man football is that your tackles need to be versatile. The versatility comes in the form of needing to do tackle like things. They need to base block, double team and even pull at times. They also need to be tight end like in the pass game.
Depending on how you choose to run your 9 man football offense, they could be even asked to flex out as a wide receiver. Defending a play like this 9 man football weak counter makes a defensive coordinator think too. If you are not careful you will have conflict of assignment problem. You could be asking a player to play coverage and also be contain.
Related: How Do Your Linemen Communicate On A Counter Run Play?
FirstDown PlayBook has taken on this assignment with the same approach we have all sections. We draw the plays up vs multiple defenses. You can see below that we have this 9 man football F-counter drawn up vs a solid front. You will also find this play and all runs also drawn up vs a three and four man front. Curious? Tap on this play drawing to learn more.
FORMATION: 2 BACK
PLAY: 9 MAN FOOTBALL F-COUNTER WEAK
DESCRIPTION:
COUNTER PLAY WITH TWO PULLERS TO THE WEAK SIDE.
THE FIRST PULLER WILL EITHER BE THE CENTER, GUARD OR TACKLE.
THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN WHO PULLS WILL BE DICTATED BY THE DEFENSIVE FRONT.
IF THE GUARD CAN PULL THEN HE WILL.
IF GUARD CANNOT PULL THE BEST PULLER EITHER THE CENTER OR TACKLE WILL PULL.
THE FIRST PULLER WILL EITHER KICK OUT THE END VS A B GAP LINEMAN WEAK.
THE FIRST PULLER WILL TURN UP IN THE B GAP FOR THE WILL LB VS AN A GAP LINEMAN WEAK.
QB:
OPEN TO THE STRONG SIDE AT 4:00 OR 8:00.
EXTEND THE BALL WITH BOTH HANDS AS IF TO HAND OFF THE STRETCH STRONG.
EXCHANGE THE BALL TO THE NEAR HAND AS THE BACK COUNTERS TO THE WEAK SIDE.
EXECUTE THE OVER THE TOP HANDOFF TO THE RB.
BOOT FAKE TO THE STRONG SIDE.
BALL CARRIER:
RECOGNIZE THE FRONT PRE-SNAP. THIS WILL HELP ANTICIPATE YOUR PATH.
FOOTWORK: OPEN CROSSOVER PLANT. THREE QUICK STEPS.
PLANT AND COME BACK TO THE WEAK SIDE OVER THE TOP OF THE QB.
TAKE THE HANDOFF AND SELL THE WIDTH TO THE WEAK SIDE FIRST.
GET IN TANDEM WITH THE FIRST PULLER AND THE F.
ATTACK THE B GAP AND GET DOWNHILL.
FULLBACK:
RECOGNIZE THE FRONT PRE-SNAP. THIS WILL HELP ANTICIPATE YOUR PATH & ASSIGNMENT.
CHEAT UP & OUT PRIOR TO THE SNAP.
ON THE SNAP STEP WITH THE OUTSIDE FOOT TO:
ALLOW YOU TO GET UNDER THE QB.
ALLOW YOU TO GET SEPARATION FROM THE FIRST PULLER.
PULL ACROSS THE FORMATION AND READ THE BLOCK OF THE FIRST PULLER.
IF THE FIRST PULLER KICKS OUT THEN TURN UP INSIDE FOR THE FIRST LB OFF OF THE BALL PLAYSIDE.
IF THE FIRST PULLER TURNS UP INSIDE YOU WILL PULL UP INSIDE ALSO AND LOOK FOR THE SECOND LB OFF THE BALL.
TACKLE:
GIVE A CALL TO THE PULLERS LETTING THEM KNOW IF YOU HAVE A B GAP DEFENDER OR NOT.
VS A B GAP THREAT: BLOCK DOWN AND HELP THE GUARD SECURE THE B GAP UP TO THE BACKSIDE LB.
VS NO B GAP THREAT WIDEN YOUR SPLIT & BLOCK OUT ON THE 5 TECHNIQUE.
GUARD:
GIVE A CALL TO THE PULLERS LETTING THEM KNOW IF YOU HAVE A B GAP DEFENDER OR NOT.
VS A B GAP DEFENDER: WORK WITH THE TACKLE TO DOUBLE THE B GAP DEFENDER TO THE BACKSIDE LB.
VS AN A GAP DEFENDER: SECURE THE A GAP FOR A CENTER PULL OR
DOUBLE THE A GAP DEFENDER WITH THE CENTER TO THE BACKSIDE LB.
CENTER:
COMMUNICATE WITH TWO GUARDS.
VS AN A GAP DEFENDER THREAT WEAK:
DOUBLE WITH THE WEAK GUARD UP TO THE BACKSIDE LB OR PULL IF THE TACKLE CANNOT.
VS AN A GAP THREAT STRONG:
BLOCK BACK SO THE GUARD CAN PULL.
VS A SOLID FRONT (BEAR): REACH THE NOSE GUARD.
GUARD:
VS NO B GAP THREAT: PULL ACROSS THE FORMATION.
IF THE PLAYSIDE TACKLE IS BLOCKING DOWN INTO THE B GAP KICK THE END MAN ON THE LOS OUT.
IF THE PLAYSIDE TACKLE BLOCKS OUT TURN UP INTO THE B GAP AND LOOK FOR THE FIRST LB OFF OF THE LOS PLAYSIDE.
VS A LOADED FRONT: THE CENTER MUST PULL.
TACKLE:
VS A B GAP THREAT CALL THE GUARD TO PROTECT YOU AND PULL ACROSS THE FORMATION.
VS NO B GAP THREAT (THE GUARD IS PULLING) WORK WITH THE TE TO BLOCK THE END AND SLB.
AS YOU PULL:
IF THE PLAYSIDE TACKLE IS BLOCKING DOWN INTO THE B GAP KICK THE END MAN ON THE LOS OUT.
IF THE PLAYSIDE TACKLE BLOCKS OUT TURN UP INTO THE B GAP AND LOOK FOR THE FIRST LB OFF OF THE LOS PLAYSIDE.
VS A LOADED FRONT: THE CENTER MUST PULL.
