How Good Teams Pull Off Hard Trick Plays
You have already seen a few trick plays at critical moments in important games in college football this year. Young head coaches are now more willing than ever to roll the dice because they know the leash is short. Take your shot while you can, right? Having said that, please know how much time is dedicated to a well designed trick play.
It’s not just the “trick” part that makes it special. Once again, like almost always it comes down to coaching detail and player execution.
Today I am going to highlight a trick play from a favorite high school and youth football formation. The Wing T has remained a staple for many reasons but mostly because it is a sound formation that allows an offense to run gap schemes with hard to defend ball action in the backfield.
So as you take a look at this Wing T trick play, don’t focus as much on the actual play but instead look at the detailed coaching points FirstDown PlayBook includes.
If you are not willing to coach with this kind of detail then do yourself a favor. Don’t run this trick play or any other that requires time and repetition. If you do it will more than likely blow up in your face and result in a turnover.
Coaching Points
FORMATION: WING T PLAY: ROCKET TOSS HB PASS
DESCRIPTION: TRICK PLAY DESIGNED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A FAST FLOW DEFENSE.
-BEST WHEN RUN VS A DEFENSE THAT IS OVER REACTING TO THE TOSS STRONG.
-THE QB WILL TOSS THE BALL TO THE OFF SET BACK AS IF TO RUN A TOSS SWEEP.
-THE OFF SET BACK WILL PULL UP OVER THE FAR TACKLE AREA & THROW THE BALL DOWN FIELD
GENERAL RULES FOR THIS WING T TRICK PLAY:
-THE OFFENSIVE LINE & H WILL ACCOUNT FOR THE SIX MDM DEFENDERS STRONG TO WEAK.
-THE OFFENSIVE LINE & H WILL ZONE BLOCK AS IF RUNNING TO THE STRONG SIDE.
-THE TACKLE & H MUST SECURE THE EDGE TO GET THE PLAY STARTED.
-THE OFF SET BACK TAKES THE PITCH FROM THE QB & SELLS THE RUN BEFORE THROWING THE BALL.
-THE QB WILL HOLD THE BACKSIDE RUSH WITH THE BOOT FAKE.
QB:
-TAKE THE SNAP AND OPEN AT 6:00 AWAY FROM THE SWEEP SIDE.
-EXECUTE AN ACCURATE PITCH TO THE OFF SET BACK.
-CONTINUE ON A BOOT PATH AWAY AND HOLD THE UNBLOCKED BACKSIDE DEFENDER.
-CONTINUE DOWN THE FIELD TO HOLD THE SECONDARY TO THAT SIDE.
H: PERIMETER PROTECTION
-ON THE SNAP ATTACK THE PLAYSIDE PERIMETER.
-TAKE A WIDE ENOUGH PATH TO OUT LEVERAGE THE END MAN ON THE LOS.
-FORCE ANY DEFENDER TO GO INSIDE OF YOU.
-WORK WITH THE TACKLE TO SEAL THIS EDGE AND PROTECT THE LAUNCH POINT FOR F.
-YOU AND THE TACKLE MUST GET THIS PLAY STARTED ON THE EDGE.
F: THROWBACK PASS
-ON THE SNAP OPEN TO THE STRONG SIDE AND TRAVEL FLAT TO THE SIDELINE.
-SECURE THE TOSS FROM THE QB AND SELL THE SWEEP FOR AT LEAST THREE HARD STEPS.
-PULL UP IN THE TACKLE/SLOT AREA AND SET YOUR FEET TO THROW THE BALL DOWN FIELD.
-LOOK FOR Z-Y-X IN THAT ORDER.
-THIS BALL MUST GET OUT OF YOUR HAND QUICKLY BEFORE THE DEFENSE REACTS.
-IF EVERYONE IS COVERED OR THE PLAY BREAKS DOWN PULL THE BALL DOWN & RUN THE SWEEP.
-GIVE A “GO” CALL IF YOU CHOOSE TO RUN THE BALL.
Y: WHEEL ROUTE
-ON THE SNAP OUTSIDE RELEASE AS IF TO BLOCK SUPPORT OR THE CORNER.
-SELL THIS WITH YOUR EYES AND BODY DEMEANOR.
-AS THE DEFENDER REACTS TO THE BLOCK FAKE ACCELERATE INTO THE ROUTE.
– LOOK TO CATCH A BALL OUT IN FRONT AND OUTSIDE OVER YOUR SHOULDER.
X: OVER ROUTE
-CHEAT SPLIT INSIDE BY 2 YARDS AS IF TO CUTOFF BLOCK.
-BEST RELEASE INSIDE ON THE SNAP.
-PUSH UP TO 10 YARDS AND THEN TRAVEL ACROSS THE FIELD.
-LOOK FOR THE BALL LATE FROM THE F.
Z: SEAM ROUTE
-WIDEN YOUR SPLIT ENOUGH FROM THE Y TO ASSURE THAT YOU GET OUT.
-ON THE SNAP RELEASE AS IF YOU ARE BLOCKING FOR THE SWEEP.
-AS THE DEFENDERS REACT TO YOUR BLOCK FAKE SLIP PAST THEM INTO YOUR ROUTE.
-PUSH VERTICAL THROUGH THE SEAM.
-LOOK FOR THE BALL EARLY.
OFFENSIVE LINE & H
-RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MOST DANGEROUS SIX DEFENDERS TO THE TOSS SIDE.
-THE WEAK TACKLE SHOULD ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE THE END MAN ON LOS TO CROSS HIS FACE INSIDE.
-THIS PLAY SHOULD BE EXECUTED JUST AS IF IT WERE A SWEEP OR SPRINT PASS STRONG.
-CALLS ARE MADE STRONG SIDE TO GET THE PLAY STARTED. MUST SECURE THE EDGE.
-THE PLAYER MAKING THE CALL WILL DICTATE:
-IF HE IS WORKING ALONE ON A ONE ON ONE BLOCK OR
-WORKING A ZONE COMBINATION SCHEME WITH THE NEXT ADJACENT LINEMAN.
-OFFENSIVE LINE WILL INFLUENCE THE DEFENDERS WITH LOW PADS INITIALLY TO SELL RUN.
-OFFENSIVE LINE WILL SHIFT THEIR DEMEANOR TO PASS PROTECT LATE.
-FULLBACK AND OFFENSIVE LINE MUST SECURE THE OFF SET BACK’S LAUNCH POINT.
-IF TWO LINEMEN ARE ON A ZONE COMBINATION BLOCK THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LB DOG.
-THE OFFENSIVE LINE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PASS AND THEY CANNOT RELEASE DOWNFIELD.
