Archer, Clay, JB?

Guys:

I think this can be run well at least by age 10.

Here are several key points to teach:
1. The play is set by the sweep/power fake and the QB and the HB selling the fake, and everything therefater falls into place. The QB must open to the HB and step TO him - not wait for him to come to the QB. This enables the QB to execute a short ride and to let the defense see the "ball" (actually bare hand) extended to HB. The QB must shift his weight and lean into the "give" to the HB. He must let the "ride" take place well beyond the normal spot the HB passes him, and the QB must "look" at the HB as he moves away from the mesh betwen the two. The QB extends his arm and hand and lets it trail the HB moving away.

Now, as the QB turns to run his bootleg path he must gain depth AND width and pressure the corner. He should reach his deepest point near the spot where the tackle originally aligned or slightly toward the C gap. He should be about 6-7 yards deep at this point (13 year-olds). This is important because assuming the DE took the good fake that was executed by QB/HB, he (the DE) has now taken a step or two toward the HB's sweep path. He will eventually recover and get after the QB. The depth of the QB buys him time to execute the remainder of the play.

Further the OG on the bootside (say left OG if sweep is faked to the right and QB boots left), must pull WITH DEPTH. We use what we call a "sickle pull". The OG takes a flat step first, but then gets good depth off the LOS to about 4.5 - 5 yards. This now puts him in a great position to log that 5 tech. The backside OG pulls flat and becomes the QB's inside protector.

Getting the FB to the flat cleanly is done by having him step toward the OG nearest bootside (here left OG) and to do so quickly before the left OG begins to move laterally too far. IOW, the FB "beats" the OG to the outside, if you will. The FB's path is at an angle and he can take the B gap to the flat or the C gap, whichever is easiest.

When we have a DE to the bootside that won't bite on the sweep fake and that DE heads straight to the QB as he pulls out of that fake to the HB, we have the FB slam him hard once then continue to the flat. This is all that is needed to let the QB get on with his depth and width and his proper path to the corner.

The QB has to be taught that he cannot bail on the fake to the HB. He has to trust that the fake will set this play up.

We drag the TE of course and we teach the QB to read the pass play - short to middle to deep. The deep receiver on the bootside is the SE, who has run a post corner, ideally. However, we find an easier roiute to teach is what we call a "deep Vee". Its nothing more than a drive to the post by the SE for about a depth of 8-9 yards, then a break back to the bootside corner. He is told to work behind the CB as he gains depth.

Most times the QB has 2 good choices - the FB and the TE - usually both are open - however, unless we tell them otherwise, they are to hit the FB and get what they can after the catch. This is a very short pass to a usually wide open receiver.

Another great adjustmen to that play is to move the wing into the slot to get a "twins" look and then move the HB to the TE side. Now run the HB fake TO the twins and then have the QB boot TO the TE (instead of away). The TE nows runs a post/corner; the wing drags over the middle and the FB still runs the flat to the same side as the QB boots.

This is the singlest most successful play we have used on the 9th grade level for the past 20-21 years. Of course one of the reasons is the that the defensive coaches rotate the secondary TO the twins look and walk the FS that way too. Then, by their rule, they walk the CB to the TE side toward the LOS, expecting some sort of power run. That CB will usually jump the FB in the flat and the TE is wide open because the FS has a hard time recovering and getting to the TE before the ball does.