The Midline Arc - Coach Scott Dieterich

There has been much written about the midline option since it’s development back in the early 1990’s. For time’s sake, I will not go into all of the details of why the midline is a great football play still today, because this has been established many times over.

0/1 Arc

The play I am writing about in this article is one of the lesser used versions of the midline option and that is the midline triple option which I call “0/1 Arc”. I run the midline as an inside double option like most teams do but the midline triple option has given us some new life on the perimeter recently because for many years we did not pitch the football on the midline and most of the teams that we played became very familiar with this.

Below is a list of reasons why I believe in the midline triple option and why it is a great complement to the true inside midline option and to the triple option offense as a whole:

1. It makes the defense have to defend the entire inside gaps (A-B-C) as well as having to defend the pitch on the perimeter.

2. We run it as a no-motion no-flow play that really ties the linebackers and safeties down which creates good blocking angles.

3. It is an easier triple option read and reaction for the QB than the inside veer because the QB is standing still on the 1st read and if the d-end attacks him on the pitch read, he has plenty of time to “sit and pitch” the ball with very little problems.

4. Good tempo play to go on 1st sound especially if the defense is playing games by changing their defensive fronts on you prior to the snap.

5. Slows down a hard filling F/S because the ball attacks the middle of the defense now and by the time the ball is pitched, the pitch man has a better chance of making the F/S miss in the alley because there is usually more separation and space.

6. Great play from double-slot that forces the defense to balance up allowing the offense to take advantage of any numbers or blocking angles advantage that we may have prior to the snap.

7. Last but not least, this is a triple option play, which means (2) of the toughest defenders to the block play side don’t have to be blocked because the QB is reading them.

For simplicity sake on my part, I cut and pasted our rules sheet and how we block this play against the (5) defensive fronts that we identify. A couple of notes on the defensive diagram sheet:

- Against the 3-3 & 4-3, the play side tackle may call “toad” if he cannot go inside and get to the play side linebacker. In this case, he will call “toad” which means he will load-reach the d-end and the QB will now pitch off of the linebacker wherever he may fit.

- Vs. a 3-3 defense, the QB will auto-pull the ball from the fullback because the 1st down lineman is the stacked middle linebacker to us and therefore he is inside the play side guard, which makes the play an auto-pull for us.

- Against a 5-3 defense, the outside defender for us is hybrid player: the play side linebacker and the rover all in one. This is why he is labeled as a B/R.

Play: 0/1 Arc (Midline Triple Option)

Play Description: Midline Triple Option, on which we will dive read the #1 down lineman and pitch read off the #2 down lineman (D-End)

Rules and Coaching Points
QB	MIDLINE MESH & READ WITH FULLBACK; IF PULL PITCH KEY OFF D-END: AUTO-PULL SITUATION STILL APPLIES; ON PULL BE READY FOR FAST-PLAY FROM D-END. ON “TOAD” CALL PITCH OFF LBER. THINK PITCH UNLESS IT ALL CONSTRICTS OR STRETCHES.
FB	MIDLINE MESH WITH QB: ON PULL SQUARE UP HARD OR WRAP. EXPECT TO CUT OFF OF A “O”-NOSE DEFENSE.
PST/Y	ARC FORCE; POSSIBLE SWITCH: NO MOTION ON THE PLAY; ID FORCE PRE-SNAP ON THE PERIMETER.
BST/Y	PITCH ON THE SNAP: CHEAT ALIGNMENT IF NEEDED.
BSX/Z	APPLY OPTION PERIMETER RULES (PITCH OR QB): STALK OR SWITCH.
BSX/Z	BACKSIDE RUN RULE (CUT-OFF): TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD.
PSTE	SEAL PS LBER TO LEVEL 3.
BSTE	BACKSIDE RUN RULE: CUT-OFF C-GAP TO LEVELS.
PST	SEAL PS LBER OUTSIDE OF THE DIVE KEY; POSSIBLE TOAD CALL: IF PSLBER IS STACKED OR NEAR STACKED POSITION ON THE D-END THEN CALL “TOAD” & TOAD-BLOCK THE D-END (FOR THE QB).
PSG	VEER RELEASE TO 1ST LBER INSIDE THE DK (FB); STRONG RELEASE.WASH DK vs. PINCH OR IF HE IS ALIGNED INSIDE OF YOU. DOESN’T CHASE LBER PS. 2-STEP DECISION; BACKER-TO-BACKER.
C	“0” NOSE-BS A-GAP TO BS LBER (FB); NEVER PLAYSIDE. COMBO W/BSG vs. STACK LOOK, DOUBLE A SHADE & MOVE DL FROM BS A-GAP. VS A 50: 6” MOVEMENT ON NOSE WHERE HE WANTS TO GO. CAN GO TO MIKE VS. A 4-3 WITH NO BS A-GAP THREAT.
BSG	CUT-OFF MAN ON-TO NEAR LBER (FB). POSSIBLE COMBO W/CENTER VS. STACK LOOK. DOUBLE A SHADE & ON COMBO MOVE THE DL FROM THE BS A-GAP. BEAT THE BS LBER TO THE “SPOT”.
BST	SEAL OFF B-GAP TO 2ND LEVEL (FB); DON’T ESCAPE & SHORTEN THE BS EDGE. STAY ON 4-TECH OR DEFENDER HEAVY ON YOU; PROTECT QB’S BACKSIDE THEN FOR THE FULLBACK CUT-BACK. STEP & PUNCH, RIP-THRU & GET 2ND LEVEL PLAYER. MAY GAP-PICK BACKSIDE.

 

 

Blocking Schemes VS. Various Defensive Looks