Complimentary Plays to the Outside Veer

Doug Kovacs Offensive Coordinator, Sisler H.S., Winnipeg, Manitoba Courtesy of www.OptionCentral.net This article was originally published at the OptionCentral.net website. Option Central will be providing a monthly feature exclusively for Coaches Learning Network members through the 2010 football season.

I have always felt that the outside veer is the most devastating play run at the high school and college level. It's ability to pressure the perimeter and make the defense defend sideline Coach Kovacs to sideline gives you an edge on game day. The outside veer is the best way to press the perimeter using the option concepts of 3-on-2 or 2-on-1. I have always felt that the outside veer is the most devastating play run at the high Your best athlete in the veer has to be your quarterback, and this is the school and college level. perfect way to get him on the perimeter and let him make decisions and use his athleticism. Besides pressuring the perimeter, we believe that it also makes alley players and defensive ends tentative by having them repeat the same responsibilities and remaining focused on each play. The second thing I like about this play, is that it makes the defense run. It gives you an off tackle and sweep look and that wears down the legs of the defense as they have to run from the mid-point across the field on each play. Couple this with effective cut blocks along the line of scrimmage and it can make the defense give up ground before it can pursue or it risks being knocked down at the line of scrimmage. This is especially effective if your horses take turns battering them. Usually the unblocked player in this play is a safety responsible for the middle third of the field, and this forces a defender to run thirty yards on each play in order to make a tackle. I like to run the traditional outside veer with a double team between the play-side tackle and tight end, doubling the 5 or 6 technique, with the quarterback reading the end man on the line of scrimmage. This has been a great play for us over the years, but it has allowed defenses to stunt and disguise coverages in an attempt to be more fundamentally sound and fit up when playing the outside veer. In order to stay a head, complimentary plays can be added to give your team an edge to counter these new defensive developments.

Like all coaches, we want to negate their best players and make them thinkers instead of playmakers. By stressing their contain people, or perimeter players, we hope to stretch the defense and create running lanes across the entire field. By adhering to the idea of hard to read-easy to block, hard to block-easy to read we can put the defensive ends in a spot where they have to do something against their nature, or counter to what they have been coached. That is why when we attack a defensive end we want him to have to be thinking about taking on a base block, or being reached, kicked out, or trapped, or being left alone, or being pitched off of. If the end is unsure of what is coming next, it makes him a less aggressive player. The key I believe is to give the defense the same action, but change up the schemes or blocking assignments in or to make them a non-factor in the game. Coach Kovacs By adhering to the idea of hard to readeasy to block, hard to block-easy to read we can put the defensive ends in a spot where they have to do something against their nature.

The easiest way to decide on which plays you want to add to the outside veer is to look at what the defensive end (5 or 7 technique) is doing and to look at the alley players. We always begin by listing what the end man can do: 1. Squat at the snap (pick up his feet and put them right back down on the spot) 2. Snap flat down line of scrimmage and crash the mesh point or C gap. 3. Run up field to pitch depth and force a give read. 4. Slow play the mesh by stepping down and then squatting. 5. Folding over the top into B gap With all these techniques in mind it is easier to select plays that counter these techniques.

I. Load Option
The first and most basic play to run is the Load Option at the crashing or squatting defender. In this scheme the dive back looks to mesh at the play-side tackle but then veers out and Load Blocks the outside hip of the end man on the line of scrimmage. The quarterback reads the block and either ducks under the block or keeps going to the outside like the normal veer and pitches off the alley player. A key point here is that the quarterback takes a slide step back on a 45-degree angle like he does when he meshes in the wishbone. This is also a great play on the goal line.

II. G-Option
A second play that is good to run at the crashing or squatting end is the G-Option. This play is always checked at a 3 technique. At the snap, the guard will do something similar to the Dive back in load and try to log the hip of the 5 or 9 technique. The dive back will mesh a little deeper over the inside veer mesh point of attack and then slide step outside and track the play-side linebacker. The quarterback reverse pivots and meshes, and then runs down hill again reading the block of the of the end man on the line. He will pitch off of the alley player (or run for a touchdown).

III. Zone Dive

My favorite play to run against a 50 with an end using these techniques would be the Zone Dive. Here the play-side guard, play-side tackle and tight end zone block the defensive tackle, play-side linebacker and the end man on the line. The quarterback meshes in the normal outside veer point but he reads the block of the tight end and then gives or keeps depending on the block. The tight end is coached to try and reach the outside but to let the end man on the line dictate his direction. Zone Dive Sample A great compliment to the Zone Dive is the Zone Option. Again youre giving an outside veer look and your tight end is locking on the end man, but your dive back is responsible for the play-side linebacker. The quarterback will try to get to the defensive end and pitch the ball, but if he cant he will then follow the dive back up the natural crease.

IV. Lead Option

Against a defensive end that slow-plays, squats, or flies up to pitch depth, the Lead Option is great play to run. This traditional two-way option can put your back out on the perimeter, with a lead blocker out on the alley player. Some key points to defeating the squatting linebacker is for the quarterback to run at his outside hip in order to force him to make the tackle and to prevent him from being able to bat down the pitch. If the defender takes more then a few steps and continues to slow play the quarterback, the quarterback should punch his hip at the pitch back and then turn up field. Another key coaching point is to have the lead back read the end man on the line as well and react accordingly. If he slow plays or squats the back should arc, but if he flies up field he should immediately turn up and become the lead blocker for the quarterback running off tackle. On the perimeter the wide receiver is responsible for the flat defender.

V. Outside-Veer-G
If the defense has decided that the end will have pitch and stack the alley player - or at least try and stop the off tackle play with the strong safety - then Outside-Veer-G has been a good play to run. In this play it is predetermined that there will be no give but rather it is a double option in the form of outside veer. In this play the guard pulls and climbs immediately looking for the alley play responsible for the quarterback. The pitch back still tries to maintain relationship, but if he sees the end come to him he should get more depth and try and arc around him, thus pulling him farther up field and gaining more space to run for the quarterback.

The tackle fills for the pulling guard and the tight end comes down to middle linebacker. The dive back then takes the play-side linebacker and attacks his outside hip. The quarterback should try to stay on the outside hip of the pulling guard and follow him directly to the alley player. From there he makes his vertical cut gaining yardage.

VI. Counter-Lead Option

The Counter-Lead Option is another way of trying to get misdirection, while still attacking the perimeter and dealing with the up-field end. It also slows down the pursuit of the interior backers allowing your blocks to get into place. In this play the quarterback takes a counter step at the snap and then comes down hill following the pulling backside guard. All backs take counter steps and then run the lead option. Again this lets the quarterback carry the ball off tackle if the defensive end goes up field with a blocker out in front. If the end doesnt go up field, the pitch can be executed and youre still in great position to gain positive yards.

VII. Play Action Passes

Against an aggressive alley player I cant think of a better thing to do then to pass the ball into the area he vacates -

especially if the defense has committed the strong safety to attacking the line of scrimmage. Whatever your base play is you should have two or three play action passes off that scheme. We have two types of routes to attack the various coverages and secondary stunts that are used against the outside veer package. The first is against cover three look where the strong safety is attacking the line of scrimmage. In this series we run the outside veer package but after the fake the quarterback continues down the line and throws the skinny slant into the vacated area. If the strong safety drops the quarterback runs the ball. This package actually works better in running the load scheme since you get the same action but you can guarantee the block on the defensive end.

If you have the strong safety looping to take the dive or quarterback we run the outside veer, but we load the end and release the tight end in a Stick route. The post by the wide receiver should hold the free safety, but if doesnt it still gives the quarterback options.

All these plays are natural progressions off the base play, but more importantly they can adjust to any formation. Giving multiple looks while maintaining simplicity is what all option coaches want to achieve, but if you can throw these looks at the defense - and out man them at the point of attack, then big plays can happen.