Film analysis

In the passing game, there are generally two families of concepts used. Man busters and zone busters.

When busting zone coverage, concepts are classified as Horizontal stretch or Vertical stretch.



Vertical stretches are used to bust zone coverages by stretching defender(s) along the length of the field. This is done by placing multiple WRs at various depths, vertically up the field.

If the stretched defender comes forward to cover the WR in front of him, then the WR in back of him is open. If the defender gains depth to cover the WR in back of him, then the WR in front of him is open. Should the defender split the difference, then both WRs will be open provided they run their routes at proper depths.

Most vertical stretches are Hi-Low reads, meaning the QB reads the concept from High to Low (deep to shallow). They are identified by having multiple WRs 'in a row' up the length of the field.


Vertical Stretches:
The SMASH concept is a Curl/In route (yellow) + a Corner route (red). It is aimed at stretching the sideline defender (blue).
Versus Cover3


The Curl is ran and sets the bait for the defender.


The defender sees the Corner route and takes a few steps to the Corner route, creating space on the Curl. The red and yellow lines are the stretch marks of the defender.


The defender is vertically stretched and gives space to the Curl underneath.




SAIL concept
The Go route (black) is designed to clear the deep defender so that the Curl/Flat defender can be vertically stretched.


The Curl/Flat defender has stretch marks. Any stretched defender is taught to take away the deeper route. This opens up the Low read.


Three WRs aligned vertically up the field at different depths.

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SHALLOW CROSS concept is a route combination of a shallow crossing route (yellow) + an intermediate In route (red). If the LB(s) follow the shallow route, the In route is open. If the LB(s) gain depth to defend the In route, then the Shallow route is open.


This concept is aimed to vertically stretch the LB level defenders. The defender near the In route is passing off coverage to the safety. Once the In route passes the LB level, it breaks inwards to find the hole in the zone - behind the LBs, in front of safeties.



Pass completed to the In route

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MILLS concept is a combination Post + In route. An effective Quarters coverage beater, but also effective versus a cover 2 safety. The In route will break before the Post route to bait the deep safety up for the Post to attack behind the safety. (not what happened below)
Versus Tampa2, 5 underneath


The deep defenders do not bite forward. That opens up the In route to find a quiet spot.
**Just to mention MoFO/MoFC: the Post route adjusts to the coverage of MoFO/MoFC. Since it's MoFC, the route becomes a skinny post to attack the seam. A real Post route would have attacked the middle of the field (MoFO). A WR going vertical up the middle area of the field (on any play) is usually asked to adjust accordingly.

Horizontal stretches are used to bust zone coverages by stretching defender(s) along the width of the football field. This is done by placing multiple WRs at the same depth across the field, creating '2 versus 1' / '3 versus 2' /etc. situations where the defender must choose who to cover.

If the stretched defender moves to his left to cover the WR to the left, then the WR to the right is open. If the defender covers the WR to his right, then the WR to the left is open. If the defender splits the difference, then both WRs will be open provided they run their routes with proper spacing.


Horizontal Stretches:

All Curls concept puts a horizontal stretch at the LB level by flooding that level with multiple WRs at the same depth. The offense doesn't have to send all five WRs on curl routes. It can create a 2v1 situation where the one defender is stretched.
- Versus cover3




Stretch marks




Curl-Flat concept is a Curl route (yellow) + a Flat route (red) designed to stretch the curl/flat zone defender.
- Versus Tampa2








Four Verticals concept is designed to create a horizontal stretch at the safety level.
- Versus Tampa2


The underneath zone defenders obey their zone responsibilities. This puts two vertical routes attacking the lone deep safety on that side of the field.

The Triangle Stretch is a concept made popular by our very own Bill Walsh. It is an incorporation of a horizontal stretch concept with a vertical stretch concept. He also combined it with a bunch formation to give it a man coverage busting element.


There are many ways to run a Triangle stretch. Below is one of the more recognizable route combinations. It is the Curl-Flat concept (horizontal stretch) being ran with the Smash concept (vertical stretch).

The yellow curl + the orange Flat routes makes the Curl-Flat concept.
The yellow curl + the red Corner routes makes the Smash concept.
This is the Spot play that many WCOs have ran many times throughout the years.







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The Triangle stretch can also take place further down the field. Here, the Flat route is replaced with an intermediate Out route. The concept is the same as the Curl (yellow) and the Corner (red) routes provide the vertical stretch (Smash concept), while the Curl (yellow) and the Out (orange) routes provide the horizontal stretch.






Completed to the Out route.

Man coverage busting concepts are a bit more limited in concepts, although the concepts themselves can be ran in many ways. They mainly consist of rub routes where man coverage defenders follow their WR and run into each other, or other WRs. Option routes and double moves (precision route running) make up the other methods to bust man coverage.

Option routes ask for the WR to read the leverage their defender (and positioning of safeties) is playing with, then run the opposite direction.

Rub (pick plays) routes use route combinations to run defenders into interference, whether from their own team mates or other offensive players.

The Mesh concept uses two WRs and crosses their path with one another, looking to cause a collision of players. If the defenders do not want to collide, they must side step and break their stride, and doing so can create the separation needed for the WRs.
(The Mesh concept can be classified as two routes, from opposite sides of the formation, crossing one another. Some will categorize any criss crossing of routes a Mesh concept.)
- Versus Cover 1








Rub routes can also be used to create picks. The two WRs cross one another to create interference. Usually, the route coming underneath will be the open WR.
- Versus Cover 1


The pick is set by the slot WR, for the outside WR to come underneath and gain separation from his man defender.






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Rub routes don't always have to criss cross. Below, the red route will set a pick for the Drag route (yellow) to come underneath.
- Versus Cover 1


The defender assigned to cover the drag route has to go around the interference (pick) in the middle of the field. This creates separation for the Drag route.

The AR concept was coined here on the 'Zone. It stands for Anointed Receiver (don't ask, will not be found on the web). It is a simple read pass play where the target of the pass is determined by the play call, not by reading coverage or progressions. The entire team runs decoy routes, or misdirection, to get the intended WR the ball. There are many ways to draw it up. There is no specific route combination.



The entire OLine will block left to fake the stretch run. The Post route is used to draw the CB away from that side of the field. The yellow route sneaks behind the flow of the Oline to work the vacated area.


The blue defender, assigned to the yellow route, had to work through traffic to keep up.



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Another AR concept play is a dressed up WR screen. There are no progressions in the play design.


The blocking WRs will engage their blocks just after the AR catches the pass. Block too early and an offensive PI is called.

Packaged Plays are becoming a new concept being installed in many NFL playbooks. It is a concept that fuses together 2 or more possible plays into one play. It is up to the QB to read the defense to determine which is the best option to take. It allows the offense to repeatedly run the same play and get completely different results.

The QB is given different keys (reads) depending on how the play is drawn up. On most packaged plays, there is at least one possible running play. Because of this, the offensive line must always treat it as such and not get in a hurry to get up the field, or they risk an ineligible receiver downfield penalty. I went straight to the team that I see use a lot of this concept.

There are three possible outcomes to this play. As the WR (red) at the top of the screen goes into motion, the CB will follow the WR.


The center (yellow) and right guard (red) will pull right. To determine if the outside run is a good option, the QB sees that the MLB (blue) is aligned over the right guard. This makes the center's pull block on the MLB easier. The QB sees this, as well as the CB following the WR pre-snap motion across the formation. This makes the WR screen a low percentage play for success due to the numbers situation presented on that side of the field.


The ball is handed off to the RB on the outside run. The pulling Center (yellow) and RG (red) nail their blocks.


Because the CB (orange) followed the WR on the motion, a defender is removed from where the outside run is going. The WRs at the bottom of the screen will block as if the WR screen pass was thrown, because they have to play as if it was thrown.





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Later in the same quarter: Same playcall, using the same formation.


The QB reads the defensive front and sees that the MLB (blue) is now aligned over the right tackle (not the right guard), a wider alignment than in the the play above. This makes the center's pull block difficult and gives the outside run a lower percentage for success.


The QB fakes the handoff and instead throws the WR screen. The OLine is blocking as if there was a handoff because they have to assume that there was a handoff. The MLB (blue) is shown being wider than the center and is in a good position to stuff the hole where the run would have gone.


Pre-snap, the QB also saw that the CB (orange) did not follow the WR in motion as the WR came across the formation. This gives a favorable numbers advantage for the WR screen. Two blockers on two defenders.

Gaps in Offensive Line:


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Offensive Personnel Grouping is denoted by a 2 digit number. The first number indicates the number of Running Backs. The second number indicates the number of Tight Ends. From that, it is inferred how many WRs are on the field. Disregarding odd personnel groupings, there is always 1QB, 5OL, and 5 route runners. The chart below lists the various combinations an offense can have of the five route runners.



'Grouping' is not the same as 'Formation'. A '00' Grouping can be in a tight bunch formation. A '23' Grouping can be in a spread wide formation.

Power (Man) Blocking Run Scheme
- Holes for RB are determined by play call
- Emphasize strength in offensive linemen
- Better in short yardage
- Each of the concepts have their own set of rules to follow for run blockers, depending on defensive alignment; more to remember/read pre-snap.

This blocking scheme looks to account for all defenders at the point of attack. Using pulling, trapping, misdirection, and straight ahead blocking, the RB is to allow the blocking to unfold and attack the hole when it opens up.

front side: side of formation the run is planned to go
back side: other side of formation
kickout block: a block on the 'run force' defender. The run defender assigned to turn any run play inside (playing contain).

Power O
- end man on line of scrimmage blocks down
- Kickout block from FB/TE/(any blocker lined up in backfield)
- Pull backside Guard to lead through






Counter Lead
- Counter step to cause misdirection in LBs
- TE comes from across the formation for kickout block
- FB leads through






Counter OF (Offset I, FB lead)
- attacks weak side of defensive formation
- backside guard pulls to kickout
- FB leads through






Trap Block
One way to take advantage of a DL trying to gain penetration into the backfield is to execute a trap block.

- Blue defender is unblocked by offensive linemen lined up directly across from him, as they work to the second level. Trap defender allowed to penetrate into backfield, creating a hole for the RB.
- backside pulling guard applies trap block






'Wham' Trap
- a Wham block is a trap block applied by a non-offensive lineman (TE/FB/etc)






Iso
- straight ahead blocking; double team the DL at the point of attack
- FB lead

(A better example will be posted when one is found, from an I formation. Concept below is the same - straight ahead power blocking with a FB lead)

Zone Blocking Run Scheme
A Zone Blocking Scheme (ZBS) is different than Man Blocking in that the Olinemen are generally blocking an area as opposed to a specific man. Who they block depends on how the defensive front has aligned. It puts stress on the defensive line by testing the gap discipline of the defense as the play unfolds. There are many rules to a ZBS that are specific to a play, or team. Below is a generalized description.

The first pre-snap read that a ZBS Olineman asks himself is whether is he 'covered' by a Defensive Lineman. If there is a DLman directly across from the OLman, then that OLman is covered. If there is no DLman lined up directly across from him, then he is uncovered. From there, if he is covered, then block that DLman. If he is uncovered, then combo block with the adjacent OLman, then proceed to move to the second level once the combo blocked DLman is controlled by the teammate.

Whereas the traits for Power Blocking Olinemen are size and strength, the traits that make good ZBS Olinemen are feet agility and quick thinking. These traits allow ZBS Olinemen to execute combo blocks as well as win blocks using leverage and timing. Because size and strength are not as valued in a ZBS Olinemen, short yardage (goal line) running may suffer.

At the snap of the ball, instead of trying to overpower the Dlineman by firing upfield like a Power Blocking scheme, a ZBS Olineman will step laterally to the line of scrimmage to occupy defensive linemen. ZBS run plays can be grouped into two categories, Outside Zone and Inside Zone. There are variations of each, but those are the broad generalizations of ZBS plays.

ZBS running backs are not asked to be as patient as a Power Blocking Scheme running back who has to allow the power blocks to develop. ZBS RBs are one cut and go, and the cut must be made quickly after receiving the handoff. If the decision is wrong, then live with it, but no dancing.

Outside Zone:
Notice which of the Olineman are covered and which are uncovered.


At the snap, the Oline takes a lateral step. The RG has a simple read - combo block with the RT, then move to the second level.
Normally a covered Olineman, in this case the Center (see pic above), would stay on the nose tackle, but that's over simplifying the rules of a ZBS. Because the play is Outside Right, the Center and the LG will combo block the nose tackle (NT), but whether the LG or the C moves to the second level is dependent on quick thinking during the play. The RB also uses a 45 degree step towards the line.


As the play unfolds, the LG becomes more occupied with the nose tackle. This will free up the Center (who was originally covered presnap) to move to the second level.


The running back reads his blocks, cuts, and hits the hole.


This plays shows how when an Olineman is covered (in this play, the Center), and originally occupies the defender across from him (NT), that a good ZBS OLine will make the proper on-the-fly reads to adjust and maximize the play as it unfolds based on the leverage of the blocks and how the defensive line reacts.

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Inside Zone:
The handoff to a RB for an Inside Zone play is more downhill than for an Outside Zone play. Read Option dive plays utilize inside zone blocking, but Inside Zone blocking is used on more than just read option plays.

The LG and RG are covered.


The LT and RT pivot block on the defensive ends to turn the DEs to the outside since this play is designed to go inside. The Center combo blocks with the LG.


As soon as the C sees that the LG has control of his block, the C moves to the second level. The RG sustains his block on the DLineman that covered him.


Read the blocks, one cut, and go.




49er opponents that predominantly use a ZBS in the 2014-15 season: PHI, DEN, KC, WAS, SEA.

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Bro i gotta say this is some great stuff.

^^ Thanks.

Added: cover0, cover1, cover 2 man, tampa2

Looking forward to seeing this!!!

If you play Madden then you are familiar with all the different types of defenses.