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Step 1
Line the quarterback up three to four yards behind the center. The alignment of the quarterback is usually directly under center or seven yards back in the shotgun. This alignment is a compromise between the two.
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Step 2
Place the single running back in the offense about three to four yards directly behind the quarterback. This blocks the view of the running back for the defense and makes it tougher to discern which direction the running back is going.
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Step 3
Utilize the play-action motion to confuse the defense. Because of the alignment mentioned in Step 1 and 2 the play-action pass is extremely effective and is a staple of the pistol offense. The quarterback and running back are far enough off the line of scrimmage that the defense cannot tell if any play is a run or pass.
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Step 4
Run the "eleven" personnel package for most of the game. The pistol offense plays almost exclusively in the "eleven" personnel grouping which is one quarterback, a running back, one tight end and three receivers.
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Step 5
Use different formations to confuse the defense. Even though the pistol offense uses only one personnel package, the typical pistol offense has thirty different formations that you can run out of this single personnel grouping.
