How to Run the Football From the Spread Offense

The spread offense is more than a fad. It is used as the primary form of attack by dozens of major college football powers. High schools throughout the country have also adopted the offense and elements of the spread are used throughout the NFL, even if those teams have yet to come around to full acceptance of the attack. The spread offense is a high-powered attack designed to move the ball downfield quickly. Passing is usually the primary weapon, but because defensive teams must use most of their effort and energy to stop the pass the running game is often wide open.

Instructions

1. Establish the passing game. Texas Tech and Hawaii have had the most explosive spread offenses in college football in recent years and both of those teams want to pass first in order to set up the run. Students of the game know that this is the opposite of the strategy that most teams used in the last century, when coaches always said that the running game sets up the pass. Many head coaches at the pro level still parrot that philosophy but few believe it. The passing game is the dominant element at every level of football and if you can't throw the ball effectively and/or stop your opponent from throwing you will not win.

2. Throw the short pass in the early going. This is especially effective against a strong defense that has been effective at stopping big plays. Start the game with three wide receivers and then take the running back and have him split out away from the backfield before the snap of the ball. The two receivers on the outside run 12-yard square out patterns and the two receivers closest to the quarterback will run 8-yard curls. The quarterback will survey the field from left to right and he will throw to the first open receiver he sees.

3. Throw the medium- and long-range pass after establishing the short pass. Send your two outside receivers 18 to 20 yards downfield and then allow them to run 25 yards or longer. Once you throw and complete 2 or 3 medium and long-range passes, your opponent is set up for the running game. They are so concerned with spreading the width of the field and stopping the pass that the running lanes are wide open.

4. Use one of your smaller, quicker running backs to get the ground game going. The running lanes should be obvious at the line of scrimmage. The linebackers are no longer close to the interior of the line of scrimmage and may be spread 6 yards apart or further. One decent block at the line of scrimmage will allow your running back to gain 8 to 12 yards before he is even touched by the defense. In addition to handing the ball to your running back, you can establish your running game by handing the ball to one of your fleet wide receivers on the end around. This play is not only very deceptive, it also has the potential to result in a long run or a touchdown because your wideout is among the fastest players on the field and he is getting the ball in full flight.

5. Running a spread offense is all about establish favorable match-ups. By spreading the ball all over the field, the offense is able to dictate match-ups that force the defense into covering very fast receivers and running backs with linebackers who may have an edge in strength, size and power but lack the quickness. Until defenses start substituting speed and quickness for size, the spread formation will continue to gain in popularity and effectiveness.

Tips & Warnings

• The quarterback does not have to throw the ball deep in order to be effective in the spread offense. If he can get rid of the ball quickly and accurately and his receivers are fast, he establishes the passing game quickly and sets the defense on its heels. The quarterback must be effective at reading the defense and then getting the ball to the open man.

• The running back must realize that he won't have numerous opportunities to run the ball in the spread but he must take advantage of each and every one of them. Upon taking the handoff, he must make himself a very small target and make sure he does not go down after the first contact. If he can get through the line of scrimmage, the running back should find wide open running opportunities.