Running the Football Option Play in an I Formation

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Sean Hobson, for Expert Village. What we want to talk about now is running an effective option play with an I formation backfield. This is probably the basic way that most teams will run an option play. This all starts with an I formation. We have our fullback down in a three point stance a couple of yards behind the quarterback. About two to two and a half yards further back will be our tailback. We don't want these guys to be too close together or this could mess up the play. This play will all start with the quarterback opening up. The first part of the play is the quarterback will fake the hand off to the fullback. This will draw the line in. It will draw the linebackers up because they think it's a run play. Our tailback will start running a little route to the outside. Our quarterback will come right down the line of scrimmage at a 90 degree angle from where he was. We don't want our quarterback to come way out wide. The quarterback then has to pick up the defensive end and find out what's happening. If the defensive end is cheating to the inside he's taking the quarterback out of the play. The defense will then pick whether they want to take the quarterback or take the running backs. In this case, he picks the quarterback so the quarterback has to pitch it off the option. If this guy had been coming straight up the field or had stayed to the outside of the quarterback then we would know he's keying in on the running back. Then the quarterback will probably put on a fake and take it right up the middle. That's an effective way to run the option by using an I formation in the backfield."