5V5 Unique Offensive Formations

[calewine 0]

I am looking for offenseive scheme advice. I coach i9 age 12U and in looking through many of the great playbooks in this fourmn I see most plays are run out of balanced, pro, twins or trips formations. However I have seen a couple "alternative" formations that have intrigued me. In particular where a player lines up right next to the center, not bunch, but for instance in Twins it would look like:

X X C X or X C X

Q X Q

I see mainly short crossing routes involving the 2 tight players, along with play action bootlegs isolating either the center or the other player out of these formations. I am very interested to hear others opinions on how effective plays run from these formations are. Or any other alternative formations that you have found to be effective.

[Coach Rob 26]

I used a formation with someone next to the center. In your example on the right, my halfback would be on the same side as the receiver who is next to the C. I actually moved them a bit over in more of a slot position further out. Send the receiver next to the C on a route that goes behind the DB on that side. Run an end around with your slot the first time and watch to see if the DB even pays attention to your receiver. If he doesn't, run another play, then go back to this one again. However, this time fake the end around to the slot and look for your receiver who should be wide open behind the DB. It works well as the QB is already on the same side as the receiver.

[calewine 0]

Thanks Coach Rob - I appreciate your post. In your play for the "end around / fake end around", what route did you have the center do?

[Coach Rob 26]

Thanks Coach Rob - I appreciate your post. In your play for the "end around / fake end around", what route did you have the center do?

Couple of different options. IF I was going to hand off the first time, I cleared a way for my runner. If I was going to fake the hand off, I sent my receivers opposite of the player next to the center.

The reason this usually worked is we played against 2-3 zones quite a bit. Most of the time they sent the middle of their 3 as a rusher leaving the other two DB's to defend against pass plays. The run, then the fake a few plays later usually would get the DB shifting just enough to allow my receiver to get behind them.

See the attach. Hope it makes sense. The FLOOD play was already on that sheet so I left it.

[macvolcan 0]

Thanks Coach Rob - I appreciate your post. In your play for the "end around / fake end around", what route did you have the center do?

Couple of different options. IF I was going to hand off the first time, I cleared a way for my runner. If I was going to fake the hand off, I sent my receivers opposite of the player next to the center.

The reason this usually worked is we played against 2-3 zones quite a bit. Most of the time they sent the middle of their 3 as a rusher leaving the other two DB's to defend against pass plays. The run, then the fake a few plays later usually would get the DB shifting just enough to allow my receiver to get behind them.

See the attach. Hope it makes sense. The FLOOD play was already on that sheet so I left it.

Curious if you have any problem with the QB scrambling to his left and making that throw or is this kind of a shovel pass? (mute point if QB is left handed)