Opinon On Beating 1-3-1 Defense

[jasonk91 0]

Hello,

I am new to this forum but this is a really neat way to discuss tips.tricks with fellow coaches.

I coach a 7-8 5 on 5 flag football team. We have a game against a team that has been together for quite awhile now. We are relatively new with a few players plaing together for several seasons. They run a 1-3-1 defense that seems to work pretty good for them. What do you recommend on offense as a way to neturalize this and gain some yars. Seems like they allow for quick small gains, but nothing large. Suggestions Please!

[Orange 26]

Hello,

I am new to this forum but this is a really neat way to discuss tips.tricks with fellow coaches.

I coach a 7-8 5 on 5 flag football team. We have a game against a team that has been together for quite awhile now. We are relatively new with a few players plaing together for several seasons. They run a 1-3-1 defense that seems to work pretty good for them. What do you recommend on offense as a way to neturalize this and gain some yars. Seems like they allow for quick small gains, but nothing large. Suggestions Please!

I assume you are referring to 1 defender over the ball, 1 rusher and 3 across in a zone about 7+ yards deep. We've run into this kind of defense on occasion and we'll run it sometimes.

Running up the middle on it is difficult since they have a defender and rusher who are right there. If you can get an end around or quick run to the outside you can maybe get some yardage.

One thing that we had success with is a quick pass to a wideout. Basically the qb would take the snap under center and immediately throw. The wideout would stand at the los on the snap and simply turn and catch the pass. He would then try to make a move outside. Line him up as wide as you can throw a quick pass. If he does beat the defender it goes a long way since he only has the one defender to beat. An alternative is to have your qb fake it one way then throw back the other way. That gets the middle safety moving in the wrong direction. My experience is that the 3 across defenders tend to crash down fast too. So you can set up a double pass pretty easily with that quick throw or even an end around.

Any kind of quick hitters works like slants too. The fake end around with the center drag is a good one since you can usually pull the two middle defenders out of the play and then you have running room. Don't forget my philosophy, running downfield with the ball makes good things happen. You don't always need large gains. Get a sure couple of yards with a chance to break it big, 7-8 year olds miss flags eventually, believe me (especially if you are running quickly downfield). Keep harping on them to get it to the outside, that's how you beat the 1-3-1.

[rushbuster70 16]

I've played against this defense.

Basically your best bet is to spread them out...the problem with 7-8 year olds you probably dont have a QB and alot of kids who can catch.

[jasonk91 0]

I've played against this defense.

Basically your best bet is to spread them out...the problem with 7-8 year olds you probably dont have a QB and alot of kids who can catch.

Whats great is that I do have a good qb (near 9) and a couple kids that can catch. Great advice.

[jasonk91 0]

Thanks for the good help.

It is 1 player above the ball 3 in the middle and 1 in the "safety Position".

[Orange 26]

Thanks for the good help.

It is 1 player above the ball 3 in the middle and 1 in the "safety Position".

No rusher?

[jasonk91 0]

Thanks for the good help.

It is 1 player above the ball 3 in the middle and 1 in the "safety Position".

No rusher?

The rusher comes from any of the 3 in the middle. 1 up front to pull a quick flag from a rusher, the 2 corners the middle man to most likely rush and one to cover deep.

[Orange 26]

Thanks for the good help.

It is 1 player above the ball 3 in the middle and 1 in the "safety Position".

No rusher?

The rusher comes from any of the 3 in the middle. 1 up front to pull a quick flag from a rusher, the 2 corners the middle man to most likely rush and one to cover deep.

OK, that's pretty much the defense I was talking about. Get to the outside quickly and run downfield, you'll break one every once in a while.

[rushbuster70 16]

Send a couple kids deep and throw the ball deep.The safety will need to decided what to do

[Vegas Coach 0]

I've encountered this defense already this season and I dont trust my QB to go deep yet as we havent practiced it a lot. So I found success using misdirection by getting that 1 kid who lines up on the ball going one way biting on a fake handoff then immediatley going the other. A play I ran (which we need to practice more) is faking a end around left to one of my quicker kids who lines up on right side in slot WR. Then I have another athletic kid lined up in the backfiled and after the fake end around my QB then pitches it out to the right side to my RB as he's running getting outside. Timing is key here thats why I said we have to practice this play more. This play got that 1 kid biting and moving to the left to stop the end around, thus the pitch got my RB to the outside on the right, then was matched up with their corner. Granted the kid they had lined up over the ball would recover well and pursue, but by that time my RB was running up field. After running this play you can even handoff on the end around and fake the pitch. Keep the kid guessing!