Football Plays 101: How To Design A Killer Playbook

Designing and implementing effective football plays for your team can be a real challenge – even for the most experienced coaches.

Since each and every player out on the field is a specialist, it’s up to the coach to assess his opponent, analyze all the permutations based on down and yardage, and make a well-informed decision on where and how to deploy his players – all in less than a minute after the end of the last play!

And this can be tough – especially when you’re just starting out as a coach. The goal of this tutorial is to help you understand the basic concepts behind offensive football plays and learn how to communicate those concepts to your players and fellow coaches.

We’ll go through all the important terminology, and provide some useful coaching tips, diagrams and sample plays to illustrate the most important points.

Let’s get started!

COACHING TIP: Your #1 priority on offense should be execution. To accomplish this, you’re best off with a small, carefully selected play package that you run throughout the season and work on continually. Your offensive performance will not be judged by the size and complexity of your playbook! Select a simple offense that has some deception and teach it well.

Designing Football Plays In The Running Game

To develop an effective running game, communication and coordination are essential. Your primary goal is to put the running back at the point of attack just as the hole is opening, using the right combination of timing and blocking.

The simplest way to communicate running plays is to assign a number to each potential ball-carrier, and a number to the point of attack.

If a player’s number is called, they are carrying the ball on that particular play. Typically, the quarterback is assigned the number 1, the tailback is number 2, and the fullback is number 3 (although these can vary depending on the formation you use).The point of attack is used to indicate which hole the ball carrier should be running through.

These holes (ie. the natural gaps between offensive blockers) are numbered odd on the left and even on the right, with  0 being directly behind the center.

So, for example, the number 32 means that ball carrier 3 (the fullback) will run through the number 2 hole (between the center and right guard).

Now that we know where the ball is going and who’s carrying it, we need to tell the offensive line what kind of blocking scheme to use. Each of the plays below describes the objective of a particular play and how the offensive line needs to block.

Dive

The dive is a direct, quick hitting power run designed to get short yardage, and is especially effective in any 3rd or 4th and short.

Blast

The blast is a running play designed to the guard tackle gap, or just off tackle.

Power

The power play uses maximum blocking at the point of attack, sending all offensive backs through the same hole, lead blocking for the ball carrier, who is usually whichever back started farthest away from the hole.

Trap/Counter

The ball carrier will take one or two steps in away from the intended hole, before cutting back to receive the handoff and attack. The difference between a trap and a counter, is that in a trap you will see a guard on the back side of the play pull and lead block for the ball carrier.

Toss

The pitch or toss is run like the sweep, run out towards the sideline, except that the ball carrier does not come across the entire backfield. Sweep Here the quarterback will handoff or pitch to a back coming around from outside of the guard and trying to beat the defense around the corner to the sideline.

Reverse

This play looks like a sweep to start off – and that’s what we want the defense to think. But here we have another receiver going in the opposite direction as the original ball carrier, taking a handoff and sprinting back to the opposite sideline.

Option

There are two kinds of option, the double, and the triple. In the triple option, the FB will dive inside and the QB will put the ball in his belly and ride with him, watching the defensive line. If the defense reacts to the fullback, the QB will pull the ball back and run for the outside, with the tailback staying at least three yards deep and outside of him at all times.

The offensive line will also usually double team a key defender, leaving another defender at the POA open to attack the QB. The QB will make the read based on this defender, either keeping it and turning upfield or pitching it out and behind to the TB.   The double option is the same option without the fullback fake at the beginning.

Waggle/Bootleg

A play where the QB fakes a hand off then rolls out to the opposite side of the field, usually with receivers running along downfield in the same direction. To extend the QB’s time to make a passing decision, normally at least one lineman will pull out as well.

Draw/Delay

To sell the draw, the offensive line has to drop back into pass protection, and the QB will take a dropback as if scanning the field for a pass. Then he hands the ball off, and the ball carrier will sprint past the defense after they

COACHING TIP: Try to match your running play calls to counteract the way a defense is attacking the ball. For example, if your opponent is coming across the line of scrimmage aggressively, a trap play would allow the offensive line to gain a better blocking angle.   Against a reading defense, the dive and sweep might be more effective.

Putting It All Together

Okay, let’s illustrate this with a real play. This one is called I Right 26 Power.

• “I-Right” means this is a play from the I-Formation, with fullback and halfback stacked behind the quarterback, and the tight end lining up on the right, establishing the strong side.
• “26” means the tailback will carry the ball, and the point of attack is between the right tackle and tight end.
• “Power” means the play uses maximum blocking at the point of attack, with lead blocking by the fullback.

Designing Football Plays In The Passing Game

Using the forward pass is a potent way to gain yardage and score points at any level of football. If you have a QB with a strong, accurate, arm, and a few reliable receivers, the passing game will be an essential part of your playbook.

The tried and true way to organize your passing plays and communicate them to your team is through the use of a passing tree – a basic numbering system used to define passing routes for receivers. Each number, from 0-9, represents a wide receiver route.

Visually, the various routes resemble, as they branch out to both sides of the field, limbs coming off a trunk – which is why we call it a “tree.”

Below is a simple explanation for each of the 10 most common routes, from shortest to longest.

0 – The Drag Route

Also known as an in route, this is a very common and simple route. Just have the receiver run forward, less than five yards, and make a sharp angled cut towards the inside, running to the sideline.

1 – The Flat Route

Usually reserved for FBs and HBs, the flat route is a run parallel to the line of scrimmage out towards the sideline, looking back to the QB for a pass. This route is usually available as a safety net for the QB to check down to.

2 – The Slant Route

When you need a high percentage completion for solid yardage, the slant route and you will become fast friends. To perform it, have your receiver take 3 hard steps downfield before planting with their outside foot and quickly cutting to the center of the field.

3 – The Out Route

One of the most often used routes in the game, the out route is executed via a forward run of more than 5 and less than 10 yards, followed by a sharp 90 ° cut to the sideline.

4 – The Curl Route

Also called the comeback route, the receiver will sprint forward anywhere between 10 and 14 yards, then make a sharp cut back towards the QB, ready for the catch.

5 – The Deep Out Route

Using the same technique as the out, the only real difference between these two routes is that the deep out is run at 10 yards.

6 – The Deep In Route

This route is almost identical to the drag – you just make your cut inside at 10 yards instead. The receiver should be looking for soft spots behind or in front of the linebackers, reading the QB’s throwing lanes.

7 – The Flag Route

Sometimes called a corner route, this route begins like the go route, with a straight out sprint. Then at about 15 yards fake a step inside as if running a post, and break back outside aiming for corner flag, or pylon at the back of the end zone.

8 – The Post Route

Here’s a route that is very effective for big yardage against man coverage, or for splitting the safeties in a cover 2 defense. Simply run about 15 yards straight, and then cut inwards towards the goal post.

9 – The Go Route

Commonly known as a streak, or fly as well, the go route is a straight on sprint, and when completed, can often be a game-changing play. You want to use this route against tight coverage, and with only your fastest receivers.

When calling a play, the first number will always correspond to the left most (or “X”) receiver, the second number to the second left most (or “Y”) receiver, and so on, with the last number going to the right-most (or “Z”) receiver.

So for example, the number 952 would indicate a Go Route for the X receiver, a Deep Out route for the Y receiver, and a Slant Route for the Z receiver.

COACHING TIP: Never ask your quarterback to throw pass routes they are unable to execute. Pick a handful of pass route combinations, keep it simple, and focus on proper execution. Allow lots of practice repetitions so your players can coordinate the timing of the quarterback’s drop with the receiver’s route.

Putting It All Together

Okay, let’s run through a real passing play using the same playcalling format. This one is called Wing T 69 Bootleg Right.

• “Wing T” describes the formation – characterized by having a wingback just off of your tight end on the strong side, and a split end lined up on the weak side.
• “69” means the Y receiver (the wingback or “WB” in this case) runs an in route, while the Z receiver runs a streak route, making a double move if he thinks he can get the cornerback to bite.
• “Bootleg Right” means the quarterback will fake a handoff, then roll out to the right as the play develops, making progression reads from sideline to inside.

No matter what kind of offensive scheme you implement or which football plays you choose to run – remember to start with a small number of plays, and use your practice time to get a lot of repetitions. Communication of roles and responsibilities is key! Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to developing a killer playbook!

Next step: if you’re looking for more plays you can run with your team, check out our complete collection of football playbooks.