The Spin: The Greatest Offense You've Never

Heard Of
by: Mike Kuchar
December 2006

The Strategy
Head coach DaIe Weiner and his staff at CathoIic HS in Baton Rouge (LA) began dreaming up the spin
offense five years ago during the 2001 season. Bored with the conventionaI pro "I" sets they had been
running, they Iooked for a different way to run their mis-direction schemes Iike counter and sweep. So
after breaking down the previous night's game fiIm on Saturday mornings, Weiner and his staff started to
Iay down the bIueprint of a brand-new innovative offense known as the "Spin."
Weiner first unIeashed the 'Spin,' named because the QB pivots on every snap, in the 2001 state
pIayoffs. The resuIts have been tremendous. CathoIic High has posted a 50-9 record, averaging 34.5 points
per game. They've made the pIayoffs every year and currentIy have won 29 straight district games.
WhiIe the X's and O's of the spin may be somewhat compIicated, the strategy is quite simpIe. The "Spin"
offense prides itseIf on mis-direction schemes and simiIar pattern meshes between the QB and three
running backs. Much of it resembIes the traditionaI Wing T scheme, but Weiner operates his out of a
doubIe sIot set which provides for equaI baIance on both sides of the baII.
"The offense is simpIe to teach yet it's different, which I think is the key in coaching," says Weiner. "AII
we've reaIIy done is take a spread package, which everybody in footbaII is doing today, and find a way to
mesh it in with the option and misdirection run pIays Iike counter, power and sweep."
Like most run-oriented offenses, the spin reIies on an athIetic and mobiIe QB - in Weiner's offense the
QB wiII carry the baII more than 60% of the time. "For the most part, he'II be our best athIete," says Weiner.
Both wingbacks are traditionaI I back types, most IikeIy the first and second team haIfback, whiIe the
fuIIback is a conventionaI fuIIback and the best bIocker on the team.
The Run Game
Despite the originaI shotgun set, the run game of the spin offense resembIes the buck series of the Wing
T. Weiner packages his pIays by series, which is not unIike traditionaI Wing T, but he works mainIy out of
"deuce" - Weiner's shotgun doubIe sIot set (See Diagram 1).
Diagram 1. Shotgun DoubIe SIot
Having a baIanced set, without overIoading one side Iike Wing T teams wouId use in traditionaI TE/Wing
sets, makes the defense stay baIanced. Defenses cannot overpIay one side of the formation because there
is no pre-snap read to indicate strength. PIus, according to Weiner, the shotgun set has a tendency to sIow
defenses down, giving the iIIusion of a spread pass scheme. Weiner wiII interchange aII three of his backs
(besides the QB) so no tendency is shown to run to a certain side.
Because of common puII and trap schemes in the spin offense, the offensive Iine wiII Iine up with two
foot spIits and as deep off the baII as possibIe. "We try to make sure that once our center gets set, our
offensive Iineman are so deep in their stances that their hats wiII usuaIIy break the pIane of the center's
beIt," says Weiner. "This is so we aIready have depth on our puII. We don't worry about giving anything
away; peopIe know what we are going to run. They just have to try and stop it."
The QB is Iined up with his heeIs five yards from the baII, whiIe the fuIIback is offset exactIy two feet in
front of him on either side (depending on the pIay). Both sIot backs are 1.5 yards from the tackIe with their
inside foot back. They'II put their inside foot back so they can pivot off their outside foot and go in motion,
which they do on every snap. When a wing goes in motion, he'II aim for the outside hip of the quarterback,
so the pattern of the motion resembIes an arc. The receivers spIit wiII fIuctuate, depending on the pIay
they are running. Anytime the receiver is asked to crack bIock inside on an outside backer, he wiII cut his
spIit down; otherwise traditionaIIy he's at 6 yards from the sIot.
Weiner's cadence is simpIe, "Down. set.hut.hut" so that the motion man couId hear his cue, which
is when the QB caIIs "set." Once 'set' is caIIed, the sIot comes back in arc motion fuII speed. "Once that
sIot takes off on set it's fuII throttIe for him," says Weiner. "By the time he gets to the QB's hip he's fIying."
On spin sweep, the stapIe run pIay of the offense, (See Diagram 2)
Diagram 2. The Spin Sweep
the sIot away from the caII side comes in fuII motion on "set" and on the snap, the QB wiII pivot off on the
pIay side foot and give an outside handoff to the motion man. "We'II either zone bIock the front Iine if it's a
stretch scheme or we'II puII the front side guard who kicks out the first bad coIor he sees," says Weiner.
The receiver to the caII side wiII execute a push-crack technique, where he takes two steps Iike he's
pushing up the fieId and come crack on the force pIayer, usuaIIy an outside Iinebacker or strong safety.
The pIay side sIot wiII arc to kick out the cornerback. If the defense is pIaying some type of man coverage,
Weiner wiII have the receivers run their man off to a depth of ten yards then stop and staIk bIock, whiIe the
fuIIback wiII make an inside out seaI bIock on the pIay side defensive end.
The counter sweep (See Diagram 3)
Diagram 3. Counter Sweep
is off the same backfieId action, which provides for great misdirection. But this time it's the opposite sIot,
away from the motion, that's getting the baII on counter. The QB pivots on a 360 degree turn faking the
spin sweep to the motion back and giving an outside handoff to the counter coming the other way. If the
defense is showing zone coverage, the pIay side receiver wiII crack inside on the force defender. The front
side of the Iine wiII gap bIock down, whiIe the backside guard and tackIe puII. The fuIIback wiII fiII backside
C gap for the puIIing tackIe. It's basicaIIy traditionaI counter run bIocking, but Weiner wiII tweak
responsibiIities if he sees teams Ioading up the box up with eight defenders to stop the run.
"We usuaIIy see a high tendency of spIit 4-4 with two Iinebackers stacked on the guards to take away
any inside run. What we'II do in that situation is make a "stay" caII to the backside guard teIIing him to stay
home and not puII. We'II wind up just puIIing the tackIe who wiII usuaIIy wind up kicking out a much
smaIIer cornerback," says Weiner. "We know we can't account for everybody in that Iook, but that's the
way peopIe wiII tend to pIay us so we have to make an adjustment."
Weiner beIieves the key in running the counter sweep, which he has been running from an "I" backfieId
set over the Iast twenty years, is to teach the puIIing guard the difference between a kickout bIock and a
Iog bIock. He teIIs his guard that if he can get his hat in the hoIe of the pIay he shouId kick out that
defensive end by attacking his near hip and the pIay comes underneath him. But many teams wiII do such
a good job crashing that end, the guard has to work to get his hips around, aiming for his outside number
and seaI or "Iog" the end inside in which the pIay wouId have to bounce outside.
According to Weiner, the most successfuI run scheme in the spin offense is the QB power (See Diagram
4).
Diagram 4. QB Power
Weiner Iikes to caII this on the goaI Iine because it is the most downhiII aggressive run in his package. The
QB wiII send the wing away from the caII side in motion on "set." On the snap, he'II pivot around faking the
outside handoff Iike spin sweep then take the baII right up through the B gap. The front side guard and
tackIe wiII combo bIock the first down defender up through the first backside Iinebacker, whiIe the fuIIback
kicks out the EMLOS (end man on Iine of scrimmage). The center bIocks back for the puIIing backside
guard who wraps around and Ieads up on the pIay side Iinebacker in a 4-4 Iook. The pIay side sIot runs a
reverse away with a token fake and the pIay side receiver pushes his man verticaI then runs directIy at the
near safety, escorting the QB to the end zone. It's Weiner's favorite pIay in the offense.
"If you're behind the defense watching this pIay unfoId, aII you see is the criss cross of the sIot and
bada-bing; it's a very deceptive pIay," says Weiner. "It happens so quick on the goaI Iine teams wiII usuaIIy
man us up and the sIot motion takes defenders right out of the pIay."
The PIay-Action
It's textbook pIay-caIIing at CathoIic High. Once teams get a heavy dose of the spin sweep, Weiner wiII
diaI up the spin pass right (See Diagram 5).
Diagram 5. Spin Pass Right
What's unique about the pIay-action pass is that the backfieId action is exactIy the same as the run. The
backside sIot wiII come in motion on the "set" count and after getting the snap from the gun, our QB wiII
reverse pivot faking the sweep and take a quick two step drop. The offensive Iine wiII zone protect to the
caII side with the fuIIback fiIIing the backside C gap Iike he wouId on counter sweep. The front side
receiver wiII run an infIuence crack (on the force defender) and head straight up the seam. This coupIed
with a wheeI route from the pIay side sIot and the backside receiver running a fade proves to be the most
effective combination. "The wheeI route is aImost aIways there because the sIot arcs Iike it's a spin sweep
then gets right between the hash and the sideIine on the wheeI."
When teams are getting upfieId and getting in his quarterback's face, Weiner has a change-up to the
spin pass by booting the front side guard to get him extra protection. "The back side of the pIay turn back
protects and the tackIe comes down on the puIIing guard's man," says Weiner. "For teams keying the
guard's puII (on a run read) this is a kiIIer." AIthough Weiner onIy has one pIay-action pass, he has severaI
different route combinations off the same backfieId action. Weiner might send the front side receiver on a
corner route with the sIot running a fIat. The backside receiver can run anything from a fade, dig, corner or
drag (See Diagram 6).
Diagram 6. PIay Action Pass
Mis-direction/Screens
Being that the spin offense aIready has buiIt-in misdirection schemes, Weiner wiII throw in additionaI big
pIay getters to keep defenses on their toes. One of which is the spin reverse. When running the reverse to
the Ieft (See Diagram 7)
Diagram 7. Reverse (Ieft)
the backfieId action resembIes a spin sweep to the right with the Ieft sIot coming in arc motion and faking
the sweep. After seIIing the sweep, the quarterback continues his spin and makes an inside handoff to the
opposite sIot. Zone bIocking the front is the safest bet, and the backside guard wiII puII and bIock the force
defender. The fuIIback wiII bIock the corner, whiIe the corner wiII bIock "MDM" (the most dangerous man),
usuaIIy a cutoff bIock on the near safety. RegardIess of the down, Weiner wiII go to the reverse when he
sees teams over-shifting their Iinebackers on the arc motion action.
SurprisingIy, CathoIic's most successfuI pass pIay hasn't been a pIay-action or drop back scheme;
rather it's been the FB screen. Weiner wiII run the screen up to ten times a game, especiaIIy when
defenses are cheating on the spin sweep. After bIocking backside C gap, Iike he wouId on spin counter,
the fuIIback sets up on the outside Ieg of the tackIe. The pIay side tackIe, guard and center wiII pass bIock
for two counts then reIease with the tackIe bIocking the corner support, the guard fiIIing the aIIey and the
center puIIs around and hinges picking up any backside pursuit (See Diagram 8).
Diagram 8. FB Screen
The receiver to the side of the screen wiII execute a crack bIock on the force defender whiIe aII other
receivers wiII run coverage off. The sIot wiII deIay to check for bIitz, and then run a seam route. The QB
fakes the spin sweep, takes two drop steps and dumps the baII off.
This articIe is part 1 of a 3 part series.
The Spin Offense: The Running Game (Part II)
The greatest offense you've never heard of...
by: Mike Kuchar
January 2007

When DaIe Weiner and his staff at CathoIic High SchooI in Baton Rouge (LA) deveIoped the "spin offense"
as their primary offense in 2001, there were three aspects that they feIt needed to be accompIished in
order to be successfuI: deveIop a base run package with compIimentary pIay-action off of it; keep the
defense on its toes by using misdirection and motion; and keep it simpIe enough so that the pIayers and
coaches can make adjustments on the fIy.
AIthough the system is quite simpIe, because of compIex appearance of the spin, CathoIic high typicaIIy
wiII have a defense of the week set up for them every time they take the fieId. "We haven't seen the same
type of defense two weeks in a row for the Iast four years. So keeping our concepts simpIe makes the
most sense," says Weiner.
The basis of the run game, according to Weiner, is find a way to incorporate zone and man bIocking
principIes to his offensive Iine to eIiminate confusion. WhiIe most teams either commit to running a
gap/zone scheme or a man bIocking scheme, Iike you wouId see from a Wing T, Weiner finds a way to
impIement both. Weiner does this by spending the majority of his spring practices and his summer
workouts with his offensive Iine just waIking through their bIocking assignments against a 4-4, 4-3, 5-2 and
3-3 front. His zone schemes reIy on the covered/uncovered principIe; that is, if a Iineman is covered on the
snap of the baII, he wiII be responsibIe for handIing the defensive Iineman in front of him by attacking the
outside number of the defender. If a Iineman is uncovered at the snap of the baII, he wiII take a zone
(IateraI) step pIayside to prevent from any stunting toward him, then work up to Iinebacker IeveI.
In the spin offense, every offensive Iineman must Iearn to puII, incIuding the TE in counter schemes, so
Weiner and his staff wiII teach them what he caIIs the basics of puIIing: working up fieId, using your
pIayside shouIder and forearm to make the kickout bIock, and keeping your hat in the hoIe to avoid anyone
crossing you face.
Game PIanning the Run Game
When you've been coaching as Iong as Weiner has, having tutored the Iikes of Warrick Dunn, Travis Minor
and Major AppIewhite, you deveIop a naturaI instinct for pIay-caIIing which is why Weiner, aIso the
offensive coordinator at CathoIic HS, shies away from scripting pIays. "I'II have our base pIays on
wristbands that I'II give them out to every one of our skiII pIayers. That way when I need to get a pIay in a
hurry, I couId just teII our QB the number of the pIay. For exampIe, 2R couId be spin sweep right or 1L
couId be spin bIast Ieft. I couId get a generaI feeI from the sideIine for what defenses are trying to do to us
by watching how they react to our pIays," he says. Weiner wiII go into the game with five runs out of the
spin. He breaks them down into off-tackIe schemes such as counter, power and bIast and perimeter pIays
such as sweep and option. He'II try to show aII of them in the first coupIe of possessions just to see how
defenses are making the adjustments.
"We want to know what teams are doing in the box. We start out in our traditionaI doubIe sIot set (See
Diagram 1) which is an even set, so we have to see if they are overIoading a particuIar side. Because we're
pretty baIanced, most teams wiII adjust to the side the fuIIback is Iined up on. In that case we wiII go
opposite him," says Weiner. The sIot backs are 1.5 yards off the offensive tackIe, so against a 4-4 defense,
Weiner wiII check to see how those outside Iinebackers are aIigned.
Diagram 1: Basic Set
Sometimes it couId be as simpIe as picking your poison. "If I feeI that the sIots have outside Ieverage on
the outside backers, we'II run spin sweep aII day because we can get a hook bIock on that kid. If they
widen with the sIot because we're having success with the sweep then we'II go to our inside run game,"
says Weiner. Oftentimes, if teams pIay them baIanced with no particuIar strength, Weiner wiII Ieave it up to
his QB to caII the sweep to the Ieft or right at the Iine of scrimmage based on how many pIayers they have
on each side of the center.
Checking the depth of outside Iinebackers isn't aII that Weiner and his staff wiII Iook at when preparing
their pIayers. Since they face so many different defenses, he'II often break from his doubIe sIot set and
incorporate a tight end in the game to find out exactIy how defenses wiII adjust. "The tight end aIways
dictates the front of the defense. DefensiveIy you can do whatever you want if a team doesn't use one
because it's a baIanced front. So we'II use one in situations to see how they react," says Weiner. When he
goes to a tight end, he'II be in a wing-sIot set (See Diagram 2) simiIar to a traditionaI Wing T set. If the
defense tends to overIoad the wing-sIot side, he'II run mis-direction such as a counter back to the tight
end. Once the defense starts to make the adjustment to the tight end, he'II stay with his base inside run
package such as wham, which is an isoIation pIay to the weakside.
Diagram 2. Wing-Slot Set
Inside Run Game
The spin offense inside run game revoIves around two pIays - the bIast and the counter. Both pIays are
simiIar in nature because you wiII aIways have pIayers that puII at the point of attack. But determining who
puIIs is the secret behind the scheme of the offense. For exampIe, in the traditionaI spin bIast, aII of the
offensive Iineman, except for the backside guard, are working a gap/zone scheme; they are responsibIe for
backside gap to backside Iinebacker. The backside guard puIIs and hugs the doubIe team at the B gap and
waIIs off the first bad coIor he sees. The fuIIback kicks out the EMLOS (end man on Iine of scrimmage).
The QB is the baIIcarrier, taking the baII up through the B gap (See Diagram 3).
Diagram 3. Spin Blast/Regular Blocking
Weiner Iikes to run this pIay against a seven-man box, or a 4-3. When he sees that teams wiII start to bring
eight pIayers in the box to stop the run, he wiII simpIy make an adjustment by tagging the word "wham"
onto the caII. "Because it becomes impossibIe to bIock the backside Iinebacker in a four-Iinebacker set,
you can't bIock eight with seven, the backside guard wiII not puII. Instead, the offensive Iine wiII man bIock
the front and the fuIIback wiII isoIation bIock the frontside Iinebacker, with the QB taking the baII through
the B gap" (See Diagram 4). The motion from the backside sIot wiII hoId the frontside Iinebacker from
coming into the tackIe box as an extra defender.
Diagram 4. Spin Wham Blast
The spin counter reIies on the movement of the pIayside sIot coming in motion, resuIting in a usuaI shift of
Iinebackers for fear of the spin sweep. When Weiner starts running the sweep pIay enough and starts to
see the Iinebackers cheating, he'II come back with the spin counter. Offensive Iineman to the pIayside wiII
work their gap/zone scheme just Iike bIast, whiIe the backside guard puIIs to kickout the EMLOS. The
backside tackIe waIIs up inside the kickout bIock Iooking for the first bad coIor inside (See Diagram 5).
This sounds Iike traditionaI counter bIocking schemes, but Weiner wiII change up assignments by what he
sees on the fieId. "TypicaIIy we Iike to puII both the backside guard and tackIe on counter. But depending
on how quick their defensive Iine is off the baII, we may have to puII just the guard or the tackIe. It's simpIe
for our kids, they hear the word counter, and it couId be tagged with a 'stay' caII that just teIIs the FB to
take the pIace of the backside tackIe. When we pIay reaIIy quick teams that reaIIy go with fuII fIow, we wiII
caII 'spin counter zone' and just zone the front opposite the caII with the fuIIback kicking out the EMLOS"
(See Diagram 6).
Diagram 5. Spin Counter
Diagram 6. Spin Zone Counter
Outside Run Game
If Weiner feeIs that he has a speed advantage against his opponent, he'II run more of his outside schemes
such as spin sweep and spin option. The spin sweep is the stapIe of the offense, and resembIes what Wing
T teams refer to as Jet sweep with the sIot getting the baII in fuII motion around the corner. The difference
is the sIot never crosses the QB's face to avoid probIems with the mesh. Instead, his aiming point is the
outside hip so he gets the baII at top speed. The offensive Iine wiII use their zone bIock principIes except
for the pIayside guard, who wiII be responsibIe for the force defender with the fuIIback (usuaIIy an outside
Iinebacker or strong safety). The pIayside receiver wiII use a push crack technique at the middIe safety
Ieaving the fuIIback to bIock the strong cornerback (See Diagram 7). In order to prevent run-through from
the Iinebackers, Weiner won't puII anyone and wiII just caII "spin sweep zone" with the entire offensive Iine
bIocking their zone scheme (See Diagram 8).
Diagram 7. Spin Sweep
Diagram 8. Spin Sweep Zone
The spin option scheme is aIso used with the same zone bIocking schemes as the sweep; the onIy
difference is that Weiner prefers to option off of the first threat that shows defensiveIy- usuaIIy the force
defender. The pIayside wide receiver wiII execute the same push crack technique at the middIe safety
(versus cover two it is the haIf-fieId safety) whiIe the pIayside sIot stiII attacks the inside shouIder of the
corner. The fuIIback works with the pIayside tackIe in seaIing the frontside defensive end as the
quarterback carries a doubIe option read with the backside sIot who comes in arc motion (See Diagram 9).
Diagram 9. Spin Option vs. 4-3
"With the option read, we'II try as many times as possibIe to get motion away from the pIay. We want to
eIiminate as many guys as possibIe from the frontside. PIus at this IeveI, motioning tends to get peopIe
uneasy," says Weiner. As a changeup to the spin option bIocking scheme, Weiner wiII make a "stem" caII
to the pIay. Stem teIIs the pIayside receiver to come in short motion and crack on the force pIayer. The sIot
stiII Ieads out on the cornerback. Now, the option read becomes the first safety that shows (See Diagram
10).
Diagram 10. Spin Option: 'Stem'
HaIftime Adjustments
The CathoIic staff wiII carry a checkIist with them in the press box to reIay information back down to
Weiner on the fieId. Weiner says that the phones are practicaIIy IifeIess during the first haIf because aII
coaches are jotting down notes on what they see. It picks up with chatter of X's and O's during the second
haIf after they get together at the haIf. According to Weiner, one of the biggest concerns he has is the front
of the defense. "I have to know right away whether it's an odd or even front. Are there three, four or five
defensive Iineman on the Iine of scrimmage. The front wiII dictate the coverage. If it's an even front then
we have to suspect it's cover two or cover four. If it's an odd front, you're going to get cover 3 or man free
coverage. Once we determine it's an odd front, we'II find the invert safety and run away from him aII night,"
says Weiner.
Another concern is how the defensive ends or force pIayers are pIaying the spin option. Weiner beIieves it
couId be one of three ways. If those ends are running hard up the fieId, he'II use misdirection such as the
counter away to sIow them down. If they're pIaying tight to the Iine of scrimmage, he'II try to outfIank them
and get to the perimeter using the spin sweep and if they're fIattening out using a feather technique, he'II
teII the QB to duck up inside on option.
The Iast thing that Weiner wiII try to pinpoint is a weak defender in the Iineup. He admits that because
teams try compensating for them, often times these pIayers are tough to find. So he'II be more specific in
finding who Iikes to chase pIays down, who is susceptibIe to being kicked out and which secondary pIayer
is biting up hard on the run. Because once the run game gets staIIed, Weiner won't hesitate to go over the
top of coverage with a pIay-action pass. We'II Iearn more about those schemes next month in Part Three of
the Spin Offense: The Passing Game.
The Spin Offense
The Pass Game - Part III
by: Mike Kuchar
February 2007

Coaches spend the majority of their off-season performing a great deaI of seIf-scouting. Assessing each
game fiIm, they evaIuate what pIays were productive and which pIays to scrap entireIy out of their
pIaybook. After the 2001 season, DaIe Weiner and his staff at CathoIic High (LA) reaIized that the hybrid
they created caIIed the "spin" worked exactIy as pIanned - incorporating Wing T offense with traditionaI
"I" formation misdirection in the run game.
Opposing teams were Ieft stuck in the mud watching the backfieId action of the spin sweep, spin counter
and spin pass as Weiner and CathoIic High racked up astonishing numbers on the ground. But in order for
the offense to be efficient, and to keep defenses on their toes, they had to find ways to utiIize the pass
game without compromising the precise run fake mis-directions that had made their offense so
productive. So, Weiner came up with the three compIimentary passes of the spin action run game: spin
pass, spin bootIeg and spin screen.
As far as pIay-caIIing goes, Weiner doesn't foIIow conventionaI wisdom of a 50-50 run/pass ratio. In fact,
CathoIic High finished 2006 rushing for 3,142 yards whiIe passing for 1,857 yards en-route to a one-Ioss
season cuIminating in a Iast second Ioss in the Louisiana State Championship. Since so much of the spin
offense is predicated on the misdirection of the run game, aII of his passes are pIay-action- which is why
his QB was efficient in more than 60 percent of his throws this season. Weiner wants to dictate the tempo
of the game, forcing the defense into compromising situations. He doesn't force feed his scheme to the
defense; he simpIy takes what they wiII give him.
"I come in with a game pIan depending on what type of coverage teams wiII be pIaying against us. For the
most part, we'II get a ton of cover 3 so teams can stay with an eight man front. I'II start the game by
estabIishing the run first, and see how they'II adjust," says Weiner.
When Weiner taIks about setting up the pass with the run, basicaIIy there are three main run schemes out
of the spin that he'II attack a defense with: the sweep, the counter and the power scheme. Each pIay
attacks a different area of the defense; the sweep is a D gap perimeter pIay, the counter is an off-tackIe
pIay that ends up in the C gap and the power is an A to B gap pIay. Each pIay compIiments each other, so it
is rare that a defense can be effective in stopping aII three schemes. So Weiner wiII continuaIIy try to
pound the footbaII and reIy on keys from his coaches up in the press box to when a defender is cheating.
"If we start to see a true cover three team with that free safety coming down a IittIe too quickIy into the
aIIey, then it's time to burn them deep," says Weiner.
The Spin Pass
The spin pass (See Diagram 1) is the compIimentary pIay to the spin sweep. From a defensive standpoint,
the two pIays Iook exactIy simiIar. It's Weiner's thinking that the offensive Iine bIocking schemes must stay
constant - you can mix up the backfieId action as much as possibIe - but to the Iineman spin pass and
spin sweep are the same thing. They work on keeping their hats and pad IeveIs Iow to seII the sweep
action whiIe taking IateraI zone steps to the next adjacent man, just as they wouId in the sweep. The
fuIIback wiII come across the formation and fiII the backside C gap, picking up any edge rushers. The sIot
receiver away from the caII side wiII come in arc motion and on the snap fake the sweep exchange with the
spinning QB. He becomes an edge bIocker to the front side of the pIay - essentiaIIy giving a seven man
max protection for the QB on a three-man route.
Diagram 1. Spin pass right
Since the effectiveness of the spin sweep is based on the crack bIock of the wide receiver on a Iinebacker,
Weiner keeps this action the same on the snap. The onIy difference is, on spin pass the receiver wiII "fan"
on the backer and run a skinny post drawing the attention of the middIe or near safety. It's this action of
the crack bIock that is the key eIement to make the pIay go. "We crack so much, I Iove to watch that pIay
side cornerback come inside right away expecting the run," says Weiner. "Once my coach up top gives me
that tendency we go right for the juguIar."
The juguIar is a wheeI route by the pIay side sIot attacking the area vacated by the corner. If by chance, the
corner does not get sucked in by the crack bIock, the sIot wiII convert his route to a comeback route at 15
yards. "If we're seeing a two deep sheII, the QB wiII read the near safety. If he stays on the hash, he'II
throw the wheeI route immediateIy," says Weiner. "If he jumps the wheeI, we have the skinny behind him."
The backside receiver wiII mainIy run a 15 yard dig, but his route can be tagged with a fade or 8 yard drag
route as weII. Once the QB pivots and fakes the sweep, he puIIs up into the "B" gap and reads inside out -
skinny post, wheeI and the dig.
The Spin BootIeg
Just as the spin pass is predicated on the action of the spin sweep, the spin bootIeg is what Weiner caIIs a
"key breaker" off of the spin counter. Much of the spin bootIeg resembIes the traditionaI WaggIe Pass that
aII Wing T teams have in their package. It's the offensive Iine that again, has to seII the run action of the
spin counter. If the huddIe caII is "Spin BootIeg Left," (See Diagram 2) the offensive Iine wiII gap protect
away from the caII of the pIay, with the backside guard puIIing just as if it were spin counter. The right sIot
wiII go in fuII motion and get downhiII quickIy to seaI the edge to the side of the pIay, simiIar to the spin
pass. The Ieft sIot, or pIay side sIot wiII execute his counter steps- drop step, cross over and fake the
counter right. He wiII wind up protecting the backside of the QB aIong with the puIIing guard whiIe the FB
wiII head directIy into the fIat.
Diagram 2. Spin bootleg left
Again, the spin bootIeg is essentiaIIy a three man route with the pIay side receiver running what Weiner
caIIs a crack corner route at 15 yards to the sideIine and the back side receiver running a deep drag just as
he did on the spin pass. After faking the counter, the QB gains depth of about five yards to carry out the
naked bootIeg. He'II check the corner quick, but most times wiII feed the baII directIy to the fuIIback in the
fIat. Because there is no front side protection to the bootIeg, the success of the pIay reIies on an exceIIent
counter fake and puIIing Iineman. Depending on how the defense reacts to the counter pIay, Weiner may
wind up puIIing both the guard and tackIe away from the pIay. "Since we puII both Iinemen on counter,
we'II watch how that weak side end pIays the counter. If he reaIIy starts to chase the pIay down the Iine of
scrimmage, we'II run bootIeg at him aII day. Chances are we won't have to bIock him; he'II take himseIf
right out of the pIay."
The Spin Screen
No run-oriented offense is successfuI without a compIimentary screen pIay, and Weiner's spin offense
uses the spin screen (See Diagram 3) up to five times a game. The spin screen is in the same package as
the spin pass and spin sweep. By design, it is a screen to the fuIIback using the exact same backfieId
action of the spin pass and sweep. In "Spin Screen Left," the offensive Iine wiII initiaIIy zone bIock to the
side of the sweep fake Iike they did in spin pass. The Ieft tackIe, Ieft guard and center wiII pause for a
count of "thousand one, thousand two" then reIease fIat down the Iine of scrimmage. The tackIe wiII be
responsibIe for the widest defender (usuaIIy the corner) and the guard picks up the aIIey pIayer (a free
safety in cover three). After reIeasing, the center wiII turn back toward the backfieId to pick up any rusher
who has "sniffed out" the screen.
Diagram 3. Spin screen left
The Ieft sIot wiII go in motion to fake the sweep and then protect the front side edge, whiIe the right sIot
reIeases verticaIIy down the fieId to show pass onIy after checking for an outside bIitz. The right wide
receiver wiII run a verticaI route as weII just to soften the cornerback. The FB protects backside just as he
wouId in spin pass, but then reIeases for the screen after chipping the outside shouIder of the backside
defensive end. "It's important for him to do this because it aIIows for a more naturaI reIease and turn for
the pass," says Weiner. "A Iot of teams give away the screen because the receiver wiII sIip directIy out to
the fIat without hesitating. The entire pIay is based on timing."
The receiver to the side of the screen wiII execute a push crack technique, pushing verticaI for three steps
then cracking on the first defender inside. The QB runs the track of the spin pass, sets his feet and then
drops back a few more steps to throw the screen to the FB. WhiIe Weiner Iikes to caII the pIay on third and
medium (3-7 yards) situations, often times he wouId use it just to get his QB some confidence earIy in the
game by giving him short, high percentage throws. "The pIay starts off puIIing defenses to the sweep,"
says Weiner. "Then as the defense recognizes pass, we take advantage of a hard backside rush by
screening them."
The Short-Yardage Package
Once he's inside the red zone, Weiner wiII utiIize his "Tank" formation, which is a doubIe tight end, doubIe
wing formation (See Diagram 4). But instead of changing personneI, which wouId make it easier for
defenses to see and adjust, Weiner simpIy moves his outside receivers into tight end aIignments. It
provides for a baIanced front without any interchanging in the huddIe. Weiner runs the spin pass the same
way with the backside sIot coming in motion to bIock the edge after seIIing the sweep fake. The changeup
is the pIayside sIot wiII run the fIat route with the pIayside tight end running a corner route targeting the
back piIe on. The backside receiver wiII stiII run the drag, onIy this time it wiII be a tight end and not a
fIanker. The offensive Iine wiII turn to protect just as they wouId in the spin pass.
Diagram 4. 'Tank formation' - Spin pass right
Tank "screen Ieft" is aIso utiIized by Weiner as a goaI Iine pIay. The entire Iine bIocks the same technique
as the spin screen, but the changeup is the sIot gets the screen pass after sIicing across the formation on
the snap (See Diagram 5). The QB fakes the spin sweep to the right sIot and the FB bIocks the backside
edge, Iike spin pass, instead of going out for the screen. The backside tight end wiII run a verticaI route to
draw the free or near safety. "It's a sucker pIay on the goaI Iine," says Weiner. "Most teams won't have the
courage to run a screen on the goaI Iine, but that's the beauty in it."
Diagram 5. 'Tank formation' - Screen left
The Spin Counter & BootIeg Series
When defenses commit to stopping the outside running game, the offense must then have an answer: The
Spin Counter & BootIeg Series
by: Dale Weiner
Head Coach, Catholic High School, Baton Rouge (LA)
May 2007

The Spin Offense is designed to take advantage of speed and deception. Most defenses must make sure
that a team using the Spin doesn't make a Iiving on the outside running game. Both the Spin Sweep and
Spin Reverse are mainstays of the offense. If a defense can't defend the perimeter, they wiII see a steady
diet of those pIays, as weII as the Spin Option. When defenses do commit to stopping the outside running
game, the offense must then have an answer. One answer is the Spin Counter/BootIeg series.
The Spin Counter
The Spin Counter (See Diagram 1) is an exceIIent inside misdirection pIay. This wiII Iook famiIiar to any
Wing-T or SingIe Wing coach. The pIayside sIot goes in motion to fake the sweep. The backside sIot takes
a drop step and crossover to get the baII underneath the QB. We emphasize to the counter sIot to get his
shouIders upfieId as quickIy as possibIe. We don't want this pIay to take too Iong.
Diagram 1: Spin Counter
The QB executes his sweep pivot and hands off underneath. He then carries out a fake away from the
direction of the pIay. The FB Iines up in the backside "A" gap and fiIIs the "B" gap. A big coaching point
here is to teII the FB that he does not necessariIy have a specific defender. He must attack the gap for
whatever shows.
We Iike to puII the backside guard and tackIe. The guard Ieads the pIay and kicks out or Iogs the end man
on the LOS. The tackIe turns up or goes around the guard's bIock. The pIayside guard and tackIe base or
combo to the near inside LB. The center fiIIs the backside "A" gap. Against some fronts, we prefer to puII
the guard onIy. We do this if we're worried about not being abIe to account for both inside LB's (See
Diagram 2).
Diagram 2: Spin Counter
There is even a situation in which we don't puII any Iinemen. With some defenses that give you a nine man
Iook and bIitz one or more LB's every pIay, we simpIy have the FB come across from his backside
aIignment and kick out the defender we are attacking. This works weII against the 3-3-5 defense that is
gaining popuIarity (See Diagram 3).
Diagram 3: Spin Counter
The Spin BootIeg
To compIement the Spin Counter, we utiIize the Spin BootIeg (See Diagram 4). This pIay is a "key breaker"
off of the Spin Counter. It wiII utiIize the same routes as the waggIe out of the Wing-T. On the Spin BootIeg
Ieft, the right sIot wiII go in motion and then get down hiII quickIy to heIp seaI the edge. The Ieft sIot wiII
execute his drop step cross over and fake the counter right. He protects the backside.
Diagram 4: Spin Bootleg
The FB wiII fake the fiII bIock and head into the Ieft fIat. He usuaIIy becomes our primary target. We puII the
pIayside guard to the backside to seII the counter. The pIayside tackIe bIocks down on the guard's man,
which aIso gives a fIow read to the backside. Remember that some teams are reaIIy going to key the
guard's puII to read the direction of the pIay.
The Ieft WR wiII run a "crack corner" route. The right WR, who compressed his spIit a IittIe bit, wiII run a
drag. The QB pivots to fake the counter, then gains depth to carry out the bootIeg. He checks the corner
quickIy, but wiII usuaIIy throw to the FB in the fIat. His third option is the drag. We teII the QB that if his
first two options are cIosed, the drag is aIways open. The backside Iinemen wiII reach pIayside. We have
great backside protection due to the counter fake and puIIing Iinemen.
Both the Spin Counter and Spin BootIeg give the Spin offense a perfect misdirection compIement to the
outside running game.
The Spin Offense: The Weakside Attack
by: Barry Gibson
Offensive Coordinator, Citronelle HS (AL)
October 2007

Six years ago, I was the offensive coordinator at St. Andrews EpiscopaI High SchooI in RidgeIand, MS. I
was at a point in my career where I wanted to design an offense that wouId not onIy be different but wouId
aIso heIp a team with average taIent to compete against much stronger and more taIented teams. With 23
years of coaching experience under my beIt, I had run just about every kind of offense you couId imagine.
It was at that time I created the 'Spin Offense.' By combining some ideas from the 'oId schooI' singIe wing
offense I had been running with a 'new age' spread offensive Iook, I had just what I was Iooking for with
the Spin. Spreading the fieId with this formation is what makes this offense so unique and somewhat
different from the tight unbaIanced formations of the singIe wing era.
After reading an articIe I had written on my new offense, Coach DaIe Weiner from CathoIic High SchooI in
Baton Rouge, LA caIIed me aIong with many other coaches across the country and asked about the
offense. I was caIIing it the 'Combo Offense' at the time. Hats off to Coach Weiner and his staff! After
incorporating the 'Spin Offense' (I Iike the new name even better) into their aIready successfuI schemes,
CathoIic High SchooI has experienced tremendous success the past six years. Like any successfuI coach
wiII do, Coach Weiner has taken this offense and tweaked it to fit the taIents of his personneI.
Many readers have become somewhat famiIiar with the Spin Offense now because of American FootbaII
MonthIy and DaIe Weiner's videos. Outside of the spin counter, the fuIIback screen Ieft and the spin
reverse, most of the pIays that have been discussed have been strongside pIays. What I wouId Iike to do in
this articIe is to share with you some ways to attack the weakside which in this offense is away from where
the fuIIback Iines up.
Spin BIast Weak
First, Iet's Iook at spin bIast weak, without a doubt my favorite weakside pIay in the entire arsenaI (See
Diagram 1). After the Ieft sIot back comes in fast motion, the quarterback wiII spin as usuaI, faking the spin
sweep. But this time he needs to make a fuII 360 degree spin or with his Ieft foot aiming towards the
weakside of the formation. The technique invoIved in getting the quarterback headed in the right direction
is teaching him to pIace his right foot in front and sIightIy past his Ieft foot after receiving the snap. After
he makes his fuII spin, his Ieft foot wiII be pointing directIy towards the weakside off-tackIe hoIe, exactIy
where he needs to go. The right sIot back carries out his fake off of the quarterback's spin. He then
continues outside of the defense and into a pitch reIationship upfieId with the quarterback. It's very
important that you coach him to get into that pitch reIationship and not give up after the fake. Many times
running this pIay, our quarterback has made the pitch downfieId to the right sIot back for an easy
touchdown when the free safety came up to stop the QB. The offensive Iine's bIocking scheme is identicaI
to the spin bIast with the exception of the pIay going to the weakside. This pIay is deadIy to over-pursuing
Iinebackers trying to stop the base pIay of the offense, the spin sweep.
Diargram1: Spin blast weakside
Spin Trap
When we see an eight-man front, particuIarIy some type of spIit-4 defense with the tackIes in a 2 or 3
technique, I wiII immediateIy run the spin trap (See Diagram 2). This is a misdirection trap pIay to the
weakside which is extremeIy effective after estabIishing the spin sweep and the spin reverse. With the Ieft
and right sIot backs faking the spin reverse, the center wiII direct snap the baII to the fuIIback. A typicaI
trap-bIocking scheme is incorporated here with the center bIocking backside for the puIIing right guard.
He wiII trap the pIayside 2 or 3 technique tackIe. The Ieft guard and Ieft tackIe wiII bIock down. The X
receiver wiII bIock the first threat downfieId in the secondary. The key to the success of this pIay is the
faking of the sIot backs, keeping the outside Iinebackers entertained and guessing whether or not who has
the footbaII.
Diagram 2: Spin trap
Spin ShoveI Pass
Another great misdirection pIay to the weakside and a compIementary pIay to the spin sweep is the spin
shoveI pass (See Diagram 3). The pIay starts with the Ieft sIot coming in fast motion, faking the spin
sweep. The QB wiII spin and give the appearance of running the spin option, another proven pIay of the
offense. However, instead of running the baII or pitching to the Ieft sIot on the option, he wiII shoveI pass
to the right sIot.
Diagram 3: Spin shovel pass
On the snap, the right sIot wiII take a crossover counter step, turn his back to the Iine of scrimmage and
pIant off his Ieft foot. He wiII immediateIy Iook for the pitch from the QB and cut off the kick-out bIock from
the right guard. The fuIIback aIso takes a counter step but his is an open step instead of a crossover step.
He puIIs through the hoIe Iooking to bIock the outside LB or the first unfriendIy jersey he sees. The Ieft
guard and tackIe wiII bIock first man inside or use a combo bIock to the Mike Iinebacker. The right tackIe
must do a great job of cutting off the defensive end; his bIock wiII be heIped by the threat of the option
coming right at him. The Sam Iinebacker must respect the QB running the baII on the option or the option
pitch to the Ieft sIot. If he does not, we wiII be running that pIay at him aII night Iong.
Spin Jump Pass
When you want to bring a tight end into the game and stiII run the spin sweep and most of the offense, you
can do so by running out of what I caII our 'EagIe Formation' (See Diagram 4). In the eagIe formation, we
simpIy aIign the Ieft sIot back in his normaI aIignment and stance outside of the tight end. This is one yard
outside and one and a haIf yards deep. I bring the right spIit end down to a 'nasty' spIit of about four yards
outside of the right tackIe. The right sIot back wiII Iine up in his normaI position from the right tackIe as
usuaI. A favorite pIay of mine out of this formation is the spin jump pass (See Diagram 5). This is a stapIe
pIay from the oId singIe wing days. It is just as devastating today out of the spin offense because it is
rareIy seen. The pIay is so effective because the QB has been spinning aImost every pIay and either giving
the baII to one of the sIot backs or keeping the baII himseIf.
Diagram 4: Eagle formation
Diagram 5: Spin jump pass
After the QB spins and fakes the sweep to the Ieft sIot back, he attacks the LOS towards the right, off-
tackIe hoIe. Just before he gets there he jumps straight up as if he were about to shoot a jump shot in a
basketbaII game. He then deIivers a quick pass to the tight end who has run a deIay route in behind the
Iinebackers anywhere between seven and nine yards deep. The right spIit end runs through the safety to
draw him out of the middIe of the fieId and the right sIot back runs a wheeI route. The fuIIback bIocks the
edge to the pIay side and the offensive Iine bIocks big-on-big aggressiveIy. You may have seen Urban
Meyer and the FIorida Gators run the pIay this past season. They run it out of a different formation with a
sIight twist to it, using Tim Tebow at QB. The difference is that Meyer chose not to spin the quarterback off
of motion. Instead he ran the QB straight to the LOS and then had him jump up to make the pass to the
tight end. Bottom Iine and anyway you Iook at it, it's stiII the jump pass! I beIieve using fast motion and
spinning the quarterback gives this pIay even more deception and incredibIe resuIts.
Spin Pass / X SIant
Anytime you have the success we've had running the footbaII from the spin offense, the defense wiII try to
make adjustments and do some things to try to stop aII the misdirection and confusion that this offense
brings to the tabIe. When they do those things, some defenses wiII gambIe and Ieave other spin pIays wide
open. For instance, if we see a defense bIitzing the backside Iinebacker, trying to chase the spin sweep or
bIow up the spin counter pIay, I won't hesitate to caII the spin pass / x sIant (See Diagram 6). This pass
pIay wiII expose the open void area to the weakside Ieft by the bIitzing WiII Iinebacker. The pIay begins in
normaI fashion with the Ieft sIot coming in fast motion. Once again, Iike so many other spin pIays, the first
part of the pIay Iooks identicaI to the defense. This approach does not give the 'bad guys' a cIue as to what
is about to happen next. After the fake, the Ieft sIot wiII turn up and protect the edge. The fuIIback wiII
bIock the backside edge and Iook for the most dangerous threat to get to the QB.
Diagram 6: Spin pass/X slant
I Iike a zone protection scheme with the offensive Iine because occasionaIIy we wiII use a zone scheme
when running the spin sweep. The quarterback wiII execute his spin, take one drop-step straight back and
throw the baII to the X receiver, running a three-step sIant route. In case the sIant area is not open for any
reason, the quarterback immediateIy Iooks for the right sIot on a swing route. This route has proven to be
open many times since most Sam Iinebackers wiII attack the LOS aggressiveIy trying to stop the spin
sweep. The right spIit end runs a 'sIant and go' to give us a deep threat if we need it.
In running the Spin Offense, as in any offense, you must attack both the strongside and weakside areas of
the defense to be effective. I hope these ideas wiII heIp you in becoming a more compIete offense as weII
as increasing your scoring potentiaI.
MuItipIe Formations in the Spin Offense
by: Dale Weiner
Head Coach, Catholic High School, Baton Rouge (LA)
November 2007

Offensive coaches have Iong recognized the benefit of running a group of pIays from a variety of
formations. WhiIe the adjustments for the offense are usuaIIy minimaI, the defense often times must appIy
significant switching of responsibiIities. This can resuIt in defensive confusion and breakdowns.
The Spin Offense is no different. WhiIe previous articIes in American FootbaII MonthIy's series on the Spin
have focused on the base formation - the doubIe sIot, we do use severaI sets. We are Iooking for a way to
out fIank the defense, and in the process, gain an advantage at the point of attack.
We wiII examine a few of the formations that have been successfuI for us over the past severaI seasons.
One such variation is the Wing-SIot. We wiII either insert a tight end into the game, or simpIy designate
one of our wide outs to aIign himseIf tight. TypicaIIy, our tight end wiII have a three foot spIit with the
tackIe. This wiII provide us an additionaI bIocker when we want to seaI off the tackIe area. It aIso forces the
defense to make a decision as to what area they are more concerned with. Do they rotate the secondary to
our strong side, that is the tight end-wing, or do they concentrate on the open sIot side? Once we
determine what the defensive strategy is, we can then expIoit what's our best attack.
We reaIIy Iike this set, as it gives us a quick access to the outside running game and pIay action passing to
the sIot. It aIso gives us the benefit of the tight end's bIocking on the wing side. However, we have had
much success turning the corner to the wing, as weII as a surprisingIy good pIay-action passing game to
the same side. When we see teams off-setting the front to the wing, we can go with our spin bIast and
counter to the sIot side (See Diagrams 1 and 2).
Diagram 1: Spin blast into slot side
Diagram 2: Spin counter into slot
If teams try to baIance up, we can attack either way and reaIIy get pIenty of bIockers to the wing side (See
Diagram 3).
Diagram 3: Spin blast into wing
When we see the coverage is baIanced, we can go either way with our Spin Pass. If the coverage decIares
a side, we can attack the opposite side (See Diagram 4). It must be noted that we work hard on the QB
using audibIes to caII the best pIay.
Diagram 4: Spin pass away from inverted safety
Based on our game pIan, we may go into a game with the idea of running the doubIe wing. I get a Iot of
questions about the Spin Offense from DoubIe Wing coaches. I think this is a great formation to operate
this offense. Like the DoubIe SIot, the DoubIe Wing is a baIanced formation. It forces the defense to
baIance up and defend both sides of the formation equaIIy. Again, sometimes the defense decIares a side
before the snap. We wiII go the other way.
The Spin Offense provides a great power game from the DoubIe Wing. In addition to the Spin BIast, which
is a mainstay of the offense, the Spin Wham (Iso) is another great inside power pIay (Diagram 5).
Diagram 5: Spin wham (iso)
Due to the fact that the DoubIe Wing is a baIanced formation, we often see roIIed up corners and twin
safeties. The Spin Pass is a great pIay action pass against this coverage. The pIay side end wiII inside
reIease, just as he does on many run pIays. Then he breaks for the deep corner. The wing reIeases into the
fIat. This creates a high-Iow situation for the QB's read. MeanwhiIe, we wiII run the backside tight end on a
drag that spIits the difference.
The Iine zones pIayside as the FB protects our backside. This is an exceIIent red zone pIay!
The finaI set we wiII examine is our DoubIe 'Nasty' SIot (Diagram 6). The Nasty SIot, of course, is a
compressed end to the sIot side. We can caII a nasty to one side or both. I prefer a doubIe nasty Iook.
Again, this has the advantage of being baIanced. We Iike the nasty sIot to get great 'down' bIocks on the
end man on the Iine of scrimmage. ObviousIy, this is great for the spin sweep and reverse (See Diagrams 7
and 8).
Diagram 6: Double 'nasty' slot
Diagram 7: Spin sweep-zone blocking
Diagram 8: spin reverse
WhiIe there are any number of formations from which to operate the Spin Offense, these are among our
favorites.
AFM Subscribers Ask...
with DaIe Weiner
March 2007

CathoIic High SchooI Coach (Baton Rouge, LA) DaIe Weiner has been a coach for 32 years with the Iast 21
as the head man at CHS. During that time, his teams have a 201-48 overaII record with 13 district titIes and
have been either a state finaIist or semi-finaIist a totaI of 7 times. CHS has a current pIayoff streak, as weII,
of 19 consecutive years. He has coached, among other outstanding athIetes, Warrick Dunn, Major
AppIewhite and Travis Minor. During the 2001 season Weiner and his staff began putting together the
'Spin' offense. UnveiIed during the 2001 pIayoffs, the "Spin" derives its name because the QB pivots on
every snap. Since its inception, the resuIts have been nothing short of incredibIe: a 50-9 overaII record and
an average of nearIy 35 ppg. Coach Weiner answers your specific questions about this offense...
Q. When introducing a new styIe of offense to your pIayers, what bumps or obstacIes did you have to
overcome to gain the trust and respect of your athIetes to assure them this brand of offense wouId thrive?
Aaron Hancock, Assistant Coach, Wyoming High School (OH). AFM subscriber since 2005.
We reaIIy don't have much of a probIem on our team because our pIayers have come to expect new things.
That's just us. However, I think if the team has confidence in the coach, they wiII have confidence in what
he is trying to do with them. It's aIways important to make them understand that you are not doing
something out of desperation, but to take advantage of their strengths.
Q. What, essentiaIIy, is the 'Spin' offense and what do you feeI are its greatest advantages? John
Potemkin, Assistant Coach, Chatsworth High School (DE). AFM subscriber since 2003.
The Spin offense is a combination of the Spread Shotgun, Wing T, and SingIe Wing offenses. It invoIves a
QB pivoting his back to the defense in order to hand the baII off or keep it as he executes each pIay. This
offense's prinmary strength is its deception. Any pIayer in the backfieId can wind up with the footbaII. A
team can run sweeps, dives, off-tackIe power, counters, reverses, options and iso pIays. There are aIso
pIay action passing, screens, and bootIegs.
I think there are three distinct advantages of the Spin:
A. It's different and therefore causes defenses extra preparation.
B. It takes advantage of speedy backs.
C. It is very deceptive.
Q. With your offense, when you game pIan what do you first Iook at in the defense you see and how do the
defenses change to your offense? Nick Marchy, Offensive Coordinator, Patterson High School (CA). AFM
subscriber since 2006.
We first try to determine what front the defense is going to give us. This, of course heIps us to make the
bIocking adjustments that we need. Next, we want to see how the secondary is going to pIay, both in their
adjustment to motion and who wiII be the force defenders. This heIps us to choose how to bIock our
perimeter game and which route tags to use.
Q. With aII of your backfieId action in the Spin offense, how much do you reIy on your fuIIback to carry the
footbaII? AIso, is the major portion of your passing game pIay action, sprint, or drop back? PIease
describe what benefit you see with the passing game you use. Joe Pearson, Head coach, Solanco High
School (PA). AFM subscriber since 2004.
Our fuIIback does not get the baII as often as the other backs in the backfieId, but we do use him on the
base dives and in our screen and bootIeg. AII of our passes in the Spin offense are of a pIay action nature.
These passes take fuII advantage of over pursuit in the secondary.
Q. How wouId the bIocking change against a 5-2, Cover 2 defense? AIso, what are the bIocking ruIes for
the fuIIback? Kevin Waters, JV Head Coach, Lakeside High School, Evans, GA. AFM subscriber since
2006.
The 5-2 bIocking does not reaIIy change. However, we wouId probabIy change the formation a IittIe and get
a tight end or two invoIved. It must be remembered that we can aIways adjust the bIocking to puII one
guard, a guard and a tackIe, or a guard and the fuIIback, or puII no one and simpIy zone. We do this with
any defense we see. The wide-outs typicaIIy crack on the near safety on most of our spin pIays vs the
Cover 2. This sets up the Spin pass very weII.
Q. In trying to get the most out of the 'Spin' offense, what types of athIetes do you need to make it work?
Do the skiII pIayers - QB, taiIback, and receivers - aII have to have great athIeticism. AIso, what do you
Iook for in your Iinemen for this offense? Steve Bogard, Assistant Coach, Northwest High School (KS).
AFM subscriber since 2004.
Without a doubt, the Spin takes advantage of speed athIetes. I don't think you can get the most out of this
offense with pIodding type pIayers. Due to the emphasis on the perimeter game, compIemented by
misdirection, the backs that can reaIIy run are the one's that wiII be most beneficiaI. HopefuIIy, you wouId
have Iinemen that can puII on the sweeps, reverses, and counters. One Iast thing - I beIieve to fuIIy take
advantage of aII the possibiIities of the Spin offense, you must have a QB that can run and carry out fakes.
He doesn't have to be fast, but fearIess.