Add Some Bunch to Your Playbook One of the interesting aspects about college and high school football is the wide spectrum of offensive attacksemerging at both levels. Ideas, concepts and offensive systems have trickled down from college football to the highschool level thanks to clinics, networking, and publications such as Gridiron Strategies, that cater to coaches at alllevels. High school teams are throwing the ball now more than ever. One of the formations that has served us wellover the years is the popular bunch formation.In the simplest term, bunch means aligning three receivers in close proximity to each other. The bunch formationprovides several advantages for the offense. First, it quickly deploys multiple receivers into a given area of thedefense. Flooding a zone quickly can cause confusion for the secondary. Second, it creates mismatches if defensesbanjo coverage and switch assignments. Also, by using compressed formations like bunch, the offense expands thefield and thus creates additional space for the defense to cover. Perhaps the most well known advantage of thebunch set is the natural rubs or picks that are created. However, we have discovered that while the rubs aresometimes effective in goal line situations, coaches have gotten very good at minimizing the effectiveness of rubsand picks.Being a spread offense, based out of multiple one back sets, we have added several bunch concepts to our playbook. One of the most popular bunch plays is the toss (See Diagram 1). In this alignment, our bunch is tighter to the out tackle, allowing the point man in the bunch to block down. We give our receivers simple rules for blocking the toss. Our A receiver, who is on the point of the bunch, blocks down. This may require him to block adefensive end, or an outside linebacker. Our X receiver blocks the #2 perimeter defender. Usually this is a safety or a linebacker adjusted out. Our Z receiver blocks the #1 perimeter defender. This is usually a cornerback, and this isusually a kick out block, with the back cutting it inside the block. Teams give us a variety of looks against thebunch, so these simple rules allow us to handle multiple looks. We also pull the play side guard to pick up any forceplayer running the alley or an overhang defender that appears late.
Diagram 1: Bunch Toss
After some initial success with the toss, teams began to fly up hard on the perimeter to defend the play, forcing usto find an answer with play action. The play action combination off of the toss fake originated from Coach AndrewCoverdale. We simply used one of his combinations and added the play action element, calling the play Temple(See Diagram 2).
Diagram 2: \'Temple\' (Play Action Toss)
Everything looks the same for the offensive line. We pull the guard to seal the play side edge. The rest of the linesteps opposite the toss fake blocking back. Our tailback fakes the toss and comes off the fake late to help on theedge. The quarterback gives a hard toss fake, incorporating head and eyes to sell the fake. Following the toss fake,the QB gets back into a quick three step drop, which times up with the depth of the routes.The receivers use play-action tempo for the first few steps of their release to help sell run. It is important to coachlow pad level on the releases of all three receivers. Our X receiver runs a fin route at 10 yards. The fin is simply alazy comeback. We coach the X to get width immediately upon his release. We want to widen the cornerback withthe fin route. The A receiver runs a 12 yard sail route. He releases with low pad level and play action tempo andbursts into his sail route, flattening his break vs. a cover 2 safety. Our Z receiver runs an inside seam route. Versus 1high safety he must cross the safety\'s face with a post route and pull him to the middle. Versus a middle open look,he runs a deep seam.The two routes that pop open are the sail and the seam. The fin route successfully widens the corner and provides ahole to hit the sail. If the safety jumps the sail the seam/post is the throw. We coach the QB to work from themiddle of the field out. He looks at the seam/post first, progresses to the sail and ends with the fin. Rarely do weget to the fin. Our backside route by Y varies depending on the game plan.To disguise Temple we have used multiple formations and motion to keep the defense off balance. Diagrams 3 and4 illustrate how we use compressed 2x2 formations and motions to get into our bunch set. The use of motionsforces the defense to think and react and possibly check to another coverage. It also creates some confusion for young defensive backs who may not be good at communicating. The routes do not change, but to the defense, it is adifferent look.While Temple has proved to be a valuable tool in getting the ball down the field, our Ohio combination is areliable, move the chains as a utility play. Unlike the toss and Temple, the bunch is moved a bit wider for Ohio (SeeDiagram 5). Our Z receiver is 5 yards from the offensive tackle.
Diagram 3: \'Temple\' (Tight Orange Right Zoom)
Diagram 4: \'Temple\' (Tight gold X-Ray)
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