Installation Of The Option

Game

By James Vint
Offensive Coordinator
Iowa Wesleyan College
Special Thanks To: Jerry
Campbell
• This system is adapted from Coach Campbell
• He is one of the great high school coaches of today
• He helped us to install the complete option game
• Coach Campbell offers several great option products
• His option on me system is easy to teach and easy to
install to ensure you have the best option called at the
line. Order his option manual for this system
• Coach Campbell is always available to coaches who want
to learn more about the great game of football!

www.jcfb.com
Advantages Of The Option
Game
• Allows You To Get The Ball Onto The Perimeter
• Forces The Defense To Play Assignment Football
• Allows Your Best Athletes To Get The Ball In Space
• Allows You To Account For Eight Man Fronts
• Gives You The Opportunity For Big Plays
• Systematic Approach Allows You To Audible At LOS
• Forces Your Opponent To Prepare For Something They
Don’t See Every Week
• Your Opponent Can’t Emulate The Option
• Allows You To Succeed Without A Talented Passer
• Takes Away The Ability Of The Defense To Blitz
Hole And Back Numbering
9 7 5 3 1 0 2 4 6 8
X Y
1 Z

3
4

We number our play with the number of the

ball carrier, followed by the hole number. For
example, IS veer left would be 13 veer. All
option plays start with a 1, with the exception
of trap option.
Line Calls

Center and Right Guard: Ace Lion

Center and Left Guard: Ace Ram
Guard and Tackle: Deuce
Tackle and Tight End: Trey
Fold Blocks (Fever): Jack and Jill
Zone Combination Blocks
• Two Offensive Lineman Track A
Defensive Lineman and A Linebacker
• We Have Four Eyes On The Backer
• We Secure the Down Guy First
• Players Will Step Hippo (Hip to Hip)
• Linemen Must Not Get Split
• Drive D-Lineman Into Backer, Come
Off At Backer Level, Don’t Chase
Option Plays

• 10-11 Midline Each Option Play Has A

• 12-13 Veer Series Of
• 14-15 OS Veer Complementary Plays
Designed To Take
• 18-19 Load Advantage of
• 32-33 Trap Defensive Adjustments
Installing The Midline Option
Installing The Option As A
System: Midline Option
• We Install The Midline Option First As It Is The
Easiest Read For The QB
• The Midline Attacks The Middle Of The Defense
• Forces The Defense To Reduce Their Front
• Reduction Of The Front Opens Up The Perimeter
• Complementary Plays Answer What Defenses Do
To Take Midline Away
• Complementary Plays Allow You To Dictate Who
Carries The Football
Midline Installation Rules
• Run To A 3 Technique
• Run To The Tight End Side (Later You Will Run
It Weak and vs. a 50 Front)
• FB Attacks The Midpoint Of The Center
• QB Reads The Jersey Number Of The 3 Tech
• “If The 3 Squeezes, Pull and Replace”
• “If The 3 Comes Upfield Give and Replace
Midline Option: The Mesh
The QB Will Push Away And Step At
Six
On The Push Away Step, The QB
Brings The Ball To His Third Hand
(Belly)
As He Steps At Six, The QB Will
Reach The Ball Deep and Snap His
Eyes To His Read
The FB Will Run Up The Midpoint Of
The Center Forming A Soft Pocket
The FB Will Feel The QB, He Will
Illustrating The Mesh
The QB Will Push Away And Step At
Six
On The Push Away Step, The QB
Brings The Ball To His Third Hand
(Belly)
As He Steps At Six, The QB Will
Reach The Ball Deep and Snap His
Eyes To His Read
The FB Will Run Up The Midpoint Of
The Center Forming A Soft Pocket
The FB Will Feel The QB, He Will
Reading The 3 Tech Mesh
Drill
• If The 3 Tech Comes
Upfield, The QB Gives T
• If The 3 Tech Squeezes,
The QB Will Pull The Ball
And Replace The 3 Tech
• If the QB Has The Ball At
His Front Leg, He Will Give
The Ball
• The FB Must Make A Soft
Pocket
Midline Option: Playside Guard
“Pickin’ Grass”
• The Playside Guard Is Going To Reduce His
Shoulder To Get Under The 3 Tech and Attack
The Mike Linebacker
• We Teach This Technique As Pickin’ Grass
• He Picks Grass With His Outside Arm and Gets His
Eyes To The Mike
• If The Mike Steps Up, Block Him
• If The Mike Flows, Go To The Free Safety
Pickin’ Grass Drill For The
PSG
In This Case, The Mike Stepped M
Up In The B Gap, So The PSG T
Picked Him Up

F
In This Case, The Mike Attcked M
The B Gap, So The PSG worked
up to FS T
Pickin’ Grass Drill For The
PSG
M
In This Case, The Mike Stepped
Up In The B Gap, So The PSG T
Picked Him Up

F
In This Case, The Mike Attcked M
The B Gap, So The PSG worked
up to FS T
Two To Track Two

• We Want To Have A Second Player Track

The Mike LB To The FS Whenever Possible
• Depending On The Front, The PST, TE, or TB
Will Be The Second Tracker
• Their Eyes Must Be On The Mike Backer
• If He Goes Away, Eyes Must Go To The Free
Safety
Two Track Two Drill
Illustrated
In This Case, The Mike Stepped M
Up In The B Gap, So The PSG T E
Picked Him Up. The TE goes up
to the FS

F
In This Case, The Mike Stepped M
Up In The B Gap, So The TE
Picked Him Up and the PSG went T E
the free safety
Fold Blocks
• Fold Blocks Give You Advantages As You Can Get
Angles On Defenders
• Like Any Skill Fold Blocks Must Be Practice
• We Have Two Calls For Fold Blocks
• Jack and Jill Are The Two Calls
• If We Call Jack, The Outside Lineman Will Go First,
And The Inside Lineman Will Step Around
• If We Call Jill, The Inside Lineman Will Go First and
The Outside Lineman Will Step Around
Midline Option: The Jill
Scheme
• This Is A Triple Option Scheme Run To A
4-4 Defense
• We Run This Versus a 3 and 7 To The
Play Side
• This Allows Us To Get Two Players
Tracking The Mike LB And Free Safety
• We Get The End Angle Blocked To The
Outside
Midline Option: The Jill
Scheme
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

This is the Jill Scheme Because Of The Fold Block By

The Tackle and TE. The Tackle Goes First, Hence The
Jill Call. The Tailback Gets Into Relationship And Calls
“Ball, Ball”
Midline Option: The Jill
Scheme
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

The QB Reads The 3 Tech For His Give/Keep, and

Pitches Off The Sam LB.
Midline Option: The Base
Scheme
R F
C W M S C
E T T E

The Base Scheme Is An Alert Used By The TE Vs. A

College 4-3
Base Tells The Tackle He Is The 2nd Tracker of the
Mike And The TB Leads Up On The Sam
Midline Option: The Base
Scheme
R F
C W M S C
E T T E

We can run the base scheme with the TB running a

pitch path
This puts the PST on the Sam LB
Midline Option: The Base Scheme
Open
F
C R W M C
S E T T E

We Use The Base Scheme Away From The TE

The Tailback Will Lead The QB Through The B Gap On
A Pull Read
This allows us to run midline versus a reduced front
Midline Option: Vs. A 50 Defense
F
C W M R C
S E T T E

Vs. The 50 You Can Still Run Midline

It allows Your Back To Read The Block On The Nose
The QB Reads The DT in a 5 tech.
Defensive Adjustment vs.
Midline
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

One way the defense will try to take midline away is

by having the Sam “fall in” on the QB. The Sam will
meet the QB in the B gap for a short gain. This
exposes the perimeter.
Midline Option: The Pitch
Scheme
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

The Pitch Scheme Is Designed To Take Advantage Of

A Sam That Is Falling In On The QB. The Pitch Scheme
Tells The TE To Arc Release To The Sam. The QB
pitches off the DE and we get the ball on the
perimeter to the TB.
Defensive Adjustment vs.
Midline
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

The defense will have the Will attack the frontside A

gap to take the FB, with the 3 tech coming upfield.
The QB will give the ball and the Will stops the FB.
This leaves the defense vulnerable to the B gap on the
backside.
Midline Option: Follow
Opposite
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

Follow Opposite Is Designed To Take Advantage Of A

Will Who Is Falling In On The Dive And Beating Our
Combo
After Riding The FB, The QB Will Pull and Follow The
FB Opposite
Midline Option: 10 Counter
Option
F
C W M S R C
E T T E

This Is Another Great Complement To The Will Falling

In On Dive. We Run This To A 4-3 With The Invert
Strong
The QB Rides The FB, Turns Backside, and Pitches Off
The Backside DE
Defensive Adjustment vs.
Midline
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

The defense will also have the 3 tech slam the guard
and the Mike stem hard to the B gap. This stunt has
the Mike beating the TE, and we must add a
complementary play to defeat this.
Midline Option: 10 Give
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

Give Takes Advantage Of The Mike Stemming To B

Gap
This Allows Us To Get The Ball To Our FB With Two
Zone Combos In The Middle
Midline Option: 10 QB Iso
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

This is another way we take advantage of the Mike LB

stemming to the B gap. The QB rides the FB and
follows him through the 0 hole.
Midline Option: The Falcon
Scheme
F C
C R W M S
E T T E

The QB Still Reads The 3 Technique For A Give Keep

The TB Is Aiming For The B Gap
You Can Run This With A Wing Also
Midline Option: The Falcon
Scheme
F C
C R W M
E T T E S

The QB Still Reads The 3 Technique For A Give Keep

The Wing Dropsteps And Gets Down The Line
The Z Blocks The Corner
Installation Of The Inside
Veer
Installation Of The Veer Option:
Why The Inside Veer?
• Attacks The Open Side Of The Defense
• Forces The Defense To Play Assignment Football
Away From The Tight End
• Downhill Blocking Schemes Create Movement
• Zone Combinations Allow For Easier Blitz Pickups
• Easy Read For The QB
• Complementary and Play Action Pass Cause
Conflict In Defenders
Inside Veer Installation
Rules
• Run To A 5 Technique
• Run Away From The TE
• FB Attacks Outside Hip Of The Guard
• QB Reads The Jersey Number Of The 5
Tech
• “If The 5 Squeezes, Pull and Replace”
• “If The 5 Comes Upfield Give and
Replace”
Inside Veer Option: The
Mesh
The QB Will Step At 45 and Get
Downhill into the hole
As he gets into the hole, the QB
will snap is eyes to the five
technique while reaching the ball
deep
The FB will run off the Outside hip
of the guard making a soft pocket
The FB Will Feel The QB, He Will
Not Snatch The Ball
Reading The 5 Tech: Veer Mesh Drill

• If The 5 Tech Comes

Upfield, The QB Gives E
• If The 5 Tech Squeezes,
The QB Will Pull The Ball
And Replace The 5 Tech
• If the QB Has The Ball At
His Front Leg, He Will Give
The Ball
• The FB Must Make A Soft
Pocket
IS Veer Option: 13 Veer
F
C W M S R C
E T T E

QB Reads The Five Tech For His Give/Keep Read

FB Aims For Outside Hip Of PSG
TB Dropsteps and Gets Into Relationship
Inside Veer: 13 Veer to a 3
Tech F
C W M R C
ET T E S

Deuce Combo on the 3 tech to Will

QB Still Reads 5 Tech
TB Dropsteps and Gets Into Relationship
Inside Veer: 13 Veer vs. 50 Eagle
Wk
F
C W M R C
E T T E S

Deuce Combo on the 3 tech to Will

QB Still Reads 5 Tech
TB Dropsteps and Gets Into Relationship
Inside Veer: 13 Veer vs. True
50 F
C W M R C
E T T E S

PST release to PSLB, the Will in this case

QB Still Reads 5 Tech
The QB pitches off the 9 technique
IS Veer Option: 13 QB Iso
F
C W M S R C
E T T E

This allows us to get the QB the ball following the FB.

We run this when we see a stemming Will who is
vacating the B gap. The QB rides the FB and follows
him up in the hole.
IS Veer Option: 13 Iso
Option
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

Iso Option is run from our Ace Slot set. We run QB Iso
with the TB in the slot becoming the pitch man. You
can motion from trips to run this complement to veer
option as well.
IS Veer Option: 32 Trap
Option
F
C W M S R C
E T T E

We run FB trap off veer action. We want to get the

Will and Mike fast flowing to stop veer, allowing us to
wall off the trap. The QB still reads the 5 technique
and will pull the ball if the 5 tech sqeezes.
IS Veer Option: 32 Trap
Option
F
C W M R C
E T T E S

This is FB Trap versus an odd front or a 5-2 front. We

combo the frontside one tech to the will. We would
make a long call since we are trapping a 5 technique.
Outside Veer: 14 Veer vs. True
50 R
F
C W M C
E T T E S

Outside veer is great versus a 50 front and a college

4-3. We read the 9 tech for our give read and pitch
off the next defender. The FB can hit the B or C gap.
Installation Of The Load, Lead,
and Speed Options
Installing the Load, Lead, and
Speed Options
• Allows you to get the ball on the perimeter
• Your athletes get the ball in space
• Forces defense to defend the alley and the
sidewalk
• Takes advantage when the defense reduces
their front to stop midline
• Allows you to attack both the 5 and 9
techniques
Load Option Rules
• Best run to a 1-5-9 technique on the tight
end side.
• Can be run to a 1-5 and 3-5 to the open side.
• Offensive line will slow rotate combos
tracking backside backers.
• Fullback reads the pitch key for his path to
block the alley player.
• The QB flash fakes and pauses to allow the
fullback to clear.
• The FB is responsible for the alley player.
Load Option Drill For The
FullbackF F
S S

This is the Load Drill for the FB. If the Pitch key
squeezes, the FB goes outside of him to the
alley player. If the Pitch key comes upfield, the
FB goes inside of him to the Alley Player. This
must be drilled on a daily basis.
Load Option: 18 Load Versus A
4-4
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

Load is great vs. a 4-4 as we get a combo on the 7

technique to the Mike LB. We base the 3, and pitch
off the 9 technique. The QB flash fakes and attacks
the Sam. The FB reads the Sam for his path as he has
the first opposite colored jersey past the pitch key.
Load Option: 18 Load Versus A Reduced
Front
F
C R W M C
E T T E S

This is best case scenario for load option as we get

two zone combinations on the front side of the play.
The QB pitches off the EMOL and the FB blocks the
alley player. We want to run load versus a 1-5-9 with
the invert weak.
Load Option: 19 Load Weak
F
C W M R C
ET T E S

Load Weak is great versus a reduced front and the

invert strong. This allows us to get zone combinations
rotating to the backside.
Speed Option: 19 Speed
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

QB Will Pitch Off The 5 tech, while the Offensive Line

veer blocks. This allows us to get the ball to the
perimeter from a four wide set. Speed is great to a 6
man box from an ace or spread look.
Setting Up Best Option, and Running
Your Option Game From Multiple
Formations
• Multiple Formations allows you to
create match-up advantages
• Allows you to have simple checks for
your quarterback
• Option On Me System Is Simple To
Teach
• Formations Allow You To Outflank Your
Opponents
Best Option vs. a 30 Stack
R W M S $
E T E

Versus a 30 Stack, we run veer from a twins look.

From a two back pro versus the above look, midline
and load to the tight end are very good plays to run.
Best Option vs. a 4-4 Stack
R W M S
E T T E

Versus a 4-4 Stack, you want to run load and lead to

the strong side. You can also run midline. Motioning
the Z receiver to a twins set breaks the triangle for
veer option. With no inverts, you want to get the
ball onto the perimeter.
Best Option vs. a 4-4
R W M S
E T T E

Versus a 4-4 front with a 3 and 7 strong, and a 1-5

weak, get excited because every option is on, with
midline being the best choice. You can use motion
to break the triangle.
Best Option vs. a 13 Front
W M R
E T T E S

Versus a 1-5-9 to the tight end, load is a great play

because of the two combination blocks on the play
side. The FB would block the invert.
Using TE Motion In the Option
Game
• Putting the TE in motion allows you to get an
extra blocker on the playside
• Allows you to dictate strength after pre-snap
alignment
• Forces the defense to adjust to motion
• Defense must take practice time to prepare,
taking time away from their option preparation
Using TE Motion For Midline
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

We flex the TE and put him in motion to the QB and to

the play. We end up in our Trey Jill scheme at the
snap. We will call 10-11 check in the huddle and run
the play to the 3 tech
Using TE Motion For Midline
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

In this case, the QB has a 3 tech to the right, so he

checks to 10 Midline. This is great when the defense
is adjusting their front, and allows us to put the TE in
motion.
Using TE Motion For Veer
F
C W M S R C
E T T E

QB Would Check To Veer To The 1-5 Technique Side.

In this case he would check to 13 veer. The TE
motions and tracks the PSLB to Free Safety with the
PST. This is similar to two track two for the midline
option.
Using TE Motion For Load
Option
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

The QB again looks for a 1-5 technique as this allows

us to get two playside zone combination blocks. In
the case above he would check to 18 load as that is
where we have the 1-5 technique.
Inside Veer Breaking The
Triangle
F
C R W M S C
E T T E

In the case above, the invert is to the playside, so we would want

to run our option game to the TE. To break the triangle, we can
motion the Z, or come out in a twins set, giving us a player to
account for the invert.
Inside Veer Breaking The
Triangle
F C
C R W M S
E T T E

As you can see, bringing the Z over into a twins

set helps us to get a blocker on the Rover, who is
lined up as a playside invert.
Play Action Pass With Your Option
Game
Midline Option: Play Action
R F
C W M S C
E T T E

The Play Action off the Midline is a great play! The

PSWR runs a post corner, the TE runs a seam, and the
backside WR runs a skinny post. The FB runs a slice,
and the TB runs a swing. The QB rides the FB and
drops 3 steps.
Midline Option: TE Quick
R F
C W M S C
E T T E

The TE Quick is great to take advantage of an

aggressive Mike LB. The QB rides the FB and hits the
TE behind the Mike. The TE is looking to throttle down
in the hole, not settle.
Veer Option: Play Action
F C
C R W M S
E T T E

Play action off the veer is best run with a twins look to
the playside. We run a post or curl wheel on the
frontside, with the FB in the flat and the TE on a drag
that can be converted to a post.
Load Option: Play Action
F C
C R S M W
E T T E

Play Action Off The load requires the QB to sell the

load with two downhill steps before he drops. The
PSWR runs a post corner, and the BSWR runs a post.
The FB runs a seam, and the TE runs a Z out.
Installation Of The Option
Game
BY: James Vint
Offensive Coordinator
Iowa Wesleyan College
jvint@iwc.edu