His version of the West Coast offense relies on a highly athletic quarterback with an elite arm, as well as skilled receivers who thrive on making plays after the catch. It's all about the feet The best way to define the West Coast offense may be to start with what it isn't. The traditional passing game, which NFL teams ran for years, is based on deep drops . The goal of this offense is to use the quarterbacks dropbacks to establish the timing for plays, while receivers run horizontal routes across the field. The idea of the Snag passing concept is to horizontal stretch the defense by creating three on two isolation. If the defender covers the hitch, the deep in route will be open. The two outside receivers next him both run short in routes. What Is the West Coast Offense in Football? A Complete Guide Feel free to use this page as quick reference if you are confused about these type pass combos, pass concept, and pass routes are designed for. With a passing attack based on short throws, there is a smaller chance of homerun-type plays. Slow means a back or tight-end releases only if their assigned linebacker (or linebackers) does not blitz. Backs free release and both TEs block the OLB/OLB-area to their side. With all of this success, Reid has passed his knowledge to his assistants who have gone on to be successful NFL coaches in their own right. Usually, they work inside-out, blocking the inner-most defender first. Remember pocket and slide protection that was mentioned above. Buffalo Bills' QB Tyrod Taylor should thrive in West Coast Offense They release if the ILB does not blitz. What Kevin O'Connell's offense might look like if he were the Redskins In terms of tactics, you would run the ball until the other teams defense got too strong against the run, or the defensive backs got too close to the line, then you would throw the ball deep, over their heads. Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy's roots are in the West Coast Offense, which he's now bringing to The Star - with Dak Prescott and "2.5 seconds'' a centerpiece determinant for how well it'll . Since the 1980s, football teams have used the West Coast Offense to win championships. The weak-side back has OLB, and the strong-side back has ILB/extra/garbage. This is to get the defense to bite, or jump forward, leaving space open behind them for receivers to run. Recently with Patrick Mahomes, arguably the best quarterback in the league, he has moved into more shotgun formations allowing Mahomes more freedom with his decision-making. The quarterback looks to throw to the receiver once he makes his break towards the side line. Initially, the Spread looked to be a variation of the West Coast offense, but its a unique offensive system. This formation allows the offense to potentially have five pass catchers on the field and hopefully create a mismatch for the offense. Walshs offense consists of 3, and 5-step drops by the QB with routes that rely on the Tight Ends Running Backs, and Receivers. And When to Call Them, What Is a Tight End in Football? ESPN.com: NFL - All roads lead to Walsh sort of The route involves a MOFO or MOFC read by the quarterback. The idea behind this passing concept is to create either 3 on 2 or 4 on 3 against zone coverage, allowing for one of the receivers to be open deep down the field. Number five was Carson Wentz with 14.8% of his throws being of the deep variety. Play action means the offense will fake a run, then throw a pass. In the West Coast system, there are countless formations to run the offense out of. Using a numbering system and relying on mostly pocket and slide (half-slide) protections, Bill Walsh and his coaching staffs compiled a system that would allow them to flood the field with receivers from all sorts of different angles and personnel groupings, while also giving them multiple ways to protect the QB from the wide range of defensive schemes and blitzes. By BJ . Football 101: Understanding Basic NFL Offensive Concepts Has the outside receiver running a deep in route over the top of the inside receiver running short hitch. In 1983 BYU's Cougars led all NCAA Division I teams with 584 yards offense per game. Up to this point the teams running backs and tight ends were used in power runs to set up the vertical pass. Two Concepts in One: The Erhardt Perkins Playcalling Language Due to its quick horizontal passes, the defense cant crowd the line of scrimmage, leading to linebackers playing in coverage against the quicker wide receivers. Adjusting Y Cross Film Room: 95 or Y-Cross passing concept - State of The U The second number indicates the specific type of protection/modification within that series. Watching their highlights from with the 49ers almost certainly means you are watching the WCO. While thats a general overview of the West Coast offense, theres a lot more that goes into calling and running plays in the system. BYU Passing Game - Lavell Edwards.doc . The West Coast Offense is a philosophy that remains relevant at every level of competition. If the OLB does not blitz, the back releases. The terminology you will see in this article are being borrowed from this. Please, The West Coast Offense Walsh used primarily relies on numbers to call pass protections. that can be found on Google. These horizontal routes make it difficult to play man coverage and get defenders chasing. 2/3: A-gap (between center and guard), 4/5: B-gap (between guard and tackle), 6/7: C-gap (between tackle and TE), 8/9: Outside. The QB should see/feel the backs movement on this, telling them to quickly drop back and look to throw to the hot route, or get into the progression. . This makes it a quick pass, where the line and backs will block aggressively and hold the defense at the line of scrimmage. Curl-Flat Passing Concept for Attacking Cover 3 and Beyond Conversely if the cornerback sinks back on the receiver running the high read, then the low read receiver will be open. Coach Vigen explained what concepts fans should look for that are tell-tale elements of . The Mesh passing concept has two receivers running shallow crossing route but from opposite directions. If the cornerback (flat defender) sits on the receiver running the low read, then the receiver running the high read will be open. If the defender does not blitz, they release into a route to receive a pass. An offensive player is assigned two defenders to block. A good pass route to get the quarterback in rhythm. This style also limits the defense from stacking the line of scrimmage to stop the run as they are spread across the whole field. west coast offense orientation & terminology start from scratch when learning it. %PDF-1.2 % When there are two backs in the backfield, they essentially cross each other off the snap. In this playbook, there are two primary types of protection. One receiver runs a shorter dig, while other receiver runs a deeper dig. Norm Chow Concepts.doc. West Coast Offense - One of the concepts of the West Coast offense is to get five skill players involved in the passing game. The guard or uncovered lineman to the weak-side must now scat protect to that side, meaning they double read the ILB to OLB on the weak-side. If that defender does not blitz (no dog), they then look to block the outside defender. The Portland passing concept is similar to the Mills concept as the design is to provide an opportunity for the quarterback to look throw deep down the field to a receiver running a deep post if the safety comes up defend the dig route that is being run from the opposite side. Football's West Coast Offense - Google Books NFL 101: Introducing the Basic Route Combinations The following are three of the most basic plays to pair with a three-step drop back: The offense builds upon these three basic plays by adding layers of disguise through players in motion, quarterback rollouts, and play-action plays. The three-step and five-step drop back each had their own role in Walshs system. A Complete Overview, What Is a Blitz in Football? A West Coast staple passing concept is called Texas. means a back or tight-end releases only if their assigned linebacker (or linebackers) does not blitz. During Olson's tenure, BYU produced. More like you only need two or three at most. By them switching, it creates an opportunity for a big play deep down the field. In slide protection, you BOB to the call side, and slide to the other side, with the uncovered lineman on the slide side checking the Will LB first (because in slide, the sliding linemen are responsible for the Will LB), then look for the OLB to that side. Copyright 2023 vIQtory Sports, all rights reserved. For those that dont know MOFO simply means "middle of the field open," or no deep middle safety. The Flood concept does this by having three receiver running pass routes towards the same of the field. It worked; the Packers won Super . Bill Walsh helped changed the offensive playing field with his West Coast offensive system. The most basic formation is to have a quarterback in the backfield with a running back and full back split to either side of him. With both passing routes going in the same direction, it creates a high/low read for the quarterback. NEW System Evolutions. Swap: When there are two backs in the backfield, they essentially cross each other off the snap. West Coast 1983 San Diego Chargers OFF.pdf . These types of pass routes are very effective in man coverage is called. Hot: When a back or tight-end is assigned a hot responsibility, it means if their assigned defender blitzes, they bypass them and look for a quick pass from the QB. This makes it a quick pass, where the line and backs will block aggressively and hold the defense at the line of scrimmage. 0000004677 00000 n West Coast Offense Playbooks - FootballXOs.com - Free Football Playbooks Invented by Bill Walsh, the philosophy of the West Coast Offense is to emphasize a short, well-timed passing game to take advantage of defensive weakness. The West Coast Offense Walsh used primarily relies on numbers to call pass protections. Also a pocket and two-back protection series. This leads to the question. Every NFL team's offensive scheme, illustrated and explained - Washington Post From run-pass options to the West Coast offense: Breaking down all 32 offensive schemes in the NFL. Gruden had spent his 10 years out of coaching . Walsh ignored the critics and at the end of his career Walshs system started a new era in the NFL with the passing attack being the focus of offenses. From big throws downfield to power running the football, there are countless ways to run an offense in the NFL. If the defender covers the deep in route, the hitch route underneath will be open. Against zone coverage this creates a 2 on 1 situation. Walshs terminology talks in terms of halfbacks and fullbacks, but I am using weak and strong back so its more fluid across systems and more modern formations. From Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers juggernaut, to Brigham Young University's record-smashing Cougars, to the 1997 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, this passing attack is a proven winner. Even with countless formations, the West Coast offense will have several consistent elements: NFL offenses have taken these elements to create their own unique variation of the West Coast system. Pocket/Cup Protection, and 2. 88/89: Requires a TE on each side. No more boring Sundays, everyone can enjoy football! In American football, the West Coast offense is an offense that places a greater emphasis on passing than on running. Both can be a hot receiver. . Therefore that back attacks A-gap, and the second back attacks B-gap. Backs free release and both TEs block the OLB/OLB-area to their side. The Divide is a passing route that that has a receiver running towards the middle of the field. A Guide to How They Work, What Are Audibles in Football? Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest trends! Offensive schemes and tactics This is a discussion on Offensive schemes and tactics within the EA Sports College Football forums. Rip/Liz only applies to the weak-side (so 54 is TE to the right, meaning weak side is left, so Liz is ran. In the play-option pass, all these schools are seeing the marriage of pass and run in a way that's changing the game. 0000002590 00000 n When McCarthy called plays as Green Bay HC, he used the West Coast offense a system dependent upon short passing. For this article we show several common pass routes and route combos that you will find in real football and video game football. Inside Jon Gruden's modern West Coast offense coming alive with the 598 means they fake a 98 run and the line protects the gap to their backside (left), and 599 means they fake a 99 run and the line protects the gap to their backside (right). The West Coast offense was one of the most revolutionary offenses when it first hit the scene. The weak-back coming to the strong-side double-reads the ILB to strong OLB (Mike to Sam). 0000001428 00000 n We can drop the ball off to a back late and still make 4 to 5 yards. Part of the reason this works so well is due to the offenses willingness to throw on any down or distance. In your diagram, you show 3 Jet as being the play call to the left, but the tight end is to the right! Slide protection away from the call with a cross-action/misdirection backfield or run fake. If you were to compare this to warfare, think of the running game as your infantry, and the forward pass as planes, tanks and armor support. Power coast offense - Operation Sports Forums Common Pass Routes and Route Combos - Xs Os Football Offensive schemes and tactics - Page 18 - Operation Sports For this section, Im going outside the playbook a little bit, and drawing from some more modern nomenclature. The Ultimate Guide, Volleyball Scoring 101: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Score. This concept is effective against Cover 2 zone coverage, as well as Cover 3 and Cover 4 coverages. Debunking Jay Gruden's excuse for the Redskins passing on Kaepernick His very popular version of the offense averaged scoring a touchdown every ten plays and once scored 98 points in a single game. Default rules tell backs in protection if their defenders do not blitz (no dog), they release. Both backs flow weak, and check release. Updated on 02/21/19. If you call the protection to the right, that means the offensive linemen on that side will BOB protect. The Dagger is a two receiver route combo that has the outside receiver running a dig route, while the inside receiver next to him runs a streak down the seam. One of the most important elements in this system is the quarterback dropback. The idea is to anticipate a defensive blitz, get the quick fake to hesitate LBs and the secondary, then quickly get the ball out to the TE or 2nd back. A look at common medium pass routes, passing concepts, and route combos. 300 is an AGGRESSIVE slide protection (so slide protection with the O-line and backs attacking and holding their blocks at the line of scrimmage (LOS). When a back or tight-end is assigned a hot responsibility, it means if their assigned defender blitzes, they bypass them and look for a quick pass from the QB. 109. In addition to the innovation of avid dedication to precisely timed short routes, the West Coast Offense was one of the first systems to implement a complex strategy for protecting the QB, while also allowing the offense to use its tight-ends and running-backs in the passing game with almost an equal amount participation in the passing game as the wide receivers. Walsh ended up winning three Super Bowls utilizing the West Coast offense and was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1981 and the NFC Coach of the Year in 1984. We will feature a 'fully dimensional passing attack' First digit indicates whos carrying the ball, and the second number is the hole, or point of attack the ball carrier takes it to. The Levels concept has the receiver furthest inside running a dig route. AKA Fox 2/Fox 3 if you want to sound cool, is the same as H2/H3, but now the fullback or other back is faking and taking the A-gap, while the halfback/tailback goes B-gap. The West Coast Offense essentially provides a blue print for the modern game we know today. Joe Montana, Steve Young, andJerry Riceare all now in the Hall of Fame. West coast is primarily about syncing up the QBs footwork with the receivers routes. This site is owned and operated by Coaching Kidz. 29. by Mike Tanier. Walsh's original West Coast offense was built around Joe Montana's specific strengths and the players he had to work with. The Airraid guys tend to have the two guys cross and head in opposite directions. On either side of the field are two wide receivers along with a tight end lined up next to the offensive line. Doug Pederson, another West Coast. Scheme: The use of 10 . The Spot passing concept is design to attack zone coverage. If the defender does not blitz, they release into a route to receive a pass. They release, because that defender theyre assigned to is not a threat to sack the quarterback, so rather than wasting a blocker, they want those players to get involved as receivers incase the primary receivers on a play are not open. Slide Protection. Tackles identify and block the defensive ends. It has one receiver running a shallow crossing route from one direction, while another receiver runs a dig route from the opposite direction. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. The deep back/tailback is the weak back. In any 2-back formation, the back closest to the TE is the strong back. 2 means fake action to the right, and 3 means fake action to the left. The Drive concept has an outside receiver running a shallow cross, while the inside receiver next to him runs a a dig route. understanding the concepts behind our basic run and pass schemes is essential. Lastly, this means that The Catch came from this philosophy as well. The back to the strong-side scats and the strong guard/uncovered lineman scat protects. 55 is TE left, so we Rip). There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. The West Coast Offense, as developed by former San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, is a finesse offense that utilizes a short passing game designed to control the ball. Bill Walsh, who was the offensive coordinator at the time, had to step back and completely redesign the teams offense. The Ultimate Guide, What Is a Touchback in Football? What do all of those terms mean, and why is West Coast Offense said so often? In the Spread, the fullback is replaced by another receiver; the running back is also used to block more. The Shallow Cross passing concept that teams that like to run the Air Raid offense. Linemen in the slide protect the gaps to their back-side/weak-side (the left side in this example), and are also responsible for the Will linebacker. In todays NFL, you can find the West Coast Offenses influence within almost every team, and find legacies of the Bill Walsh coaching tree on almost every coaching staff. The West Coast Offense is a passing ball control offense. The West Coast offense was one of the most revolutionary offenses when it first hit the scene. Even in the West Coast offense run by some other guys the Ravens have interviewed, like Gary Kubiak, it's pretty specific what you need to make it work including a stout O-line because running backs are used primarily as pass catchers instead of extra blockers. The second way to stop the West Coast offense is for cornerbacks, or those guarding the receivers, to try and jump the route to intercept the ball. These plays are designed to get the ball thrown before the defense has time to respond; there are a few different variations within the five steps to further confuse the defense. Due to innovations in offenses, the WCO has also been implemented for shotgun-based offenses. Kaepernick has been running a West Coast offense for the entirety of his NFL career. Typically, there will be two backs in the backfield split to either side of the quarterback. Receivers, tight ends, and running backs will go in motion to try and draw a slower linebacker in coverage to create a mismatch. Defenses have found the best way to do so is by attacking the element that makes this offense elite the timing. If the OLB blitzes, the back then becomes the hot receiver, and replaces the OLBs position to get open. Its the same slide protection described earlier, and as I said before, Ill be doing a more in-depth article on this protection in the future, because its so popular and favored today. This allows the quarterback to understand the timing for each play and know where to look to pass. Unless a specific protection says otherwise, players not mentioned use the rules described above. 26/27: The back to the strong-side scats and the strong guard/uncovered lineman scat protects. The concept is good versus both man coverage and zone coverage. H2/H3: H stands for halfback (so think your primary running-back. Matt Canada Bringing West Coast To Pittsburgh, According To Dwayne One of the most popular styles has become the West Coast offense, a system that many NFL teams use today to various degrees. West Coast Offense Definition and Pass Protection Terminology BOB means big on big/back on backer. That means offensive linemen block the nearest defensive lineman, and any backs in the formation block linebackers (or linebacker-types) to that side.