Another Zone Option Breakthrough–The Zone Option Keep

December 15, 2013

I’m not a fan of constraining the constraint concepts at the high school level.

However, both Army and Navy ran this concept today… and it’s worth a look.

This is the Zone Option Keep.

The Zone Option Keep is utilized when #2 is responsible for the Quarterback on the option.

What occurs is that the Backside A-back, who is running the pitch, blocks #2.

Here’s how it looks.

ZONE OPTION KEEP V. 4-4 (SPLIT)
Here, the Playside Tackle makes a switch call because there is a 5-technique.
The Playside A-back will block down on the 5, the Playside Tackle veers inside and tracks the Mike to the safety.
The B-Back loads #3.
The Backside A-back leaves a few steps before the snap of the ball, runs the pitch route, and then blocks through the playside shoulder of #2.
The Quarterback takes his Zone Option steps, turns up outside of the Backside A-Back’s block and scores.
This is to be utilized if #2 is taking the Quarterback on Option.

On today’s Army-Navy broadcast, Gary Danielson referred to this as a “Load” Option today.  In theory, #2 is “loaded”; however, the true Triple Option coaches know that the modern-day “Load” refers to tracking the Mike to #3 on Triple Option.  In the Option football world, the term, “Load” is interchangeably utilized.

Zone Option Keep is the constraint to the constraint when #2 is tackling the Quarterback on Option concepts. –Lou

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