Tips for having a consistent running game

[kingoftroy7]

Does anyone have any tips for having a consistent pounding, power run game? The team I mostly run with is USC if that helps.

[BadAssHskr]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingoftroy7

Does anyone have any tips for having a consistent pounding, power run game? The team I mostly run with is USC if that helps.

what seems to be your issues? i'd say the consensus around here is that running the ball is to easy without some slider adjustments.

[pb897]

Try running more out of ace with pulling guards

[friscob]

Insert disc in game...... that is all.

But seriously if you're having problems running the ball some easy run plays to gain yards are stretch runs out of the I form. Use an I form twin WR formation and run the stretch to the TE side. Motioning the FB helps out a lot also so he can go pick up somebody on the next level instead of getting stuck at the line of scrimmage.

Other money plays are dive runs out of the shotgun and triple/read option out of almost any formation. I usually love counters but haven't had any success with them in this game b/c of the playside blocking technique.

[Hokie200proof]

Double post... see below.

[MaxVPower]

patience....

[Hokie200proof]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingoftroy7

Does anyone have any tips for having a consistent pounding, power run game? The team I mostly run with is USC if that helps.

Are we talking offline?

If so, use motion and unbalance your OL as much as you can and read what the defense gives you. I'll explain...

I usually use a lot of I-formation runs as I want a lead blocker. I've had success with one-back sets, but that's when I'm using the pass to set up draws and reads, fun & gun, spread option offenses. If you're talking about a more traditional, "pounding" run attack, you need a fullback to lead the way (or lead the defense away from the play in misdirection).

What do I mean by motion and unbalanced OL? One example, I use I-Form twins (two WRs on the same side) quite a bit. In I-form Twins, you've got two WRs out wide and a TE on the end of the opposite side of the OL. Let's say it's I-form right (WRs wide right), so that gives you three run blockers on the left (from the end of the line TE, LT, LG) and two out right (RG, RT). I usually set the weakside (non-TE side) to the wide-side of the field to give myself more room to get outside if need be (so I-form Twins wide right if the ball is on the left hashmark).

Now you need to read what the D is giving you. First we'll review some DL/LB/front-7 reads...

If they're in a 4-3, they're probably going to have DL on you TE, LG, RG and RT and LBs in between. If they're in a 3-4, they might have the same line coverage, but with an OLB on your TE instead of a DE, or OLBs on both of your OL ends. Generally speaking, 4-3’s are easier to flank (get outside) and 3-4’s are weaker versus inside runs. Generally speaking.

The first thing you should notice are the outside DLs/LBs and how they’re lined -up on your ends (your TE and your RT in our I-Form Twins example). Are they straight-up? Are they shading inside or outside? If you've running outside, either a stretch or a pitch play, and their DE or OLB is outside your widest run blocker, you're probably going to have a short gain at the most. This defender has a chance to slip by your TE/RT and meet your FB in your backfield, which will hurt the pla, and probably make you adjust your running lane. You want your first cut to be up field, so having to change direction in your backfield should be avoided. Either way, with a defender flanking your line, cutting off the sideline, you're probably going to have to cut inside, and for a sweep or a pitch, you're asking for a loss of yards. Conversely, if they're shading outside and you have a dive, blast, off-tackle or counter called, you're probably in pretty good shape. Let your TE or RT take that defender to the outside, where they already are, and cut up the middle. Your FB should lead you through the line and meet the secondary defender.

Let’s say they’re straight up and their front-7 is accounted for (meaning, you can see all of your blockers – TE, LT, LG, C, RG, RT & FB – and who they’re supposed to block) and they’re lined up straight. It’s time to bring in the secondary and motion. Generally speaking, your WRs are your worst blockers, while DBs are fast and can make tackles (or at least slow a run until help arrives). WRs are key to big run plays. Given these two elements, I like to remove them from the equation as much as possible. Let’s use our I-Form Twins set-up again. Where are their DBs, specifically their CBs? Are they both on the same side as your WRs? If so, they defense is in man coverage. That’s good if you’re running to the opposite side (your TE side) as they’ll be as far from the play as possible. If you’re running to the WR side, this is probably not ideal, as you’ve got two weak blockers and two tacklers on the play side. Send your backset (set off the line) WR in motion to the opposite side. The CB will follow him and essentially take himself out of the play. Now you still have the other CB there, but unless you’re running a sweep, he’s probably not going to make a tackle until you’ve cleared the DL and made a good gain. Let’s say the CB’s are on opposite sides of the field. The defense is in zone, and generally worse for a run play. Not a deal-breaker, but in man-to-man the CB is almost looking to get blocked being lined-up with his WR assignment. In zone, the CB’s first move is going to be back to cover his zone and can then run around his WR blocker. Back to our example though, we’re in I-form Twins right and the CB is hanging around our TE on the left side of our line, right where we’ve called a hypothetical sweep. Problem. Let’s send a WR over his way to give him a blocker. Go in motion and the DB will probably drop back or move wide to account for this new receiver lining up in his zone. It’s not ideal, as your WR might not get a good block, but you’re putting pads on a guy who was unaccounted for before going in motion.

Now let’s use those reads to decide what play we’re going to run. I call a play, and I like to mix it up a lot, and break the huddle and see what the defense is giving me. Let’s say I’ve got a dive play called to the TE side, but they’ve got the LB’s shaded that side. I’ll probably hot-route the run the weakside (WR side) and run it. Let’s say they’re looking thick on the left and the FS is playing close to the line, almost like an extra LB on the right. I might audible out of the play to something else. I generally have two or three audibles in the I-Form Twins that I can switch to in reaction to the defensive front I’m seeing. if they look weak outside or weak up the middle, I hot-route or audible to take advantage. Let’s say they look like they’re going to blitz. Their safeties are creeping up, or a LB is moving towards the line or the play-side. If they look like they’re blitzing to the play side, hot-route or audible out of it. If they’re creeping into the non-play side, you’ve got a potential big gainer. If they’re looking like they’re going all out, go with an audible to a non-PA pass (as a play-action pass will take too long and probably get you sacked).

It’s all about getting more blockers in front of them on the play-side. You can do this will any formation, so play with it and see what works for you. I will sometimes send my FB in motion to get outside of his defender (especially if I’m running outside) and try to give him every advantage I can. One way to do this is by running counters or misdirection. When you run a counter you’re trying to get the defense to over-pursue and cut back to the vacated area. You’re usually pulling guards (or a OG and OT) from the opposite side and adding them as blockers to the play-side. This unbalances the match-ups in your favor. These plays require timing and the best defenders are fast enough to blow them up in the backfield, so they take practice to master.

Something else to mention… there’s generally two ways to get by a run defense. Going around them (with sweeps, stretches and pitches) or going through them (with dives, blasts and off-tackle). Use both kinds of plays, but I like to go up the middle a lot. The shortest distance to the endzone is straight ahead. If your FB picks up the LB, you’re at a 10-yard gain before the secondary can lay a glove on you, and the RB vs. DB matchup is one you can win a lot. When you stretch to the outside, you give the best/fastest defenses a chance to recover and catch you. When you hit them quick up the middle, they’ve got no time to recover… they either make the play, or they give up a gainer.

Your running style is key as well. You shouldn’t always be trying to run straight ahead, nor should you be moving too much east/west. You need to hit holes, see lanes and follow your blocks. Speed runners are best around the edges, but the all-time best backs have had vision to see the hole and hit. When the ball is snapped, your play is out the window and it’s probably never going to look exactly like you drew up (if it does, TD baby). You need to react to what you’re seeing and have the patience to follow the play as it develops. If it looks like your dive is busted and you want to run outside, know that your team isn’t blocking that way. You’re probably going to run into a defender who is unaccounted for and you’ll absorb a loss regardless. Most times what looks like a blown-up play will still be a two or three yard gain, which is part of any running game. These aren’t throw-away runs. They’re getting you closer to the next set of downs and setting up your next run or your PA pass over the top.

After typing all of this out, I realize it would be easier to use diagrams or do a video. Feel free to ask me questions if anything I wrote above doesn’t make sense.

[Hokie200proof]

I tried to edit my post and I double-posted... wth?