Anybody up for some play-by-play film analysis?

[Vol865]

Ill try to provide some insight to the zone read.

1.) Any play using a zone blocking scheme is designed to be a no loss play

2.) The blocking scheme implies you block an area instead of a man

Lineman take 45 degree step and block whoever appears in zone, driving people off the ball and toward sideline

If noone appears in zone, you help weakside blocker shortly, then reach and climb to LBs

Backkside end man on LOS is left unblocked because he is a read man and it frees up a blocker that can be better used

3.) The QBs job is to read the backside read man

If he stays home, QB hands ball off

If he crashes inside, QB keeps

4.) The RB has to be able to read blocks for it to work but he mainly has 1 read man, either the playside DT (4-3) or DE (3-4)

RBs rule: on a zone play, you read the blocks patiently, then you get 1 cut and you are full speed running right behind the butt of the guy creating a hole to run through, even if you made the wrong decision, you get 1 cut then upfield

On inside zone you.read the playside DT

If he crashes inside, the RB cuts right behind playside OT

If he gets pushed outside, the Rb either cuts right behind playside OG or hits a cutback lane on the backside of the play

On outside zone the RB reads playside DE(4-3) or OLB (3-4)

Same rule applies only hes either running in tackle box or on perimeter

WR blocking is also the difference between a 5 yard gain and a 60 yd TD

 

[StoVol]

Freak, fishduck.com has some excellent video tutorials explaining the inside and outside zone reads and a lot more. It's a good resource for those who progress from just watching football, to getting inside the coaches minds and what they're trying to accomplish with their different philosophies

 

[Freak]

Ill try to provide some insight to the zone read.

1.) Any play using a zone blocking scheme is designed to be a no loss play

2.) The blocking scheme implies you block an area instead of a man

Lineman take 45 degree step and block whoever appears in zone, driving people off the ball and toward sideline

If noone appears in zone, you help weakside blocker shortly, then reach and climb to LBs

Backkside end man on LOS is left unblocked because he is a read man and it frees up a blocker that can be better used

3.) The QBs job is to read the backside read man

If he stays home, QB hands ball off

If he crashes inside, QB keeps

4.) The RB has to be able to read blocks for it to work but he mainly has 1 read man, either the playside DT (4-3) or DE (3-4)

RBs rule: on a zone play, you read the blocks patiently, then you get 1 cut and you are full speed running right behind the butt of the guy creating a hole to run through, even if you made the wrong decision, you get 1 cut then upfield

On inside zone you.read the playside DT

If he crashes inside, the RB cuts right behind playside OT

If he gets pushed outside, the Rb either cuts right behind playside OG or hits a cutback lane on the backside of the play

On outside zone the RB reads playside DE(4-3) or OLB (3-4)

Same rule applies only hes either running in tackle box or on perimeter

WR blocking is also the difference between a 5 yard gain and a 60 yd TD

Good post. Any clues on differentiating inside zone vs outside zone?

 

[Freak]

Freak, fishduck.com has some excellent video tutorials explaining the inside and outside zone reads and a lot more. It's a good resource for those who progress from just watching football, to getting inside the coaches minds and what they're trying to accomplish with their different philosophies

I found fishduck and it sees like a great resource. A lot of it does seem specific to Oregon though.

 

[Rifleman]

One wrinkle I noticed against Austin Peay:

In a traditional zone read the QB should always run if the player he is reading goes with the RB, hand off is that player makes a play on the QB. Basic.

But there is actually a third read. Some teams will have an DE or LB mirror the QB but not jump into the backfield. This is intended to force the hand off to the running back while keeping a safety valve on the QB run. Therefore, you know the play the offense is executing and can stop it.

It seemed that Peay was using a predictable scheme against zone read and we began to recognize that. At some point, we were no longer running pure zone read. It looked like zone read, but we busted out of the basic decision matrix and ran whatever the pre-called play was.

Against Peay, we could probably diagram the play first on the jumbotron and still get 5 yards, but down the line this sort of in-game chess will be important.

 

[rjd970]

I suspect some of the ZR plays were actually designed runs or QB keeps. Some of the "misreads" were way too obvious to miss.

 

[StoVol]

I found fishduck and it sees like a great resource. A lot of it does seem specific to Oregon though.

Yeah, I like that actual game film is used to study the concepts tho, rather than X's and O's on a whiteboard. Would love to see a breakdown of Aults pistol or Holgersons diamond using the same type of analysis.

 

[Freak]

Yeah, I like that actual game film is used to study the concepts tho, rather than X's and O's on a whiteboard. Would love to see a breakdown of Aults pistol or Holgersons diamond using the same type of analysis.

His videos are top-notch, without question.

 

[StoVol]

Good post. Any clues on differentiating inside zone vs outside zone?

Most of the time, outsidezone can be read by looking at the offensive line and the way the running back is lined up. If the entire ol steps either left or right at the snap, it's usually outside zone. If they all move forward, it's generally inside zone.

 

[Freak]

I suspect some of the ZR plays were actually designed runs or QB keeps. Some of the "misreads" were way too obvious to miss.

Agree. Most of the time I don't think the quarterback had any intention of keeping, regardless of the read.

 

[Freak]

Most of the time, outsidezone can be read by looking at the offensive line and the way the running back is lined up. If the entire ol steps either left or right at the snap, it's usually outside zone. If they all move forward, it's generally inside zone.

On Satuday, I couldn't tell that the running back alignments were any different. They were offset most of the time, and when they weren't, those plays tended to be passes.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Great articcle freak. Thanks for the hard work.

 

[marmoteer]

Formation: Shotgun Twin TE Weak
Play: IZR PA Pass
Play: Worley, J. pass complete to Downs, B. for 3 yards to the APSU0, TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:53.
Analysis: Playaction. Nice execution. Nice call. Wide open.

They set this one up nicely. This was play-action off of the IZR where playside TE blocks backside DE.

Great work with the analysis!

 

[marmoteer]

Does anybody know if we can/will pull the linemen very much? I don't think we saw it at all against AP.

 

[Doyle Hargraves]

Too much seriousness up in here.
Grab a beer and start b*tching about uniforms and stickers. You know, stuff that matters.

 

[Orange And Garnet]

i do not like how on play 3 worley stares at his receiver, but by the way richardson stepped by 3 steps into the pocket i think it was intended to be a quick out, and the route was not ran very well.

I'm pretty sure it is a quick out. I think there were double 5 yard stops on the other side in case they went cover 3. It is more than likely a pre snap read based on coverage. Worley turns his eyes directly to the corner making sure he turns his back with outside receiver then hits the out. If out is ram correctly no way a lb can cut in front of it. It has been a few days since I seen the play but I'm pretty sure that was the case. I remember thinking about it while looking at the video.

 

[ChaoticUT]

One wrinkle I noticed against Austin Peay:

In a traditional zone read the QB should always run if the player he is reading goes with the RB, hand off is that player makes a play on the QB. Basic.

But there is actually a third read. Some teams will have an DE or LB mirror the QB but not jump into the backfield. This is intended to force the hand off to the running back while keeping a safety valve on the QB run. Therefore, you know the play the offense is executing and can stop it.

It seemed that Peay was using a predictable scheme against zone read and we began to recognize that. At some point, we were no longer running pure zone read. It looked like zone read, but we busted out of the basic decision matrix and ran whatever the pre-called play was.

Against Peay, we could probably diagram the play first on the jumbotron and still get 5 yards, but down the line this sort of in-game chess will be important.

Good post. Its called scraping the exchange. Here's a good diagram.

The counter to scrape is just your normal outside zone run. Leave the DE unblocked and just out run him. That is exactly what happened on Neal's long run!

 

[bmaultbay]

Explains the Freak handle...

This should have a lot more likes.

 

[Il Principo]

Does anybody know if we can/will pull the linemen very much? I don't think we saw it at all against AP.

I wouldn't expect to see much of that, if any. Maybe at times in short yardage situations when we just want to run power rather than our standard zone plays.

 

[Vol865]

On Satuday, I couldn't tell that the running back alignments were any different. They were offset most of the time, and when they weren't, those plays tended to be passes.

If they are offset its most likely inside.....hard to tell a difference inside vs outside because on both plays lineman,take a lateral first step.

Only thing that really changes is the RBs read and moves him over a gap

Btw....if a lineman pulls, it isnt a zone play

 

[volinSmyrna]

Good post. Any clues on differentiating inside zone vs outside zone?

Basically the main difference is the path/landmark of the back. Inside or outside leg of the Guard (depending on coaching preference) for inside and usually outside leg of Tackle for outside zone.

As another poster said, the read is different for the back as well.

In inside and outside zone runs there is what I have been taught, an out/up/back cut. The rb makes his read and either presses the hole outside at a 45 degree angle, sticks foot in ground and blasts upfield (see Lane's 1st td), and a cut back lane if the defense overflows the blockers and they have them sealed.

As for the QB reads, it's hard to tell what plays are zone read vs. called zone runs. We definitely did both. Most of the time you are reading the end man on line of scrimmage, but a time or two I noticed we had a dual read. When we had twins, the slot would run a bubble instead of attacking the Safety to block him. The DE crashed and we still gave the ball which on the surface looks like a bad read, but if you look where Worley is looking - it is at that safety. The safety stayed put so it was the correct read. One thing to watch in the future is Worely raising up and throwing the bubble if the Safety doesn't honor the route.

 

[Sudden Impact]

This is awesome thanks for posting

 

[tatud4life]

This is awesome thanks for posting

Your avatar is awesome! I would like to do a little zone reading myself.

I played football in school, but wasn't very good. Size and athletic ability were my hold ups. I didn't really learn the concepts back then, but, with quality posts like this, I'm beginning to catch pretty quick. Thanks Freak!!! :rock:

 

[Freak]

Good post. Its called scraping the exchange. Here's a good diagram.

The counter to scrape is just your normal outside zone run. Leave the DE unblocked and just out run him. That is exactly what happened on Neal's long run!

Yeah, in that diagram the backside end is blocked. I assume in most cases he's left unblocked, creating the man advantage on the play side.

If they are offset its most likely inside.....hard to tell a difference inside vs outside because on both plays lineman,take a lateral first step.

Only thing that really changes is the RBs read and moves him over a gap

Btw....if a lineman pulls, it isnt a zone play

I'm pretty sure about 90%+ of the plays were run with the back in an offset position. I'm not sure if that means they were all inside zone reads or if we are running the outside zone read out of the same alignment. That one of the issues I struggled with.

Basically the main difference is the path/landmark of the back. Inside or outside leg of the Guard (depending on coaching preference) for inside and usually outside leg of Tackle for outside zone.

As another poster said, the read is different for the back as well.

In inside and outside zone runs there is what I have been taught, an out/up/back cut. The rb makes his read and either presses the hole outside at a 45 degree angle, sticks foot in ground and blasts upfield (see Lane's 1st td), and a cut back lane if the defense overflows the blockers and they have them sealed.

As for the QB reads, it's hard to tell what plays are zone read vs. called zone runs. We definitely did both. Most of the time you are reading the end man on line of scrimmage, but a time or two I noticed we had a dual read. When we had twins, the slot would run a bubble instead of attacking the Safety to block him. The DE crashed and we still gave the ball which on the surface looks like a bad read, but if you look where Worley is looking - it is at that safety. The safety stayed put so it was the correct read. One thing to watch in the future is Worely raising up and throwing the bubble if the Safety doesn't honor the route.

From my perspective, I'm just trying to determine the play call. And for my purposes everything that looks like a zone read will be labeled as such even though it may have actually been called as a handoff or keeper specifically, but we have no way of knowing.

 

[Freak]

On another note, I think next time I will differentiate the zone read play where the tight end comes across to block the backside end. Anyone know what that play is called? I think I've seen it labeled "Y Lead Read Option". Any thoughts?