Spread Offense Playbook

A Spread Option Offense is two things. It's using a Spread formation AND an Option offense. A Spread offense uses at least 4 wide receivers. Usually, there is also one running back in the backfield. The idea is to spread out the defense and make them defend the entire field to open up running lanes.

An Option offense gives the quarterback and offensive players multiple options to use to attack the defense so that the defense is always wrong.

What Is The Spread Option Offense

Combing the Spread and the Option makes for a deadly combination. Very few offensive coordinators have been able to take advantage of this combination as effectively as Urban Meyer. The idea is to get the ball to your playmakers and make sure the defense is always wrong.

The rest of this post is an excerpt from our book, Dominating Tackle Football. When you purchase the book, you get an entire offensive and defensive philosophy and system designed to annihilate the competition.

Speed Option

This is a simple quick option play that should be easy to run. The quarterback is basically running a quarterback sweep to the right with the running back trailing. If the end crashes inside, the quarterback keeps the ball and keeps going down field.

If the defensive end (highlighted) attacks the quarterback, he pitches it to the pitchback.

They need to continue downfield this way. The pitchback needs to be four yards over and four yards back.

If the safety eventually attacks the quarterback, he can pitch it to the pitchback. Always look first before pitching to make sure the pitchback is there.

Triple Dive Option

This is a complicated play to run, but when you can run it properly, it’s game over. The defense will always be wrong, and the offense will always be right. You can teach this is about a week with enough reps. Save this to surprise a tough opponent. You can probably beat most teams with the basic dives, blasts, wedge, sweep, stretch, and quarterback runs.

The quarterback can either handoff the dive to the first running back, or pull it and run outside, if he is going to get tackled, he flips it to the trailing running back.

The issue will be teaching the quarterback how to read the defensive end or the outside linebacker.

If the outside linebacker or defensive end bites in, then the dive is covered and the quarterback should pull it and run the option.

If the defensive end goes wide and cuts off the quarterback’s deeper option run, you must give it to the dive back.

If the quarterback keeps it and starts running downfield and the safety or someone else comes up to tackle him, he should flip it to the trailing back.

You can adjust this so that the quarterback doesn’t need to read the end. Run the dive no matter what on the first play, then the quarterback keeps it no matter what on the second play. Nine times out of ten, on the second play, the defensive end will crash inside giving the quarterback a clear option path to run. This is using one play to set up the next.

Have the quarterback and trailing back practice this in practice going up and down the field flipping it to each other. Teaching the quarterback to flip it to their dominant side should not take too long.

Cross Option

Run this play right after the cross. The defense will think you are running the same play again, but the quarterback will keep it and get serious yardage downfield.

The wide receiver should just run the cornerback downfield, or lock him up and block him downfield.

The offensive lineman still block to left to make it look exactly like the Cross.

The tight end on the right side needs to seal the defensive end or the outside linebacker depending on how they are lined up.

This will be blocked “Lion left” so that the right tight end contains the defensive end and prevents him from getting to the quarterback on the sweep.

You can also run these as a read option. The quarterback is looking at the right defensive end. If the end goes wide right, he gives it to the running back. If the end crashes inside and goes left, the quarterback keeps it and goes to the right on a Sweep.

QB Speed Option Pass

If the quarterback is a little more advanced and can throw the ball, you can run this play.

The quarterback runs the QB sweep play to the right but watches the corner on that side. He has both hands on the ball with his eyes downfield like he is going to pass.

If the cornerback comes up to make the tackle, he throws it over top to the wide receiver flying downfield.

If the cornerback turns around and chases the receiver, the quarterback can run up field with the ball. The defense is always wrong.

You want the right side of the offensive line to block in and the tight end on that side to clear out the defensive end or outside linebacker.

Sometimes we have the quarterback run downfield with both hands on the ball holding the ball up high by his shoulder to still look like he is going to make a pass.

When the safety or linebacker come up to make a tackle he can pump fake them away.

He can keep doing this almost all the way downfield. Defenders are not very smart, and they have no idea what all the rules are. Just try it.

Notice the wide receivers on the left side look like they are running a bubble screen again. This can be used right after the Bubble Screen and the quarterback can shout, “Same play, same play” once he is at the line of scrimmage. He should also motion his hands toward the wide receivers to remind the defense what the last play was. Give the defense time to recall the last play was a bubble screen to that side.

We have completed a ton of passes to wide open receivers using this. Almost any player can catch if they are that wide open.

We use this play to set up the next play.

There are hundreds of other similar option plays and playbooks in our Dominating Youth Tackle Football Coaching Book!