My favorite play in football is the power and power read, but one play that I have hung my hat as a staple of any offense I have ever ran. What I love so much is Arkansas now uses it is the variations of the inside zone. I think the inside zone is such a versatile play that you can make it look like so many plays yet your oline only has to learn one blocking scheme. Which as we seen yesterday helps minimize the assignment busts that we have became so use to over the past couple years. Now with that being said I realize that we didn't get a good push at the point of attack, but the good thing about the inside zone is once the backs get their timing down with the oline in game situations, you don't always have to be dominate to be able to run the ball effectively. I think our ability to run the ball will improve as the year goes on but I don't ever think we will be pushing the SEC DL's back. This staff's recruiting hasn't given me a reason to believe that someday we will get a very good Oline, but until then lets take a look at how we can be effective we can still be with our run game once we get a few things fixed.
Here are the rules of the Inside Zone:
Backs: their rule is bounce (get outside) Blast (Get North quickly) Bend (find the cut back)
Line: by way of https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/5/31/3051670/run-blocking-iii-combo-zone-blocking (Just was easier than me trying to type it all) It took me several hours to find the stuff to help make this as easy to understand for everyone..
The IZ is both a playcall and a block rule, but zone rules are the primary run blocking rules for our inside game. The blockers here are termed frontside and backside by most and it involves blocking a general "area" instead of a person. Technically the simple zone rules adapt to every single thing the defense can do, so long as you can account for everyone schematically, but in practice I think the zone is a difficult thing to master and must be drilled constantly against every possible front the linemen can see.
The frontside blocker is the playside lineman, depending on where the play is designed to hit. Almost all of Coach Morris' plays are A-gap zones but the plays can be altered depending on the talents of the offensive linemen. If your Center and Guard on one side are better, you would hit their common A. If the Center is young but the G-T are good, then the aim point for the RB can be shifted to the B, etc.
Split Flow zone:
Now this look is the complimentary play to the standard zone read. Everyone steps the same direction with their zone rules and doubles the point of attack and climbs but often you leave the 5 technique (DE on the outside shoulder of the Tackle) and he gets up field and the back uses the cut back. According to alignment of the back a good play-caller can make it look like a counter cut back or a true zone cut as he gets across formation. The flow of the line and linebackers can get them out of position and the linemen can get them hooked on the climb to the second level. That 5 technique if he is a hard rusher can get logged inside (jammed inside) and the back can bounce, he the end gets up field then the H back can kick out and the back can blast up through. If you get an odd front look then a linebacker getting outside leverage the back can cut. They mix this in with RPO's, Gap schemes (Powers and counters) then it helps gain leverage, and the OL doesn't have to change their blocking scheme.
A level read zone:
Unlike the Split flow this is often ran without a H back or what they call Stack or Slant. Its often done out of 10 personnel 2X2 or 3X1 formations. (our current Roster not one but Hyatt would be using this on a consistent basis. Ty Storey scored on a qb run that was a called play from the sideline. #44 Austin Cantrell gets outside leverage on the 50 technique (or a wide Sam Linebacker) after he washes down (or jams in the 5 technique on the end) and he was playside as well which means they were running the other zone I am about to talk about the Lock zone or 3 to one side. Basically ISO football
Lock zone:
There is two ways they can use this and its a playside zone that will be ran out of Stack or Slant. Gus calls it Twins.
As you see here If you have a 6 man box you can go to this look and its ran the exact same with the exception of if the play-side tackle gets a 5, 4, or 4i playside tackle takes him man on man and they zone from the everything else to playside. The main difference is when the Fullback (H back) gets down hill and gets an iso block on the Mike.
The other version of the 3 man iso block is the Tackle zones down to the mike and the Fullback kicks the 5 technique out wide. You wouldn't run this verses a 4 or 4i because of the angle you would have the Fullback get to the next level and the tackle takes the end.
B and C level Read:
This is where the RPO comes in to the zone game. Examining the same exact play that I showed you for the iso.
As you see the Sam who is highlighted is a B level read and he is called and APEX defender (or conflict) He is lined up over the Y or in our offense is called a 5 (possibly a 2 depending on alignment and assignment) The 5 releases on a bubble giving them a 2 on 1 read if the B level Apex defender comes inside the run box and becomes what is called a run fitter. Then the Q pulls the ball and throws a quick ball out in the flat where we immediately have a 2-1 situation ( this is a pre-snap read) If they Roll down the F to take that away if they are sending another rusher then by good defensive structure the $ has to slide over to the middle of the field. When he does this according to the defensive alignment it becomes a post snap read and then the x (or the 9 in our offense) then breaks off a curl against off coverage (which we did to Jordan Jones twice yesterday, Chase Harrell once and Pettaway once) or if they are tight then its a fade up the side or a bang post if the safety drops down to the box to run fit. Its all dependent on the Pre-snap to the qbs back or the post snap read to the qbs line of site.
C level read
This would be a safety rolling down according and becoming a run fitter which means that they are probably in a 1 high man free or a zero in all man and if the Safety bites, The can be a read where you hit a homerun but as you see in the diagram below this likely means that the ball has to come out quickly.
Probably in this alignment the RPO is is a snag and flag concept to attack the roll down safety. With a Safety over the top of the apex he is taking away #2 as the conflict defender is likely coming on a pressure. So when you get that look you flood the Palms look and give a trips look.
When you go trips it pulls over the Drop down Safety back because he has to control #3 so as soon as #3 pushes vertical the has to take him so it opens up the Mike read and you force a B level read because if there is no third level commitment then the $ has to roll over 1 high and then you can go to the 9 receiver to the backside 1 on 1.
Anyways, I hope this information has helped and I have explained it to where you can get it. Watch for it against Colorado State next week and see if you can see what they are seeing and how they are manipulating them with formation and a ton a variations of the inside zone and the Oline doesn't have to learn anything different.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!!
Here are the rules of the Inside Zone:
Backs: their rule is bounce (get outside) Blast (Get North quickly) Bend (find the cut back)
Line: by way of https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/5/31/3051670/run-blocking-iii-combo-zone-blocking (Just was easier than me trying to type it all) It took me several hours to find the stuff to help make this as easy to understand for everyone..
The IZ is both a playcall and a block rule, but zone rules are the primary run blocking rules for our inside game. The blockers here are termed frontside and backside by most and it involves blocking a general "area" instead of a person. Technically the simple zone rules adapt to every single thing the defense can do, so long as you can account for everyone schematically, but in practice I think the zone is a difficult thing to master and must be drilled constantly against every possible front the linemen can see.
The frontside blocker is the playside lineman, depending on where the play is designed to hit. Almost all of Coach Morris' plays are A-gap zones but the plays can be altered depending on the talents of the offensive linemen. If your Center and Guard on one side are better, you would hit their common A. If the Center is young but the G-T are good, then the aim point for the RB can be shifted to the B, etc.
Split Flow zone:
Now this look is the complimentary play to the standard zone read. Everyone steps the same direction with their zone rules and doubles the point of attack and climbs but often you leave the 5 technique (DE on the outside shoulder of the Tackle) and he gets up field and the back uses the cut back. According to alignment of the back a good play-caller can make it look like a counter cut back or a true zone cut as he gets across formation. The flow of the line and linebackers can get them out of position and the linemen can get them hooked on the climb to the second level. That 5 technique if he is a hard rusher can get logged inside (jammed inside) and the back can bounce, he the end gets up field then the H back can kick out and the back can blast up through. If you get an odd front look then a linebacker getting outside leverage the back can cut. They mix this in with RPO's, Gap schemes (Powers and counters) then it helps gain leverage, and the OL doesn't have to change their blocking scheme.
A level read zone:
Unlike the Split flow this is often ran without a H back or what they call Stack or Slant. Its often done out of 10 personnel 2X2 or 3X1 formations. (our current Roster not one but Hyatt would be using this on a consistent basis. Ty Storey scored on a qb run that was a called play from the sideline. #44 Austin Cantrell gets outside leverage on the 50 technique (or a wide Sam Linebacker) after he washes down (or jams in the 5 technique on the end) and he was playside as well which means they were running the other zone I am about to talk about the Lock zone or 3 to one side. Basically ISO football
Lock zone:
There is two ways they can use this and its a playside zone that will be ran out of Stack or Slant. Gus calls it Twins.
As you see here If you have a 6 man box you can go to this look and its ran the exact same with the exception of if the play-side tackle gets a 5, 4, or 4i playside tackle takes him man on man and they zone from the everything else to playside. The main difference is when the Fullback (H back) gets down hill and gets an iso block on the Mike.
The other version of the 3 man iso block is the Tackle zones down to the mike and the Fullback kicks the 5 technique out wide. You wouldn't run this verses a 4 or 4i because of the angle you would have the Fullback get to the next level and the tackle takes the end.
B and C level Read:
This is where the RPO comes in to the zone game. Examining the same exact play that I showed you for the iso.
As you see the Sam who is highlighted is a B level read and he is called and APEX defender (or conflict) He is lined up over the Y or in our offense is called a 5 (possibly a 2 depending on alignment and assignment) The 5 releases on a bubble giving them a 2 on 1 read if the B level Apex defender comes inside the run box and becomes what is called a run fitter. Then the Q pulls the ball and throws a quick ball out in the flat where we immediately have a 2-1 situation ( this is a pre-snap read) If they Roll down the F to take that away if they are sending another rusher then by good defensive structure the $ has to slide over to the middle of the field. When he does this according to the defensive alignment it becomes a post snap read and then the x (or the 9 in our offense) then breaks off a curl against off coverage (which we did to Jordan Jones twice yesterday, Chase Harrell once and Pettaway once) or if they are tight then its a fade up the side or a bang post if the safety drops down to the box to run fit. Its all dependent on the Pre-snap to the qbs back or the post snap read to the qbs line of site.
C level read
This would be a safety rolling down according and becoming a run fitter which means that they are probably in a 1 high man free or a zero in all man and if the Safety bites, The can be a read where you hit a homerun but as you see in the diagram below this likely means that the ball has to come out quickly.
Probably in this alignment the RPO is is a snag and flag concept to attack the roll down safety. With a Safety over the top of the apex he is taking away #2 as the conflict defender is likely coming on a pressure. So when you get that look you flood the Palms look and give a trips look.
When you go trips it pulls over the Drop down Safety back because he has to control #3 so as soon as #3 pushes vertical the has to take him so it opens up the Mike read and you force a B level read because if there is no third level commitment then the $ has to roll over 1 high and then you can go to the 9 receiver to the backside 1 on 1.
Anyways, I hope this information has helped and I have explained it to where you can get it. Watch for it against Colorado State next week and see if you can see what they are seeing and how they are manipulating them with formation and a ton a variations of the inside zone and the Oline doesn't have to learn anything different.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!!
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