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The Passing Game in the Pistol Spread Option
- Item #
- WN-08274
- Format
- Buy Now Watch Now + instant streaming
About this video
The passing game is what separates Anthony Pratley's Pistol Spread Option from the option offenses it resembles. Pratley aligns his scheme with two of the great college option teams, Navy and the Air Force Academy, and then attacks the defense's run keys through the air. Because defenses in this offense are always looking for the run, the play action and the element of surprise turn into big plays. This session covers the concept, the protections and the route tree behind it.
What you'll learn
- The concept and strategy behind the Pistol Spread Option passing game
- Why the passing game has to stay simple and flexible to work inside an option offense
- Individual blocking assignments for each protection in the scheme
- A complete passing tree with the proper read on each route
- How play action off run-look presentation produces explosive plays
- Attacking a defense that has committed its eyes and its numbers to stopping the option run
- How to fold these concepts into an offensive scheme you already run
Who it's for
High school and college offensive coordinators, quarterback coaches and receiver coaches running option, spread or pistol offenses who need a passing game that does not require a sixty-throw week to execute.
About the coach
Anthony Pratley was head coach at Leonardtown High School in Maryland, where his Pistol Spread Option combined four-wide spread passing with option running.
Part 4 of Coach Pratley's five-part series on the Pistol Spread Option, with extensive use of game film. Runtime: about 51 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is in this video?
The passing side of the Pistol Spread Option - the concept, why simplicity and flexibility matter, individual protection assignments, and a passing tree with the reads that go with it, including the play action that punishes run-conscious defenses.
Does my quarterback need to be a big-time passer?
Pratley builds the scheme to be simple and flexible, which is why it fits high school and small-college rosters. The pass concepts come off run action, so the throws are defined rather than full-field progressions.
How does streaming work?
This is a Buy Now, Watch Now title: pay $19.95 and it is in your AFM Videos account instantly, streaming on any device with unlimited views that never expire. A 1-Year All Access membership ($99/year) streams it and every other AFM video.
How does it pair with the rest of the series?
It is the fourth of five sessions. Watching the Veer and running game parts first helps, because the play action here is sold off those exact run looks, and the screen session that follows rounds out the quick-throw menu.