Power O: Separating the Defense Using the One-Back Power Run Game

Coaching Research Report #110104

Separating the Defense Using the One-Back Power Run Game

� Creating Conflict With the Play Side Defensive End

� Open vs. Square Pull

� Using the Power Read Principle

Ah...the battle tested Power O. It rivals the veer option as perhaps the most utilized offensive scheme in football. It's tried and true - tracing back from the days when Woody Hayes fed the ball to Archie Griffin behind a stout fullback and those dominate offensive lines at Ohio State. "Four yards and a cloud of dust," was not just a mantra but an offensive creed to live by. Even nowadays it's rare to break down five minutes of game tape without seeing some remnants of the play show up at least a handful of times.

But, it's the form of the scheme that we see changing. As coaches, we have all gotten frustrated banging our heads against the wall trying to run the scheme against an 8 or 9-man box. It seems as soon as you put two backs on the field, defenses will play some sort of eight-man front canceling gaps. But, the play is too aesthetic and too authentic to be dumped - its smash mouth football at it's finest. So how can you run the scheme without comprising its integrity to the game or its downhill style?

As researchers we wanted the answer, so we searched to find it. The coaches we spoke with believed that instead of feeding the defense what it wants (by lining up and running right at them) they are finding ways to spread the field by eliminating that fullback-type and still keep the structure of the play the same. We've seen Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn "ride" the concept out of shotgun sets to a national championship using Cam Newton as his weapon. We've seen Rashard Mendhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers use the scheme to gash the rest of the AFC for over 1,200 yards this season during their race to the Super Bowl. So while it is possible to run the scheme with one-back, in order for your production to be probable, we've found you'll need to conquer these certain problem areas.

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Case 1: Creating Conflict With the Play Side Defensive End

We've found that it's that pesky EMLOS (end man on line of scrimmage) that could cause the biggest headache when running the scheme. We realize that plenty of teams have now started to adjust the scheme by running it into the A/B gaps (which we will explain later) but if you don't get the proper hat on that edge player the play could be squashed. We've found that how you block that player most likely depends on where he lines up. For all intents and purposes, we'll use the following numbering system to declare his alignment:

7-technique: inside eye of the tight end

6-technique: head up the tight end

9-technique: outside eye of the tight end

Since we've found that the 7-technique causes the most concern, we will start there. A gap scheme by nature, the power play is designed to "create a wall" by using down blocking from the front side of the play. Coupled with a back-side puller that kicks out (can be a guard or an H-back) the play is designed to be run outside the down blocks and inside the kick out block. It was Jim Tressel, the head coach at Ohio State, who used to tell Maurice Clarett to get "cheek-to-cheek," meaning split the butt cheeks of the kick out blocker and the widest down blocker and run the ball in the alley. While Tressel may be brave enough to tell a talented back like Clarett where to run the ball, most of the coaches we spoke with aren't as specific with their directives. Plus, defensive ends now are taught to wrong-arm all blocks to push the ball to the perimeter, which can make a kick out block next to impossible.

One way to diffuse this problem is simply to block down on the 7-technique with the tight end and eliminate any kick-out scenario. Our research found that 50.7% of coaches teach their tight end to do exactly that. Sam Pittman, a 26-year coaching veteran who is now the offensive line coach at the University of North Carolina, made his money with the likes of running back Michael Turner and Garrett Wolfe running the scheme. Pittman makes it real simple - he has the tight end handle the defensive end...period. No chip and release. No pass set. Just plain 'ol block him. "He (tight end) is responsible for C gap and when we teach the power scheme gaps always override people," says Pittman. The main coaching point is for the tight end to reach block the 7-technique by getting his back-side shoulder down and cutting him off from the gap.

North Carolina's favorite formation to run it is out of the trey set (Diagram 1) which would mainly account for a six man box - with two safeties high to account for the possibility of three vertical threats. Pittman prefers to run it to the 3-technique side because it accounts for a natural double team by the onside tackle and guard, but the play can hit anywhere from the play side A gap out. "The key is to make that defensive end move laterally and get him out of that C gap," says Pittman. Can't see the diagrams? Click here now!

Power O Diagram 1

What if he doesn't want to get out the C gap? Now, you can force his alignment by creating another gap. Instead of lining up with just a tight end, we've found that some coaches are adding a tight/wing formation - much like Boise State does - and still run the power (Diagram 2). Now, that defensive end is forced to account for the extra gap and widen into the D gap. The tight end can now base block the defensive end by stretching him - which is what 34.8% of coaches do - and wrap the pulling guard for the front side backer. But, of course, the technique of that back-side puller is a whole other concern - one that had to be addressed in our research. Can't see the diagrams? Click here now!

Power O Diagram 2

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Case 2: Open vs. Square Pull

Here's a shocker. It was a close call, but 53.6% of coaches still favor the open pull over the square pull for the back-side tackle. Just for clarification purposes, the square pull is also known as the "skip pull" where a puller will drop step, crossover, and run keeping his shoulder square to the line of scrimmage. An open pull is exactly as it sounds - the lineman will open up his hips by throwing his elbow back and keep his shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage.

While it's the majority of high school coaches that still teach the open pull (over 90% of college coaches favor the skip pull) we did manage to find an NFL coaching vet who still believes in its value. Pete Mangurian, a 19-year NFL offensive line coach, most recently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, finds that because he has so many second level run-through's in the front side B and C gaps he needs to make sure the pulling guard's eyes are on the line of scrimmage and not at linebacker level. "We talk about losing ground to gain ground," says Mangurian. "I tell him to direction his eyes on the first target and read the EMLOS to find out if we're going through him or around him. The main coaching point is to go full speed and run." This may be difficult to do in a skip pull scheme. "If any color shows up inside that tight end we are going to trap it." Mangurian even tells the back he has the same read. Since the Bucs run the play out of their nickel package (11 personnel), the back, which is offset and in the gun, is taught to follow the guard. "We tell the guard to pull on the inside edge of the hole. If we see the outside number of the defender than we log him. If we see the inside number of the defender, than we kick him out."

Do You Use a Skip Pull or an Open Pull Technique in Your Power O?

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Case 3: Eliminating LB Run-Throughs in the A/B Gaps

Most coaches we talked with during our research teach the power scheme as an A or B gap play. In fact, over 43% of coaches surveyed prefer the ball to hit in those gaps. In years past, the power was more of an off-tackle, C or D gap scheme, but since the quickest way to gash a defense is a straight down the field, coordinators have shifted their philosophy. Ideally, you'd like to get two natural double teams on the play - one on the 3-technique (B gap defender) and one on the 1-technique (A gap defender) but anytime you commit two offensive players to one gap, a defensive player becomes unaccounted for. If that LB is quick enough to diagnose the play and get through the point of attack, you may be in trouble. Enough trouble that 46.5% of coaches felt handling those run-through's have been the most tedious task in running the play effectively.

Like any other run scheme, the effectiveness of the Power O relies on the technicalities of the offensive line. "We talk about inside footwork for our double teams," said Mangurian. "We want to create a violent vertical presence. We want to feel the inside half of the defender (d-lineman) and look at the LB. We need to keep our eyes on the LB. We step with the inside foot first, that's most important." When Mangurian sees those LB's getting some run through, he teaches his hogs one of two things. "We teach it just like the center's job when blocking back on a nose or three techniques. Your fit on a run through backer is the same as a penetrating defensive lineman. We want our head across the front of his body and take away anything over the top by moving our feet. That's if he's a fast penetrator." What if he's a reader? "If the backer is more stagnant, then we want to get our head across the bow and take away anything inside with our feet. It's real simple. If I'm gaping back to my left and I got a penetrator, I put my face to his right shoulder to get leverage and stop his charge. If I don't have a penetrator, I block with my right (play side) shoulder."

According to Mangurian, often times the back will see that back-side LB screaming off the top of a double team and will instantly cut the ball back to the vacated gap. Both the nose and the back-side LB are both playing the front side A gap which leaves the back-side B gap wide open (Diagram 3). It's become an automatic fix for fast LB run-throughs. "Of course, we don't really coach that up because he'll be doing it way too much. But if he does it right we don't say a word. We just ask him when he comes off the field where that back-side LB was." Can't see the diagrams? Click here now!

Power O Diagram 3

Case 4: Using the Power Read Principle

Of course, what one-back principles would be complete without tying in some spread influence? Running a read concept coupled with power blocking rules can be tremendously effective, as Auburn has shown this season (sure Newton is a beast, but he gave the ball just as often as he kept it, RB Michael Dyer had over 1,000 yards this season) Now, instead of blocking the play side defensive end, option him (Diagram 4). It's a scheme that Dan Ellis, the head coach at Springfield High School (PA) has implemented with success. Springfield, with only 1,200 kids in the school didn't have monstrous offensive lineman so he needed to a find a way to still run the Power O without relying on having those vertical double teams at the point of attack. Can't see the diagrams? Click here now!

Power O Diagram 4

Ellis teaches the play side tackle to widen his normal two foot split to three and a half feet in order to stretch the defensive end. Instead of teaching gap steps, Ellis has his lineman work zone footwork back away from the play. He stresses lateral movement, not vertical movement. The tackle comes down on the three technique while the guard gives him a "quick shiver" by throwing his play side elbow into him and then works to back-side linebacker. The center reaches the nose and the tackle cuts off the back-side defensive end. Ellis skip pulls the back-side guard to lead him up on the front side linebacker. The running back runs a stretch course - "we tell him to run to the sideline," says Ellis while the QB executes what he calls a "long ride" by taking a lateral step play side and skip reading the play side defensive end. If the DE is up field, the QB pulls and replaces him by getting downhill. According to Ellis, the DE gets so stressed by alignment and path of the back, his QB keeps it more than 85% of the time.

Reader Request: How to Run the Power Effectively vs. Odd Fronts

In a new addition to our coaching reports, we ask you, our readers, what you would like to learn more about the scheme we're covering. When asked about the single-back power O, a good percentage of coaches wanted more research on how to attack odd fronts. While we all know there are plenty of ways "to skin a cat" our best answer came from a long time coaching veteran turned consultant, Bill Mountjoy. Mountjoy is a big proponent of utilizing an H back in 11 personnel to get a favorable match-up. The following are his rules to running the one-back power against an odd stack (Diagram 5):

Play side tackle/tight end: trey block the C gap defender. After two quick steps, get hip-to-hip and vertically press the defensive lineman and work back to the Mike LB
Play side guard: Block down on nose. If nose goes offside, pick up possible Mike blitz in A gap.
Center: block back offside to whoever is in back-side A or B gap
Back-side guard: pull and wrap around the tight end's block for LB stacked behind the five technique. If he flows over the top, trap him. It can often be a double trap with the H back.
Back-side tackle: Step to B gap in case of LB run through - get a quick shot on him to give center time to get there. Hinge back on anyone coming from the outside.
H: motion to play side B gap. Trap (kick out) first man to show outside stack on tight end side(the outside most LB on the tight end).
Q: reverse pivot give ball to TB.
TB: drop step, crossover, get downhill.

Can't see the diagrams? Click here now!

Power O Diagram 5

Concluding Report

We all know that part of being a good coach is being creative. We're smart enough not to try and fit a square peg into a round hole. If something is not working, we either fix the problem or change the way we look at it. The Power O is a concept that has been around for over sixty years - how you run it is up to you. You may have the personnel to tighten the tackle box and bang heads with defenses with 21 or 22 personnel. But if you're a lot like the coaches we surveyed, you have to find other ways to get it done.

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Skip Pull OR Open Pull Technique?

ttilghma: "I use a skip pull on power plays and an open pull on trap or counter plays. Whether it's a "power" scheme or old style "counter trey" scheme there are. . ." continue reading ttilghma's entire post with photos!

viking72: "We use open pull with eyes on the play-side ILB. We feel the skip pull loses momentum and power/force getting up the hole to lead the back to the 2nd level." Read Viking72's entire post.

Join the Skip Pull or Open Pull Discussion on X&O Labs' Forum - click here now!

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