4/1/2020 Universal RPO Design From Multiple Formations

Universal RPO Design From Multiple

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By William Clay, Offensive Coordinator, Halsom High School (TX)

Changing formation without changing personnel and using RPOs can create a frustrating game-plan for the opposing
defense regardless of your level of play.

By William Clay
Offensive Coordinator
Halsom High School (TX)
Twitter: @brandonclay88

The Run Pass Option, RPO, has been a staple in many high school and college offenses for a
while and it's made its way to the professional level. You will hear many defensive coordinators
with tongue in cheek, call it “cheating”. If you were to query defensive coordinators what drives
them crazy and most of them will say, “multiple formations” add on top of that not changing
personnel and you get an added element of surprise and deception that makes it difficult for
opposing defenses to pick up tendencies as you are not shuffling in players to change formations.
Therefore, changing formation without changing personnel and using RPO’s can create a
frustrating offensive game-plan for the opposing defense regardless of your level of play.

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At Haltom High, over the last two seasons, we use multiple formations and focus on using a TE/HB
player that allows us to manipulate defensive fronts. The main formations we use for this are:

“Black”: Twins with a sniffer or H-back

“White”: Pro Twins with a TE

“Blue” TE Trips

“Black”

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“White”

“Blue”

For this article, we will focus on RPO’s that we run regardless of the formation and can be tagged
on many different run plays. They are:

1. Crawfish: WR Bubble Screen

In terms of general mechanics, we are a signal/one-word team. Our coaches signal formation and
play to the skill kids, and the QB uses one for the OL. We require our TE/HB to know the signals.
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We do not give specific alignment signals when are in an H-Back formation. He lines up based on
the play. Any checks or audible are always signaled in by coaches on the sideline. We also are a
no-huddle team and play with multiple tempos in order to keep the defense on their toes.

QB Read:

In order to simplify the reads, our QB will look from High safety to the Flat/Backside defender. This
decision “flow chart” is consistent throughout all our reads. The default is to always give the
ball to the RB if you are ever unsure.

1. Is the Safety 9 yards or deeper? If yes, then read the flat defender on the snap. If no, give the
ball.
2. Does the flat defender play the run on the snap? If yes, then throw the RPO. If no, give the
ball.
3. Are you unsure? If yes, ALWAYS give the ball. You can never go wrong by handing the ball
off.

Crawfish: WR Bubble

We like to tag Crawfish to the play side of Counter. We run regular counter (GT) and counter stay
(GH) depending on formation and RPO. The QB will go through his RPO progression read. When
we are scouting film, we will always note where the flat defender aligns between twins and trips,
where his eyes are and how fast he usually decides on run or pass. Remember, we want to run
the ball so if he plays pass quickly, that is always a plus for us. The key to this RPO is putting the
OLB or flat defender in conflict.

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Black Formation: (Twins with H-Back)

Out of our Black formation, our TE/H-Back aligns away from the play, we usually run GH with him,
and he seals on the playside backer.

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Here you can see the OLB aligns tight to the box and the safety is deep enough that the QB will
proceed with this RPO read. However, based on the OLB alignment, the QB can pre-snap note
that he is probably playing run.

White Formation: (Twins with a TE)

Out of our White formation, the TE is an on the line player and must line up to the formation. Much
like counter out our Black formation, he will run GY and he will seal the playside backer.

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In this instance, the Safety is playing too shallow and the QB knows throwing the bubble isn’t an
option. The OLB is splitting the difference, and there is no defender for the “kick”. QB snaps the
ball quickly and it is a give all the way

Blue Formation: (TE Trips)

Our Blue formation is a great way to create issues with secondary alignment and confusion,
especially when we are in our NASCAR mode and jump into formations quickly and snap the ball.
Like White formation, the TE will always align with the call. Since we like to run Crawfish with
counter, in our Blue formation the TE will be angle blocking as he will be TO the play. This is a
good changeup as the TE or HB is usually away when we run counter.

To study game film of this concept, click on the video below:

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Clay 1

Editor’s Note: Coach Clay has provided narration for each clip below:

Clip #1: As you can see in the clip, the OLB plays the run now and the QB throws the bubble
despite the Safety creeping down. The QB trusts that the WR can make the play and beat the
Safety one on one.

Clip #2: The RB makes a great cut on this play and uses his natural ability to make a big play. The
WR will always run the route, as they do not know if they are getting the ball or not.

Clip #3: Our QB notices how deep the secondary players are aligned, combined with there is not a
flat player by alignment. These tell the QB he can throw the Bubble safely. The Outside WR
makes a great block on this play in order to spring his teammate for a big gain. We do not often
ask our WR to block, but when they do, it always results in a big play.

Lobster: Bubble/Slant or Slant to Single WR

Lobster is one of our RPO to Power, and Power is our “Bread and Butter” play. We block angle
block power on the playside and pull a guard to seal. Out of a two-back formation, the H-Back will
have the kick out or “J” block. Out of one-back formations, the RB will have this duty. We do not
signal who is carrying the ball. This is simply to be known by the QB and RB based on formation.
If we do want to change this up, then we can signal it with ease. Usually, we like to run this the
single side WR, as it is a clearer read, however, Lobster is mirrored on both sides.

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As with Counter, we will try to put an OLB or Flat defender in conflict. The QB decision process is
altered slightly. He must consider the corner depth and leverage. To note, inside the 5-yard line,
we usually will not call an RPO with this play. The inside WR will turn his back to the sideline,
backpedal and then turn and go up the sideline. If the defense does not honor this player, we have
a play to take advantage of this.

Black Formation: (Twins with H-Back)

In Black, the H-Back will align to the play, unless we have a Slide motion call. He has the “J” Block
and will kick out the EMOL. Our QB will go through his progression read, from Safety to OLB or
flat defender. Depending on the type of defense, there may not be an immediate flat defender.

White Formation: (Twins with a TE)

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In our White formation, we will run Power to and away from the TE, and usually, it will depend on
the techniques we get in the front. As this is one back-formation, the QB will automatically be
running the ball.

Blue Formation: (TE Trips)

As noted earlier, in our Blue formation many times we can cause confusion in the secondary on
alignment. One of the adjustments we normally see is an over shift to the TE side. When this
happens, we try to attack the weak side to take advantage of the numbers weak.

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Here we see there are four defenders to the TE side. We change our play to take advantage of
the numbers weak. As it is one back-formation, the QB will be running the ball.

To study game film of this concept, click on the video below:

Clay 2

Editor’s Note: Coach Clay has provided narration for each clip below:

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Clip 1: In this example, the safety comes down to the single side WR leaving no high defender, he
is now the flat defender. The CB is playing fade (he had been beaten a few times in this game)
and leaves the slant wide open. The QB makes the easy read and pass. Note to the Twins side,
the safety would have taken away the slant, so he would have gotten a give read on that side.

Clip 2: Against this Even front team, the safety is playing very deep (our best WR is to the single
side), the Corner is playing deep and the OLB is splitting the difference. The secondary alignment
here would allow for an easy throw and catch, however, the QB sees the alignment of the front and
knows he should get a big gain with the run. Normally, we want him attacking downhill, but in this
instance, he knew he was running and acted to pause the LB.

Clip 3: To the weak side, the Corner doesn’t take away the slant and the QB decides to throw the
ball. Normally, we want our QB attacking downhill as if he is going to run the ball.

Flat: Arrow Route

Our Flat or Slip route is essentially the same route, an arrow route. The difference is alignment for
an H-Back out of our Black Formation. Flat would put the H-Back to the backside of the play, for
the TE he will be to the backside of the play by alignment. We like to pair this with our Zone Read
play, but we can pair it with Counter, Dart, etc.

Black Slip

Black Flat

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White Flat

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The QB read is obviously going to be different as he must first read the EMOL. We drill him not to
guess, based on secondary alignment to just pull it. We want him to make his initial pull/give read
for the run if he pulls, he now as an alternative.

Black Formation (Twins with H-Back)

With Slip paired with Zone, the QB will initially read the EMOL, the next level responsible for the
flats. He basically becomes the pitch man for any pull by the QB.

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White Formation (Twins with TE)

The Flat route with TE tends to be a clear read for the QB, in terms of getting him the ball on any
pull. Most of the time it succeeds in pulling defenders out and making a larger run lane for the
QB. Against safeties that aggressively run fit you can get big plays on the pull and throw because
no one is covering the TE.

Black Formation (Twins with H-Back)

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In Black, the H-Back will line up away from the play if he has the Flat route. The QB read here is
the same as if the H-Back were on the line. We will run Power out of this same set, so it helps as
a tendency beater as well.

To study game film of this concept, click on the video below:

Clay 3

Editor’s Note: Coach Clay has provided narration for each clip below:

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Clip #1: Here the QB will read the DE as he is the EMOL, and the secondary read will be the safety
if he pulls the ball. Unfortunately, in this play, we had an error in blocking, which resulted in the QB
getting a give read. However, had he pulled it the Slip route would have been open. I think it’s
important to show failures, as well as, successes.

Clip #2: This team played an inside linebacker outside the TE to combat our zone read and power
read schemes. In order to occupy him, we use the Flat route to make him play pass or run.

The QB pulls the ball and the OLB is occupied by the Flat route.

Clip #3: In this game, the opponent is putting no one in the flats initially and double-teaming our
best WR who is singled up. They have “hipped” out an inside linebacker to help. Initially watching
this clip, it should have been a give and probably a touchdown. However, the QB gets the ball off
to the H-Back who make a good catch and picks up good yardage regardless

Conclusion

By using formations that involve setting a three-man surface or moving around the H-Back, we can
manipulate the defensive fronts and expose secondary play making it easier for our QB. These
simple RPOs have been successful for us and allow our kids to make plays while playing fast. The
greatest use of these concepts is that allows us to not have negative plays and protect our run
game.

Meet Coach William Clay: Coach Clay is in his second season as of Offensive Coordinator and
Offensive Line coach at Haltom HS. In two years, the offense has set season records in back to
back years in passing completion rate, passing yards, and single-season rushing.

Offense
Clinic Report
Pass Game
RPO

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