The simple, wonderful, inexpensive speed option

The speed option may be the best run play in football. The pro guys don’t like it because your quarterback can be hit, but, whether under center or from the shotgun, it’s an exceptionally useful play to have in your arsenal. There are three basic reasons why the play is so effective and useful:

  • Simple: Both the concept and the schemes are simple. Unlike the true triple options, there are not multiple reads and the one read that is there is a simple one of a defender often stuck in space.
Wish they called this more in Denver
  • Inexpensive. What I mean by inexpensive is that the play requires very little teaching for any offensive players as the blocking scheme should be one already used for a traditional play. Typically, this will be outside zone blocking.
  • Speed in space. This is tied to #1 and #2, but the play works most of all because it is a simple and inexpensive way to get athletes on the perimeter of the defense in space. The option threat by the quarterback — and the numbers advantage gained by reading a defender instead of blocking him — keeps the defense inside, but the point of the play is to pitch the ball to the runningback on the perimeter where he can burst upfield to do maximum damage.

What further makes the play so good is that these concepts are universal; they are not tethered to a single offense or system. The play works from under center or shotgun, and has been effectively used by teams with great running quarterbacks and it has been used by teams with more pedestrian quarterbacks as just a cheap way to get the ball to the outside.

In modern form, the play is simple. The line outside zone blocks, which means they step playside seeking to cut off the defense and to even reach them as they can. The linemen work together to double-team the defensive linemen before sliding off to block the linebackers, and the idea is to create a vertical crease somewhere between a spot outside the tight-end and the sideline. The offense leaves an outside guy unblocked, typically either the defensive end or the strongside linebacker. The quarterback takes the snap and runs right at the unblocked defender’s outside shoulder. If the defender stays wide, the quarterback cuts up the inside crease (and typically looks to cut back against the grain). If the defender attacks the quarterback or simply stays inside, the QB pitches it. The outside receivers block the outside run support, being more focused on being in their way than pancaking anyone. Below is a modern example of the speed option from gun:

For a little more historical perspective, Tom Osborne’s great Nebraska teams used the speed option as one of its chief weapons.

After a steady dose of inside runs, Coach Osborne knew when the speed option would cripple a defense and break a big play. Often, Nebraska faked the dive and then ran the speed option from there, but other times ran two common, more modern variations. The first is the basic speed option from a one-back set, recognizable to any current football fan. See the basic diagram and video below:

The other variation was “Arc” or the “load option,” which had the fullback serving as lead blocker for the speed option:

But what about these modern spread versions? There’s no question that it’s easier to run the speed option from the shotgun and spread sets are particularly conducive to options because they force the defense to “tip their hand.” Further, options are particularly effective against both man-to-man as well as zone blitzes. Indeed, with the sophistication of modern defenses throwing “hot” into a zone blitz has become increasingly risky, but a speed option into the face of blitzing defenders can be devastating for the defense: the space players will have blitzed themselves out of position while other guys have to rotate into position and defensive linemen must drop off, leaving lots of big play opportunity for the offense.

No one is better with the modern speed option than Oregon’s Chip Kelly. He’s managed to make the play work as both a quick hitting outside play as well as a bread and butter grinding play, as yet another variation of his zone blocking based attack. See the video below for more examples.

Like any other play it’s the small coaching points that make it go. A few of my suggestions are below:

  • Think of the speed option as an overlay over whatever outside blocking scheme you already use. If you run the outside zone, use outside zone blocking with the only variation to identify who is the unblocked defender to be read. If you use some other toss or sweep scheme, use that. It’s important to just use a few blocking schemes from different looks.
  • Teach the quarterback to attack the unblocked defender’s outside hip. Most coaches focus on the defender’s inside hip, and there is a logic to that, as it puts the quarterback inside the defender’s shoulder so they can cut up. But Nebraska used to teach the quarterback to attack the outside hip and I agree. The reason is that it forces the defender to declare whether he will account for the quarterback or the pitch man (the runningback). If the quarterback attacks the inside hip, an athletic linebacker or even defensive end can widen and keep his hips square, force the pitch and still be in position to attack the pitch inside to out. If the quarterback attacks the outside hip the defender won’t have the leverage to get outside to defend a pitch, and, most surprisingly, if the defender wants to keep widening to account for the pitch against a quarterback attacking his outside hip, he will actually open up more of a running lane inside because he’s widened so far.
  • Know your quarterback and plan the unblocked defender accordingly. If your quarterback is athletic you’re probably better off running the true outside zone and having your quarterback attack an outside linebacker or strong safety or some other outside run support defender. Doing it this way will give him more room to cut inside and work in space. If your quarterback is not much of a runner, however, you probably are looking at the play as more of a cheap way to get outside. In that case, don’t block the defensive end as it is easier to draw him in and pitch outside of him than it is to do so to a linebacker. Moreover, if a defensive end does take the pitch man even a slow quarterback should be able to hit it right off tackle to get five or six yards and get down without having to be Barry Sanders in the open field.

The speed option is a wonderful play; I think the above amply shows that and hopefully I’ve provided some additional insight. The best sendoff I can give is the below coaching breakdown of the play from Kansas State; Bill Snyder, K-State’s head coach who in turn coaches his coaches, knows a thing or two about the ol’ speed option.