How to Run the Spread Offense

Tailor the spread offense to your team's strengths, be they running or passing. There are dozens of versions of the spread offense, and some focus on running the football, while others are all-out passing attacks. For example, college teams such as Michigan and Florida both consider their offenses spread option offenses, and both feature far more running than passing. On the other hand, college teams such as SMU, Texas Tech and Hawaii run spread schemes that feature far more passing and less running.

Force the defense to defend every inch of the football field by challenging them across the field horizontally and vertically. The goal of the spread offense is to spread the defense out and force them into bad matchups. This can be done in a variety of ways, but most of all you want to force them to defend sideline-to-sideline as well as endzone-to-endzone. The idea is that by forcing the defense to spread out, you will not only create running creases and lanes but you will also open up deep passes if the defense adjusts to defend horizontally. The same idea applies with challenging the defense vertically. If the defense adjusts and moves the safeties back, running lanes and short passes become an effective mode of attack.

Research the different options for spread formations and personnel groupings for your team. It is popular for teams to run the spread out of the shotgun, but some teams still prefer to take snaps under the center. You will see spread teams that line up with five receivers, while others will play with two backs. Basically in the spread format, either one back or the tight end is eliminated and replaced with an additional wide receiver. Some teams will even take out both the tight end and fullback and use a four-receiver, one-back set. The formation choices really depend on your personnel. Generally, teams that would like to focus more on running will play with a tight end, while teams planning an all-out passing attack will play with at least four wide receivers on every play.

Watch games and game tapes to see how teams will try to defend the spread and attack the weak points of the defense. Again, different theories are often at work, and it really depends on your goals and strengths as a team. Teams that primarily run the football from the spread will likely be defended with a lot of man coverage on the receivers, and you will see safeties in the box to stop the run. Meanwhile, teams that throw the ball a lot will see a lot of nickel and dime coverages with additional defensive backs in the lineup. Defensive coordinators will have different ideas on what is right, and some feel that playing a base defense can disrupt the spread, while others will completely overhaul their plans. As a coach implementing the spread, you figure out how teams plan to defend you and attack the weaknesses in those plans.