RUNNING GAME PHILOSOPHY:

If you subscribe to this system then you are like me…you love to throw the ball and you believe
it is the most effective way to stretch the defense and create explosive plays. But, we all know
that great offense is about taking what the defense gives you and that sometimes you have to
run the ball. This Air Raid will establish your offense as a legitimate threat to pass every single
play. The defense will have to respect that. As a result, the defensive alignment and mentality
will give you ample opportunities to run the ball effectively.

Don’t be afraid of this. If the defense is going to give you running lanes, take them. If you have
a great back, get him the ball. If your QB can run, call plays for him.

At the high school level, there is not enough time to have an incredibly intricate running attack
and still spend enough time on all the passing concepts that you need to be effective through
the air. So, our running game is very simple. Here is an outline of our basic philosophy.

1) Simple is better – you don’t need a million plays. Learn to do 3 or 4 things really well!
You don’t have to run everything in this playbook. If you can’t run Zone, scrap it and
focus on Dart and Trap. If your tackle can’t reach the DE, use speed option to get the
edge instead of stretch.
2) Teach lineman transferrable skills. If you teach your linemen how to Zone Block, Down
Block, Combo, Trap, and Lead you can run 3 or 4 concepts without having to reteach a
skill set.
3) Count the box and commit to the count! If you have a 5 man box, run the ball. If you
have a 6 man box, run it sometimes. If you have a 7 man box, throw it almost every play
until the defense adjusts.
4) Don’t complicate with formations. Remember that every time you bring an extra back
or a TE into the formation, the defense will counter with an extra defender.
5) Run your QB. He’s one of your best athletes, let him carry the ball. It gives you a
numbers advantage.
6) In practice, Team/Scrimamge drills should be 80-90% pass. Focus on the running game
in 9 on 7. But, on Friday night take what the defense gives you. If you can run for 300,
run for 300!
7) Don’t design plays for a specific opponent. It’s tempting to see a gap or a hole and to
think that you need to design a play to exploit it. Instead, take the plays that are already
in your arsenal and see which one matches up against your opponent. It’s ok to go into
a game with only 1 or 2 running concepts as long as they are the right plays!