Accessing A Great Quick Passing Game

*Updated with video (at bottom of post)

Some passing offenses are designed to take shots down the field. Some teams rely heavily on play-action for their passing game. Some systems are based on concepts designed to attack the defense all over the field. Due to personnel, some teams are forced to design their passing game around the one true threat that they might have. I feel like I have done a little bit of everything in my time as a coach, but my studies have led me to one strong conviction: to have a great passing game you must be great in the quick game.

An efficient quick or 3 step passing game can be an extension of your run game. If you are the 2007-2009 New England Patriots, a good 3 step package can BE your running game. This past season we made great strides in our quick game, and as a coach I learned lessons that I will carry with me as long as I stroll the sidelines as a coach. These lessons took shape when we implemented simple rules and proven concepts that proved to be effective for both our JV and Varsity programs. These same concepts are the ones I see utilized time and time again by some of the most successful offenses in college and professional football.

Our journey started by teaching the Read Slant that I discussed in a previous post. As noted, I taught the route to our quarterbacks and relied on them to work the routes with the receivers. Our offensive staff made sure to utilize this route from the start of our spring install calendar. Using the same 3X1 (or offset I) formations that we use in our run heavy offense, we would call an “Access” route for the single receiver and match that route with a quick game concept on the 3 receiver side. One major advantage is that any of these plays can be run from multiple formations without changing the read for the QB.

At the first position meeting of the spring I introduced our new Access Rule to the quarterbacks. The rule is simple:

We explained to our quarterbacks that we use the Access Rule any time that we utilize a 3X1 formation for a 3 step passing play. What we are looking for is “Access” to the single wide receiver’s route. In other words, based on alignment, is there a defender that threatens the called route. If we have “Access” to the route, the ball immediately goes to that receiver. If “Access” is closed, we immediately know that we are working the concept side of the play. Picture a play where we have called the read slant for the X receiver. All the QB has to do is determine if there is an immediate threat to that route.

What does it look like with Access open?

With this look the QB knows that he is taking the Read Slant that was called in the play.

What does it look like with Access closed?

With this look the QB knows that he is immediately working the “concept” or 3X1 side of the play.

Since I started coaching Quarterbacks (after stints at nearly every other position on the field) I have prided myself on my QB’s ability to recognize defensive alignment and coverage’s so I was not at all surprised when my two upperclassmen picked up the concept immediately. I was pleased when the rising Sophomore QB that I had never worked with picked the concept up right away. But the simplicity of the “Access Rule” really showed itself a few days later when the varsity coaches spent some time working with the rising freshman players. Both rising 9th grade quarterbacks could identify open and closed access within minutes of me walking them through examples of the two scenarios. Obviously age and experience will play a role in how multiple and diverse you can be in your install of multiple plays, but installation of a small package of 3 step passing concepts using the “Access Rule” backside can be implemented at almost any level.

Other OptionsOnce your skill players have a grasp of the Read Slant and the Access Rule you will find it easy to utilize multiple routes while keeping the thought process the same. For instance, if your single receiver is set to the boundary you can call assign that receiver a Hitch instead of the Read Slant. Or, if your single receiver is set to the field you can assign the single receiver a speed out to take advantage of the open field created by a soft cushion and the location of the ball. In either scenario the thought process for the quarterback does not change. If access is open, take the single receiver. If access is closed take the concept side of the play. This is especially important when you get tendency heavy and the defense starts to over-play the slant.

Marrying the Access Rule with Concept PassingEvery offensive coach has their favorite passing plays. If you are a coach that prefers seven man protections you can utilize the access rule from any 2 back formation and call for a simple two man game like the slant/shoot, fade/out, out/fade, or smash combination (hitch w/a corner or seam). In the quick game I prefer a six man protection with a three man game to the concept side of the play. If you are a spread team you can also utilize empty formations and get the same thing (more on that later).

I’ve heard a lot of coaches debate how many passing plays they should carry into a game. In my mind there are four great quick game concepts that can help any offense in almost any scheme. How many you choose to carry from week to week should be based upon how many YOUR TEAM can handle and not by someone’s personal preference. Here is a breakdown of one of those concepts. I will cover the others in due time.

SpacingThe Spacing concept has taken on many faces in the coaching community. Many coaches have taken the simple idea of spacing (overloading one area of the field and reducing the ability of the defense to clamp down on receivers without leaving holes in another area of their coverage) and tweaked it to be more multiple. In my mind this is the most simple and pure example of spacing.
We run our spacing play out of multiple formations, but the routes and the concept remain the same. We can also use motion to get to formations ideal for this play. Pairing the Access Rule with the Spacing concept is a simple but effective play. Last season this was the passing play responsible for our highest completion percentage and was equally effective in helping us stay in favorable down and distance situations.

Rules for Spacing:
X: Read Slant (see post below)

Y: Inside Stick Route – take an inside release and “capture” the opposite shoulder of the Middle LB. If the MLB leaves, settle* over the ball. Route should never be deeper than 5 yards.

Z: Inside Stick Route – release inside and “replace” the Y’s original alignment. Settle in window at 7-9 yards.

H: Free Release Shoot – attack perimeter gaining width to sideline. Depth at 2-3 yards. If you clear the numbers turn back and settle for QB with back to the sideline.

Q: Access to Concept – Access = take X on the called route. Concept = Peak X on your first step, as you hit step 3 read across the field from Y to Z. Take Y unless color makes cloudy. If cloudy take Z. H is an “oh crap” route only.

*in our coaching vernacular the term “settle” means to stop while “throttle” means to slow your route down.
Example:

Sample Videos:

*Editor's note, not all of these clips are perfect, for example, in the first clip you see the WR does not throttle down enough. We use this as a teaching tool to show the WR's why he throttle's. We ask them to look at how close the safety is to the ball. Throttling out of the break cuts down on that threat.

**If you can not see the video click HERE.