Wide Zone has long been a staple in the NFL, ever since Alex Gibbs took it by storm with the Denver Broncos in the 90s. Now whether it’s Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, or the many others, wide zone is seen in every NFL game.
It has been picking up steam in the college game as well. Utah is the most prominent, but Baylor, Kansas, and North Carolina State, just to name a few have been running this play frequently.
This play is great to build your entire offense around for many reasons:
You don’t need gigantic lineman to make it successful. You do not need to move people off that ball for the play to work.
You don’t need exceptional running back talent. If they can learn the reads, you can continually find kids that consistently average 4+ yards per carry.
Because the quarterback doesn’t have to read, it allows for more emphasis on the passing game.
I often compare the wide zone system to the flexbone triple option offenses. Though the plays and techniques are different, I believe they are similar in their tactics. Each offense doesn’t need big overpowering offensive line play. Quick athletic line play, with distinct reads from the skill players, while stretching the defense horizontally.
The burden is just on different players. In the triple option, it's on the quarterback to properly read defensive linemen. In the wide zone system, the important read is on the running back, to diagnose where the seam is going to be. (Some teams, like Kansas under Leipold, or Coastal Carolina, have melded the offenses running wide zone option schemes.)
The goal of the play is to stay ahead of schedule. The theory is that the wide zone scheme lends itself to less negative plays. With the horizontal flow and the back being able to choose the point of attack, most of the time you can at least get back to the line of scrimmage.
Offensive Line Play
Like with any system, it all starts up front. One of the biggest misconceptions of this play is that you need to be able to reach a defensive lineman. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Though it attacks wide, this isn’t a play that needs to hit wide to be successful. It’s quite the opposite, with a lot of big plays coming from the cutback.
The key to this play is horizontal movement. You need to get the defensive line and linebackers running laterally. If you can do that a seam will more times than not open up for the back. The play puts a lot of stress on the front, and all that is needed is for them to try and do their job. What are defensive linemen and ends taught from day 1 in most schemes? Don’t get reached. So just by trying to reach them, they will naturally fight to keep gap integrity. As they do, you have created your horizontal movement and the linebackers are now trying also to keep gap integrity while running. It’s not the easiest assignment.
Covered/Uncovered Rules
Covered - having a defender anywhere from head up to the inside shade of the next play-side lineman. We also call this area their “track.”
Uncovered - No defender in their track. Even if they have someone to their inside, like the center in the picture above, they are still considered uncovered.
Covered Rules
There are two types of covered:
Covered with help - the lineman will work in combination with the lineman to their backside.
Covered with no help - there is no combination. The offensive lineman to the back side is also covered, so he cannot help you.
The aiming point for any lineman is the play-side armpit of the defender. Their first step should always be with their play side foot and set them on the best angle possible to overtake. This means the step will be different depending on the alignment of the defender.
The second step is in the crotch of the defender. As you step with your backside foot, your play side hand needs to strike the defender.
Now that you’ve engaged, you will take another step toward your aiming point. At this point, you need to make a decision.
If the defender has kept outside, then you will drive with your inside hand and work to continue to widen him toward the sideline. This is the case whether you have help or not.
The video above is an example of the left tackle not being able to reach the 5 technique. He instead continues to drive him toward the sideline, allowing a potential cutback.
If you can over take, then what you do depends on if you have help or not.
Covered with help - If they can reach the defender in their track, they will pass him off to the uncovered lineman they are in combination with. Here the right guard knows he has help from the center. He can reach the down lineman, so he passes it off climbing to the linebacker.
Covered with no help - If they have no help, and can reach the defender in their track, they will work to seal him off on the outside. Here the left guard has no help because the center is also covered.
Uncovered rules
Uncovered rules are the same as covered. Their aiming point will still be the armpit of the next down lineman. The difference for uncovered is by their third step if they have not engaged with who they’re aiming for, they will now climb to a linebacker or 2nd level defender.
There are a lot of variables and moving parts. That’s why if you ever heard Alex Gibbs talk, this isn’t a play you dabble with. This is an entire system within itself and must be repped daily for your linemen to execute well. They must be able to communicate well, and ID fronts.
Running Back
For this article, we are going to focus on Under Center/Pistol rules. You can run this play from a sidecar alignment, but it has its own set of variables and rules. For now, we will focus on the basics.
Nothing changes for the back whether you are under center or pistol alignment. The back will line up directly behind the quarterback at 7 yards.
His aiming point is at the butt of the tight end. (Or ghost tight end if running weak) He is reading his block first. By his third step, he needs to decide whether he is going in or out.
If the tight end (or tackle if running weak) reaches the end man on the line of scrimmage, he will bounce looking to get north and south as quickly as possible. This isn’t a toss or sweep play, this isn’t meant to stretch for long.
If the tight end or tackle can not reach the defender, he will plant with his outside foot and get north and south looking for first daylight.
In theory, backs are taught to get their eyes on the next down lineman and read the block on him as well. That is great clinic talk, but in all reality, they are looking for first daylight. It’s an instinct for most backs, and with plenty of reps will find the seams with ease.
Toss or Handoff
5-10 years ago, most teams handed off on wide zone. You are starting to see a resurgence of the toss. Gibbs never liked the toss because he believed the running back had to take his eyes off the read. If you’ve watched the 49ers or Dolphins lately, you know that Shanahan and McDaniel have gone back to using the toss quite a bit, and it has been effective.
Handoff
Toss
Wide Receivers
Play-side Receivers
With the potential of the play breaking outside, receivers must be able to block well in this system. Unlike interior runs, you cannot run screens or quick game to both sides, play-side receivers must insert into the blocking schemes.
Originally, the preferred method was to crack on the perimeter. They wanted to force cover guys to have to tackle in the run game.
Cracking not only puts the corner in the run fit, but it also puts the defense in a bind for play action. If you play any kind of man coverage, the offense is getting a 2-for-1 block. The corner will run himself out of the play, and the safety will be blocked. If the corner triggers the run, passing off any potential route, the safety will be late or unable to fit the run. They would also be susceptible to the tight end and receiver releasing vertically. (We will be breaking down the passing game in more detail in later posts)
The crack block is not being used as much as it previously was. Most teams elect to just have the receiver block who is lined up on them.
Backside receivers
This is where mixing the spread game and wide zone has made the play even better. Putting quick game and screens attached to the backside of wide zone allows you to attack the full width of the field. With the same alignments and actions, the defense has to worry about the run, quick throws, and deep play action. It is tough to be sound vs all 3.
Here Ohio State uses a simple bubble screen. Plays like these make the defense stay honest to the backside. This is a simple addition to make the defense have to defend the full field every play.
Oklahoma goes with the now screen here. It’s the same concept as using the bubble, just really depends on who they would rather get the ball.
Quick game is also a great addition. Here Oklahoma State uses a simple hitch to the single receiver to the backside.
The Rams are under center with a backside slant. Another great pre snap decision to attack the void on the backside that wide zone leaves.
This is just the foundation of this system. The beauty is now the basics are formed, you can start to add wrinkles that fit your team. The best part is, that most wrinkles don’t require any new teaching for the offensive line. We will dive deeper into each category.
Other topics we will cover are:
Fly Sweep
RPOs
Boot/Keepers
Play action
Speed Option
Solid Screens
Reverses