DID YOU THROW 'HOT' TO A RUNNING BACK THIS SEASON...EVER?

Question: If I watched 1000 high school football games from all over the U.S., every classification and type of offense, how many times would I see a quarterback throw 'hot' to a running back? By 'hot,' I mean two linebackers are blitzing to the running back's side. He can only pick up one, so instead of the quarterback getting hit by the other one, the running back releases, and the ball is thrown to him.

Prediction: I wouldn't see a true 'hot' to the running back at all. I mean never. How can I be so sure? I'm not kidding; I watch close to 100 games a year of our 5A (& occasionally 6A) opponents, and I do not remember seeing teams throw 'hot' to their backs....ever.

I distinctly remember our quarterbacks at Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana-Monroe) doing 'hot' drill. They would pass drop; a manager would rush, the quarterback would yell, "hot, hot, hot, hot," and dump the ball off to another quarterback who was the pretend running back for the drill. I remember thinking, 'this is some sophisticated stuff we are doing', not truly understanding what 'hot', 'hot', 'hot' was.

How many coaches are working 'hot' drill once or twice a week but not using it during a game? How many coaches are releasing their back in the passing game and not having him protect the quarterback?

So, what is my point? Most coaches are out-smarting themselves. They are making the game too hard. Just because a tactic has been around forever and is 'sound' on the whiteboard doesn't mean we should do it.

In our program, giving up a sack is classified as a disaster (along with a fumble lost and an interception). We are keeping our running backs in to block almost all the time. On most drop-back pass plays, our running back finds work, as we say. He sits a little deeper than our offensive line and picks up any defender who has gotten too much penetration.

One of my favorite ways to look at football is this; 'the game's not hard, don't make it hard.' We don't have to be the smartest guy in the room to win. We need to be the most sensible.

We are a FAST N' WIDE team. We protect our quarterback most of the time with seven players (5 offensive linemen, tight end, and running back). Who else do we play who does this? NO ONE.

Why?

It's always been done this way.

Learn an offense where you don't have to do something that is not necessary like releasing your running back when your quarterback needs him to protect. You don't need someone to give you permission to be different. Go your own way and learn the simplest, most sensible offense in football!