Playbooks
Normal
At a Glance
In 96 playbooks
Overview
Normal is the base alignment inside Goal Line Offense and it runs 23 personnel: two backs, three tight ends, and no true split receiver. Everything is condensed inside the numbers, with the tight ends sealing both edges and a fullback stacked in front of the halfback. Unlike the wide or tackle-over variations of Goal Line, Normal keeps the formation perfectly balanced, which means the defense cannot declare strength pre-snap and has to play the run honest on both sides. That balance is the whole point: Power O, HB Power G, and Strong Toss all hit from the same look, so your opponent is guessing direction instead of reading leverage.
Strengths
- Perfectly balanced 23 personnel means no pre-snap strength declaration, so Power O, HB Power G, and Strong Toss all threaten either edge from an identical look.
- Play action package (PA Waggle, PA Spot, PA Power O, Mtn PA Y-Corner) punishes goal line defenses that user the flat defender or crash safeties down on the dive read.
- Mtn PA Mesh gives you a legitimate man beater inside the five: the crossing tight ends rub off each other and one comes free against Cover 1 press.
- Mtn PA Sprint HB Flat and PA Sprint HB Flat get the QB outside the crowded interior, turning a pass into a two way read with the corner route and the back leaking to the flat.
- QB Sneak and FB Dive give you high percentage short yardage conversions when the defense stacks the second level instead of the A gaps.
Weaknesses
- No split receiver means zero vertical stretch, so defenses can sit every defender within eight yards of the line and squeeze all your route depth.
- Interior nano and A gap pressure gets home fast because the play action plays hold the ball and there is no quick outside release to bail you out.
- User controlled linebackers and safeties can sit on the tight end crossers in Mtn PA Mesh once your opponent recognizes the concept from this personnel.
- The dive plays (HB Dive, FB Dive, HB Split O) become predictable if you lean on them, and goal line defenses with pinched linemen wall them off immediately.
- Tight end blocking against a stacked goal line front leaves no free rusher accounted for on edge pressure, especially with the fullback committed to the run fake.
Usage Tips
Establish Power O and HB Power G first, then run PA Power O off the same blocking scheme once the linebackers start flowing hard.
Against a goal line defense with two high safeties, go straight to Mtn PA Y-Corner or PA Spot and attack the void the run commitment leaves behind.
Hot route a tight end to a slant or drag when you see press man across the board, then throw it off the play action fake before the safety can rotate.
Use motion on the tight ends pre-snap to identify man versus zone, then pick between Mtn PA Mesh (man beater) and PA Spot (zone beater) accordingly.
Save QB Sneak for fourth and inches or when your opponent has been guessing outside on Strong Toss, and check the A gaps for a shaded nose tackle first.
