Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Speed Option is a shotgun run play out of Slot Right 11 personnel that sends the QB and HB attacking the edge together on a true option look. The offensive line pulls and seals the edge while the QB reads the flow of the play side defender, either keeping the ball outside or pitching to the HB running the option track underneath. There is no route concept to speak of here since this is a pure ground run play designed to outflank the defense with numbers at the point of attack, and it is most effective against fast flow defenses that overcommit inside or against light box fronts.
Defensive Reads
Watch for defensive ends who squeeze down hard on the snap, since that opens up the QB keep lane on the perimeter. Identify if the defense is running scrape exchange, where the DE stays home for the QB and a linebacker scrapes outside for the pitch man. This coverage look is the primary counter to Speed Option. Check alley defenders and safeties rotating down pre-snap. If a safety is cheating into the box, that is another body that can rally to the option before the pitch develops. Look for user controlled defenders spying the QB. A user spy on the edge can eliminate both the keep and pitch options if he plays it with discipline. Against man coverage shells, corners playing tight on the perimeter can crash down on the pitch, so recognize press man alignment on the boundary as a warning sign for this play.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs in run heavy sequences when the defense is stacking the box expecting inside zone or gap runs, since the edge attack punishes overaggressive inside pursuit.
Check the defensive end and outside linebacker alignment before the snap. If they are crashing hard down the line, this play gets you outside them before they can redirect.
Pair this with Inside Zone Split and Counter Y earlier in a series so the defense starts keying inside runs, then hit them with Speed Option to attack the perimeter once the box gets heavy.
User the QB and manually decide the pitch read based on leverage, since the game will often want to keep too long or pitch too early. Practice the exact timing of the option read in practice mode.
Avoid calling this into disciplined scrape exchange defenses or teams that play strict assignment football on the edge, since a disciplined EDGE and alley defender combo can blow this up for a loss.
