Attacking Defenses

with Passes from

Bunch Formations
DVD
CUTS AVAILABLE
FOR $10
POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION
John Rice
AVAILABLE FOR $5 ON CD
Head Coach
Eisenhower HS
DVD CUTS AVAILABLE FOR $10
Rialto, CA
Email: zacoach102@aol.com
Phone: 951-537-9902
John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Agenda
Definition of Bunch Formations
Types of Bunch Formations
Advantages of Utilizing Bunch
Formations
General Coaching Points
Route Concepts
Using Motion and Shifts
Video Clips
John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

DEFINTION OF BUNCH:
3 OR MORE RECEIVERS PLACED WITHIN 5 YARDS OF EACH OTHER
C
C
C

B
E T

B
T

C B

B
E

TIGHT OR WIDE 3 MAN

C
B
X

B
E T

B
T
Q

B
E
Y

C
B

B
T

C
Z

X H

Tight Trips
C

B
E T
Y

4 MAN BUNCH R

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

B
E T

B
T

F
R

3RD MAN
IN BACKFIELD

Advantages
Natural Rubs vs. man coverage

Y
X

H
R

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Advantages
Easily Adaptable to Standard Zone Beaters

3 Deep

2 Deep

B
Y

Y
H

H
R

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Advantages
Bunched Receivers can
be Used for Pass Protection

Bunched Receivers can

Get Across Formation Faster
F

B
Y

Y
H

H
R

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Advantages
Bunched Receivers can Get Across Formation Faster
F
C

B
Y
H

R
John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Coaching points:
Vs a Pressed Point Defender:
Assign alternate route stems to avoid being jammed at LOS

Inside Stem Outside Stem Wrapped Stem

B

X
R

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

B
Y

X
R

H
R

Bunch Pass Concepts

Spacing
Drive
Drive + F Angle (Toledo)
Husky (Marshall)
Vertical
Boot (USC)
Scat
Bubble Screen and Others

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Spacing

3 deep zone Shown

FS
C

ANOTHER
VOID
CREATED

BB
B

VOID
CREATED

Backside

3 yd Speed
break to 7

X
R

SPRINT
to 4

Slip Places R Here

3d step: Drill the Arrow through the

shoulder pad if he pops open at all

Frontside

BS OUTS: Game Plan Route: Speed Out, Slant, Hitch, or some other quick route pre-planned during game week
BS INS: SIT. Find a void between defenders and sit down at 5-6 yards
FS INS: ARROW. Attack defenders outside shoulder, break downhill off 2d/3d step, gain depth. Look for ball quickly!
FS MID: SIT. Push hard INSIDE to a depth of 6, sit down in area vacated by inside linebacker.
FS OUTS: Mini CURL. 1 yard middle receiver. Sprint to 3, make a 4 yard speed break to the void left by the flat defender &
drumroll your feet and sit down at 7 yards.
QB: 3-step progression to the Arrow on time. Rip it through his outside shoulder if he gets any clean air at all. If the short
defender runs with him, a void should open up for the Post Curl. Be alert of the LB in front of the Post Curl! Backside Seam
Read is your 3rd option. By call or game plan, can throw the Corner off 5th step if CB is getting nosy on the Post Curl.

Drive
3 deep zone Shown

Vs. 2 deep, Run

go pocket

C
B
X

S
Y

Pass pro:
90, big on
big, or slide
Backside

Vs. 2 deep,
corner is
primary
target

X
R

QB: 3-step on time if working single

side. 5 step if working drive
combination. Throw shallow cross off
hot read (ILB) to dig to corner

Frontside

POINT MAN: DIG Avoid contact on vertical stem; push upfield to 12-15 yards, break over middle
behind LB; in front of FS!
OUTSIDE MAN: SHALLOW CROSS. GET ACROSS FORMATION, AVOIDING CONTACT; LOOK
FOR BALL IF ILB BLITZ
INSIDE MAN: CORNER. OUTSIDE STEM, PUSH UPFIELD TO 12 YARDS, BREAK TO CORNER
BACKSIDE RECEIVER: Game Plan Route: Speed Out, Slant, Hitch, or some other quick route preplanned during game week

TOLEDO (Drive with F Angle)

Vs, 2 deep, Y runs corner

S
Crease

Z
Arrow/Settle

Run away
from man; Sit
in a zone

Y
R

X
Pre-snap motion

H
Z

With Motion

snap
Q

H
Vs ILB Blitz, QB hit the R drag

R Drag or Backside Go Read is an outlet

Y:

Vertical Widen your alignment, release cleanly, go HARD up the field vertically Dig, Corner or Go

H:

ARROW. Attack defenders outside shoulder, break downhill off 2d/3d step, gain depth. Look for ball quickly!

X:

GO. Accelerate vertically along the bottom of the numbers, get deep, stay on your landmark!

SHALLOW DRAG. Replace heels of Defensive Linemen. Beat Linebackers across formation to a depth of 4 yards.

Z
ARROW- DRAG. Arrow release, sell LB on arrow,then break sharply, dissect the angle between Y and R, look for ball
on the break.
QB: Second Drag to First Drag as an outlet. Work hard with your eyes to try and move the indside Linebackers to chase the
first drag so that you can throw the second drag.

Husky
The basic premise of this play is to create a hi-low on a corner on one side while
bringing in an intermediate cross from the other side of the formation. On the
other side of the formation we are putting the opposite corner in a quandry by
running a streak down the hash and bringing a corner route underneath him
We can run this vs. a 2 deep zone or 3 deep zone

Alignment and precise routes by the receivers are critical on the trips side. Outside
runs a skinny post or seam, not crossing the hash on his side. The corner is run by
the inside receiver UNDERNEATH the seam/skinny post. Finally, the over route by the
middle receiver is run under the corner route.
Generally, we will tell the QB to work one side of the pattern or the other

KEYS to a successful play:

Inside receivers avoid contact underneath & get vertical!
Receivers take good splits and attack along their landmark!
QB does a great job with his eyes, is decisive, and makes his throw
on time and with authority!
John Rice
zacoach102@aol.com
Husky Philosophy

TAGS/VARIATIONS
Play Action

IKE
Football

HUSKY

##

S
B

PASSING
LANE
OPENS UP

##

S
C

Y
R

Z
H

BS OUTS: Corner route.

BS INS:

flat//Arrow

FS INS:

Corner. OT +5 alignment, release cleanly, go HARD up the field vertically . BREAK UNDER THE POST

FS OUTS:

Skinny Post Inside release, accelerate vertically, break at 12 Yards. DONT CROSS THE HASH!

FS MID:

OVER ROUTE vertical release, accelerate vertically, break at 7-8Yards, UNDERNEATH CORNER ROUTE

John
RiceOR THE OTHER. 3 STEP DROP
QB: WORK ONE
SIDE

zacoach102@aol.com

IKE
Football

Diamond Verticals

##

##
S
C

H
Z

Y
R
Q
BS OUTS: Corner route.

Point man Post Release cleanly upfield; break at 12 yards

INSIDE MAN: SHALLOW DRAG OT +5 alignment, release cleanly, go HARD across formation UNDER the LBs
OUTSIDE MAN: OVER ROUTE; CLEAN vertical release, accelerate vertically, break at 12 Yards.
R FADE: outside vertical release, accelerateto bottom of numbers

Rice
QB: from gun,John
3 step
drop, throw to fade, get plenty of air under the throw, let R run to the ball

zacoach102@aol.com

Husky Variation

Husky Variation

20

CORNER

STAY ON SEAM

##

15

##

10

Top #s

Square
up
Hash

John Rice
zacoach102@aol.com

Z
R

Hash +2

6 Route:
Choice Philosophy

CHOICE
The Choice Route is one of the primary ways we have to isolate an outside receiver!
He runs a great Man-beater route, a Out, or whatever tagged route we give him by
game plan!
The route provides an excellent counter attack vs. defenses that overload to three
receiver sides!
Backside receivers are critical to this playthey are very much in the QBs thought
process and must use good splits and make good decisions to make themselves
available The combination of the In and Seam Read creates a high-low on the LBs!
Play action is a tremendous way to vary this play, causing hesitation by the frontside
linebacker(s) were attacking and opening up throwing lanes for the frontside Out and
the backside Drag!
This is one of our top ways to convert 3rd and long situations with easy throws! The
backside routes also make it a viable Red Zone option!
TAGS/VARIATIONS
KEYS to a successful play:
Individual: Post, Fade, CBk, etc.
1.
2.
3.

Smart pre-snap work and splits by the frontside receiver.

The BS Drag must release, beat LB coverage, and get in the
QBs vision!
The QB must have his hips ready to throw the Out on time, &
thenRice
see the BS receivers clearly as they come to him
John
Zacoach102@aol.com
- t o M A I N D I R E C T O R Y -t o

42-43 Play Action!

66-76 Horn
Backside Tags:

Dagger, Peg, Peg/Dagger Wrap, Over

I N S T R U C T I O N A L -

20

15

choice
##

##

10

OUT
DRAG

4-6

Stairstep v. Man
Y
X

OT +3
R

John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Top #s
Hash +1

10

IKE
Football

Naked Boot

16-14

##

##
F

14-16

C
B
E

B
T

B
S

T E

H
Q

R
X: DEEP COMEBACK; DRIVE UPFIELD 16 YARDS, BREAK IT BACK TO 14 TO BOTTOM OF NUMBERS
INSIDE MAN IN BUNCH: FLAT ARROW Sprint across set under contain rusher and whip head around for ball
POINT MAN: OVER ROUTE; clean release inside, avoid LBs, get depth to between 14-16 yards
OUTSIDE MAN IN BUNCH: POST vertical release, accelerate vertically, break at 7-812Yrds
QB: OPEN FOR ZONE; BOOT OUT; READ FLAT DEFENDER, HIT ARROW IF OPEN TO OVER ROUTE AS 2ND
OPTION
John Rice
zacoach102@aol.com

IKE
Football

SCAT

Vs. 2 deep, Run

##
go pocket

##
F

C
B

E
X

B
S

T E

Pass pro:
90, big on
big, or slide

H
Y
R

BS OUTS: Game Plan Route: Speed Out, Slant, Hitch, or some other quick route pre-planned during game week

POINT MAN: CORNER ROUTE; clean release upfield, head nod inside at 12, break to corner, look for ball outside
OUTSIDE MAN IN BUNCH: SIT ROUTE; push upfield, lower hips and sit at 5 yards off butt of point mans vert release
INSIDE MAN IN BUNCH: Flare: Push off inside foot, slight bow backwards, look for ball on the run, cut upfield
QB: 3 step drop from gun, read flat defender, if goes to flare, hit sit; if retreats , hit flare; corner 3rd option
John Rice
zacoach102@aol.com

DIAMOND BUBBLE SCREEN

3 deep zone Shown

FS
C

B
E

C
B

CUT

X
Y

3
Backside

90 PASS PRO

Z
R

Frontside

DIAMOND X OVER BUBBLE SCREEN

3 deep zone Shown

FS

B
E

CUT

H
Y

3
Backside

90 PASS PRO

Z
R

Frontside

DIAMOND Spacing
3 deep zone Shown

FS
C

ANOTHER
VOID
CREATED

BB
B

VOID
CREATED

B
3 yd Speed
break to 7

X
Y

SPRINT
to 4

Z
R

Backside

3d step: Drill the Arrow through the

shoulder pad if he pops open at all

Frontside

BS OUTS: Game Plan Route: Speed Out, Slant, Hitch, or some other quick route pre-planned during game week
BS INS: SIT. Find a void between defenders and sit down at 5-6 yards
FS INS: ARROW. Attack defenders outside shoulder, break downhill off 2d/3d step, gain depth. Look for ball quickly!
FS MID: SIT. Push hard INSIDE to a depth of 6, sit down in area vacated by inside linebacker.
FS OUTS: Mini CURL. 1 yard middle receiver. Sprint to 3, make a 4 yard speed break to the void left by the flat defender &
drumroll your feet and sit down at 7 yards.
QB: 3-step progression to the Arrow on time. Rip it through his outside shoulder if he gets any clean air at all. If the short
defender runs with him, a void should open up for the Post Curl. Be alert of the LB in front of the Post Curl! Backside Seam
Read is your 3rd option. By call or game plan, can throw the Corner off 5th step if CB is getting nosy on the Post Curl.

Using Motion to Get to Bunch

Formations
C

B
S

B
T

B
T

B
E

E
H

R
Motion from Empty to Complete the Bunch

B
T

B
T

Motion from Backfield

C
B
E
X

B
T

Short Motion from the Outside to Complete

The Bunch
John Rice
Zacoach102@aol.com

Motion from
A Doubles 2 by 2
To Complete the Bunch

B
T

B
T

E
Z

VIDEO CUTS-DVD
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AVAILABLE FOR $5 ON CD

DVD CUTS AVAILABLE FOR $10

JOHN RICE
HEAD COACH
EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL
RIALTO, CA
(951) 537-9902
John Rice
zacoach102@aol.com
Zacoach102@aol.com