What is the difference between play action and run action

Without touching him, the QB and Slot inhibit any fast flow to the ball carrier. Clearly, the receivers and running backs must be ready for anything. The running back must be ready to secure the ball and make his run, but also must be patient enough to let his signal-caller ultimately decide mid-play. Receivers must also recognize there is no room for improvisation. This means receivers must run sudden and precise routes. The passer will be throwing to a spot, so route running is imperative as is beating the press.

But the one common denominator is decision-making. The run-pass option only works if the signal-caller is capable of making great decisions in an instant. The QB will survey the field. This will tell him where the advantage is from a numbers perspective. The conflict defender who usually seems to be either a linebacker or the strong safety will be the man the QB watches intently after the snap. Depending on what the conflict defender does after the snap moves inside, outside, left, right, or even leans in a particular direction the QB will make his decision based on such action.

The video below is great example of Aaron Rodgers calling a bubble screen on one play and reading a conflict defender on another play:. Many of the examples we saw last season only involved the running back running or the quarterback throwing.

But the quarterback also has the option of running the ball himself. We typically see this manifest as a run right up the middle. Good things can still happen RPO pic. This meant not blocking him and having him make the wrong decision the quarterback has to make the right one.

If the defensive end crashes down on the handoff, the quarterback will pull it away from the running back and keep it. If the defensive end stays on the quarterback, he will hand it off to the running back, eliminating the defensive end from chasing down the play backside. Offensive Line: The read-option often features 2 blocking schemes: inside or outside zones.

The offensive lineman will either try to double and slide off the interior lineman to a linebacker for the inside zone, or they will all simultaneously try to reach block a defender in the play-side gap. Running Back: Running backs will fire to the desired hole that is called upon for that play.

This looks like a standard running play from a running back position. Wide Receiver: Wide receivers will typically block or stalk block whoever is matched on them.

Quarterback : As mentioned, the quarterback has the option to give the ball to the running back or pull it away from the running back and run himself. If he hangs back and covers the pass, the quarterback will then hand it off.

This has made the slot corner a valuable position , forcing defenses to cover both run and pass. The offensive line is blocking the run, which forces the quarterback to make a fast decision whether to hand it off or throw it.

Given his history and platform, Billick's statements hold a lot of weight but are teaching fans incorrectly. Being frustrated for fans, today's short piece crystalized. For subscribers, Jake Burns did a great job of using film and play pictures to go even more in-depth on this in July. Run-pass option has become popular over the last few seasons much in the way that zone read had the seasons before that. RPO is exactly what it sounds like, a run or pass option. Who knows whether the play will end up being a run or pass when the ball is snapped?

If he apexes out with the H, the offense can run the trap at will against advantageous box numbers. If the linebacker stays in the box, the quarterback can run the bubble screen or hitch, utilizing the 2-on-1 numbers advantage the offense has in space. If your quarterback can count, he can run an RPO.

All 32 NFL teams run some variation of this RPO: they align the running back to the same side as trips and have him run outside zone with a bubble screen attached to the backside. Aligning the back to Trips put the defense in a particular bind by offsetting the pass and run strength of the offensive formation. They must choose to be one body light to a run to the left or one body light vs Trips to the right.

If the Apex defender No. When a team has a running threat at quarterback, it can really flesh out their RPO packages. By using the quarterback as a runner, the offense can re-establish a numbers advantage in the box.