Utilizing Motion in Your Offense| Youth Football

Utilizing Motion in Your Offense

The majority of youth football teams do not utilize any sort of motion in their offense. So if you decide to implement motion defenses will have a difficult time adjusting. I feel that motion is one of the most underrated and underutilized tactics in youth football.  Here are 4  reasons why utilizing motion in your offense is a good idea:

Creates Conflict

Motions like jet and rocket will put the defense in conflict. Executing plays like jet and rocket sweep will  attack the edge of the defense very quickly. Jet sweep and rocket sweep will allow the ball carrier to receive a pitch or hand off while running at full speed. It will force defenses to over shift or roll defenders to the motion side. If they don’t shift, then you will keep gutting them for big yardage.  Once the defense starts to over shift, they open themselves up for plays that attack the opposite side or even inside of the motion.  Many coaches will not know how to adjust to the motion, especially if they do not scout your team and practice their adjustments/shifts in practice. Teams that have to change or adjust to the motion on the fly usually do not fair very well. There will be massive confusion with their defense if they have not prepared for it in practice.

This video shows how we use our Jet Power Play when the defenses over flow to the motion in an effort to stop jet sweep. Above video contains whiteboard instruction and game footage.

Overload

You can use motion to send another blocker to the point of attack. You can use a motion back to lead block, kick out or trap block. It will also create an unbalanced formation. Since many coaches do not adjust their defenses to an unbalanced formation, it will give your offense the blocker/defender ratio advantage. Using motion is also a man to man coverage killer. Having a player go in motion will force a defender to follow the motion player. You can use the motion to clear out a side.  You can use motion to also take their best player out of the game by making him follow the motion back. There are many excellent passing routes that a motion play can execute as well. If the defense is playing man to man and no one runs across the formation with the motion player, throw a pass to him.

(See Also) Beating man to man coverage.

Changing the Strength of the Formation

You can use motion to change the strength of the formation. You can start off in a balanced formation and motion a wing-back or receiver across to the other side of the formation. Most of the time defenses do not adjust properly. When you are constantly motioning and shifting it puts a lot of pressure on the defense to align properly. We run motion 70 % of the time and I would say 75% of the time the defenses do not adjust properly, or they don’t adjust at all!  Motion a player across and have him lead block on a sweep play. See the lead sweep below:

(See Also) Lead Sweep Play 

Deception

Deception is vital in youth football!  Having plays that offer deception will make the defense read instead of just reacting. Motion will make the linebackers and secondary react indecisively because they are not sure where the play is going. Motion will also draw eyes. Every single defender will be eyeing the motion player. Once the defense starts over playing to the motion side you can hit them with a counter or inside trap play.  Having a player come in motion creates big problems for defensive coordinators. Watch our QB Wedge play. You can see on the video how the jet motion influences all the defenders. It’s like taking candy from a baby.

(See Also) QB Iso off Jet Motion

(See Also) Post-Wheel Concept off of Jet Sweep

Utilizing Jet and Rocket Motion

Jet Motion

In Jet Motion the motion player comes straight across the formation horizontally. This motion is used when running jet sweep. This motion is also a great way to get a lead blocker in front of the running back and to deceive the defense. The best thing about jet motion is that even if you don’t have fast players, the jet sweep will allow them to get at full speed while the defense is standing still.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(See Also) Jet Sweep in Youth Football

(See Also) Shotgun Wing T Playbook  (Jet Motion Series)

Rocket Motion

A deeper motion that will allow the ball carrier to get the ball and get down hill when blocking or receiving a pitch. Usually rocket motion goes right behind a fullback or half back. Plays off of rocket motion offer very good deception and allows the running back to get the ball far outside.  You literally only have to block 2-3 plays for massive yardage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(See Also)  Rocket Sweep in Youth Football

Utilizing Motion in Your Offense- Motion Rules:

Please Note: The motion player cannot go or lean forward while in motion. The motion player is not allowed to gain any ground going forward until the ball is snapped, or it is a penalty. A motion player can go backwards and or horizontally, but not forward.