with Aaron Hafner,
Olathe Northwest (KS) High School Head Coach;
former Luther College Head Coach;
former William Penn University Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach;
2010 Midwest League Champions; 2008 Midwest League Assistant Coach of the Year
Coach Hafner's Flexbone attack led the Iowa Conference for five straight seasons (2013-17). During that time his offense ranked in the top-10 of the NCAA D-III in rushing yards per game, including finishing second in 2014. In 2017, Luther set a single season school record of 3,409 rushing yards and also tied the single game rushing record (579).
In an offense that utilizes few pass attempts, a great scheme and play action passing game is essential.
In this video, Aaron Hafner shows how to develop a strong Flexbone passing game that relies on play action passing and high percentage throws. Using on-screen diagrams and videos, Hafner breaks down the basics of his 3-step passing attack.
You'll see how Hafner uses 30 and 31 personnel to take advantage of a versatile tight end. Additionally, you will discover the benefits of using a 3-step drop and how you can use three types of play action (drop back, sprint outs and boots) to help complement your running game.
Formations
Learn how to use 30 and 31 personnel, plus a versatile tight end, to gain mismatches versus a defense. You will learn:
- How to use 6 formations in 30 personnel, such as: Spread Wide, Spread Mid and Spread Trips.
- How to use 6 formations in 31 personnel, such as: Spread TE Flex, TE Attached Trips and Double Attached TE.
- How to gain leverage on safeties by using multiple formations.
3-Step Drop
Coach Hafner gives you the keys to build your 3-step drop passing game. You'll learn how to get easy reads for your quarterback and how to get 1-on-1 match-ups for your receivers. Hafner presents the four primary routes used in this offense:
- The Hitch route and concept; used when the corners are soft.
- The Slant route; used versus Cover 3 and a great way to attack the curl zone.
- The Fade route; used versus press coverage, allowing for home run plays.
- The Down route; similar to the Slant, used versus 2 High coverages.
Play Action Passing Game
The play action off of the Inside Veer is the "bread and butter" in Coach Hafner's offense. It is critical to keep the secondary from playing the run only. You'll see how seven route combinations such as Post/Wheel, Slot Verticals and Smash/Corner are used in play action football. You will also see:
- How to take advantage of an aggressive secondary.
- How to get your QB on the move to utilize their running abilities.
- How to sell the rocket toss and inside veer toss to set up your play action pass.
Coach Hafner details how the use of three variations of play action football (drop backs, sprint outs and boots) can effectively develop your passing game. The Sprint Out allows the quarterback to run if the route scheme is covered. The Boot passing game presents additional pressure for the defense with the use of misdirection to take advantage of the weak side when the defense over-commits to the run game.
Pass Protections
Learn how to use three simple protections to have a drop back or play action passing game versus both odd and even defenses. The simplicity of the scheme means few mental errors up front. You will also see:
- How to block even fronts with man protection and how to block odd defensive fronts with slide protections.
- How to get your center to make the correct protection calls.
- How to use fan blocking techniques when doing play action boots.
This video is a must-have for coaches who want to have their Flexbone quarterbacks make quick decisions, get wide receivers 1-on-1 match-ups, and run simple offensive line protections.
57 minutes. 2018.