DEFENDING RPO OFFENSIVE SCHEMES

9/20/2016

By Vince DiGaetano

Many offenses put stress on the defense by implementing run-pass options (RPOs) into its
playbooks. This allows the ability to stretch the field vertically and horizontally while
loosening the box and opening up lanes and gaps in the running game.
The RPO scheme deals with a series of presnap reads that determine the area to attack
and the type of play to call.
The difference
A traditional option run game normally has three phases to it: the dive, the quarterback and
the pitch. This allows the defense to dedicate defenders to the run and gap and remain gap
sound with numbers while stringing the play out to the sideline.
Where RPOs differ from the traditional triple option or spread option game is the ability to
infuse various pass concepts as a second and third phase of the game taking advantage of
the entire field.
In traditional option, offenses count the flank of the defender from the offensive guard to the
sideline. In RPO schemes, the look is to the perimeter flank as well as the number of deep
defenders in pass coverage.
Break down the opponent
When preparing to defend an RPO scheme, remember that not all RPOs are alike. Teams
try to gain leverage with their best players and take advantage in different ways.
The keys to this success are manipulations that are tagged to the back sides of plays.
Preparation for these types of offenses are not just a breakdown of where plays happen but
why they happen based on how the defense is aligned in two main areas: the interior box
and the pass coverage shell.
Run scheme
In the run scheme, there should be a number of components to look at when determining
what to defend. They include:
Gap runs versus zone runs
Runs based off backfield sets
Pistol runs versus gun runs
How the center and offensive line accounts for the nose or closest defender to the ball?
Where is the quarterback-running back mesh occurring?
Pass scheme
In the pass scheme, there are a number of components to determine when defending. They
include:
Bubble scheme
Crossing routes
Vertical routes
Stick/option routes
Screens
Importance of self-scout
A self-scout of your defense has tremendous value in preparation for a multi-faceted RPO
scheme in order to identify areas that an offense will attempt to exploit.
The self-scout of performance should be based on scheme and personnel to identify not
only what you do well but how you align against multiple formations. RPO offenses look to
take advantage of formation leverage along with motions tagged to the formations to gain
leverage.
Consider this: Where there is a hole they will find a hole.
Specifically, the areas that should be considered are:
Alignment to 2-by-2 spread formations
Adjustments to motion
Adjustments to 3-by-1 formations
Alignment to backfield set and tight ends
Amount of time you are in one-high and two-high safety looks
How much three-down and four-down looks you are in
Alignments and movement
Presnap alignment and movement are key to defending RPO offenses, because the offense
lives off of leverage and the ability to make quick decisions. It is important to appear gap
sound presnap because cheating over a gap or trying to play a tendency will lead not only
to a play being run in the other direction but quicker, opening the possibility for a more
explosive play.
RPO offenses are so multi-faceted, which requires defenders to play with discipline.
Movement and showing pressure allows for defenses to change the look without changing
scheme. This also gives the ability to time up pressures when an offense attempts to get
into a rhythm, keeping it off-balance.
As most offense are able to identify the defense based on positons and personnel, placing
them in different areas of the scheme creates delay in presnap identification leading to
mistakes.
Stay rules based and gap sound
When defending an RPO offense, it is important to keep as many of your option rules as
sound as possible while adding simple exchanges to them.
A major key is varying the read of the quarterback. This could include exchanging
responsibilities of the end player on the line of scrimmage and the inside linebackers to buy
them more time in the read and prevent the quarterback from making a quick read,
especially between run and pass.
Full flow read and split flow reads
When determining how to defend a teams RPO scheme, it is important to look at the types
of backfield actions that take place.
Like in most option offenses, there is a mesh phase between the quarterback and running
back. In order to remain gap sound versus the run game and distribute in the pass game, it
is important for the interior players to read run keys first and understand the difference
between full flow and split flow mesh.
This helps in determining where the pass phase will stretch the defense and give the
defensive the ability to commit more to the pass game immediately.
SEE ALSO: Inside zone run-pass options
SEE ALSO: RPO off of a power read
Vince DiGaetano is the football program analyst at Wagner College. A USA Football Master
Trainer, he was a finalist for the 2014 American Football Coaches Association Assistant
Coach of the Year award. Before Wagner, he was the linebacker coach at Nassau
Community College, the defensive coordinator at SUNY-Maritime and the defensive
coordinator at DeWitt Clinton (N.Y.) High School. DiGaetano also is a recruiting coordinator
for the Long Island and New York Public School Athletic League.