Flexbone Offense 3-Pack

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).

The Flexbone offense can win championships at every level because of its ability to run the ball and produce big plays in the passing game. This is your opportunity to learn what makes the Flexbone so difficult to defend!

Aaron Hafner uses a PowerPoint as well as game film to break down the dynamic run game in his Flexbone offense. The offense is diagrammed against odd and even defenses as well as the adjustments used versus each front.

The Flexbone has a read key and pitch key on each play. Coach Hafner believes in teaching the entire team both on every play implemented so everyone has a better understanding of the offense and so players will have fewer mental mistakes on game day.

Three Triple Option Plays

Coach Hafner uses diagrams and shows several clips of game footage to illustrate three triple option plays. Each play is designed to attack a specific gap, which allows the offense to read a specific player rather than block that player. Hafner shows examples of each play with adjustments against several common defensive fronts, including the 4-3, 6-1, 3-3, 3-4, and bear defensive fronts. You will:

• Learn the basic inside veer play which attacks the B gap, including how to identify the dive key and pitch key against several different fronts.
• Learn the midline triple play which attacks the A gap and allows the offense to read a dominant interior lineman.
• Learn the outside veer play which attacks the C gap and allows for the quarterback to get to the perimeter more quickly. It also allows the offense to attack a tight end side with a triple option scheme.
• See how Hafner uses formations, motions, and various personnel groups to give the defense different looks while maintaining the same plays for his offense.

Three Double Option Schemes

Coach Hafner diagrams the midline, belly option, and counter or freeze option against various defensive fronts, complete with several adjustments to each play. The double option series is designed to attack a specific gap, but only involves the quarterback making one read rather than two. These plays are a perfect complement to the triple option series that form the base of the Flexbone scheme. You will learn:

• The midline option play which attacks the A gap like the midline triple, but features a give or QB keep option rather than a pitch component. Hafner diagrams this play against several defenses and offers key coaching points for all players to carry out their assignments.
• The belly option scheme that is designed to look like inside veer, but takes advantage of a hard squeezing defensive end. This scheme gives the offense an extra blocker at the point of attack and can be a potent weapon.
• The counter and freeze option play which gives the offense a counter scheme while maintaining a pitch phase. Hafner also explains when to use the freeze tag and how it only changes two players' responsibilities.

Two Non-Option Plays

Coach Hafner concludes this presentation by diagramming the rocket toss and zone dive plays. These plays allow the offense to get the ball to a specific player rather than having to go through an option progression, and are designed to complement the option series. You will learn:

• The blocking rules and see several formation adjustments that can be used with the rocket toss. Hafner explains how the play is used to get the ball to an athletic slot on the perimeter quickly.
• How to run the zone dive play allows the fullback to make one cut based on the reaction of one down lineman. The zone dive is designed to look like the inside veer and can help the offense take advantage of over-pursuing defensive teams.

Coach Hafner does an excellent job explaining the basic plays he uses in his Flexbone offense!

99 minutes. 2018.

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.

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

and Payton Haynes, former Luther College Offensive Coordinator

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).

Nothing frustrates or demoralizes an opposing defense more than a running attack they can't stop. The Flexbone isn't new, but it has undoubtedly earned its right to be respected when run correctly. In this video, Aaron Hafner, with years of experience as a Flexbone coach at the college level, shows you how to build a championship-caliber Flexbone offense.

Offensive Line Drills

No offense on earth can be productive without the beasts up front. The Flexbone offense requires specific blocking schemes, which means specific repetitions to get your players to execute with muscle memory on game day. Coach Hafner uses a PowerPoint, practice film, and a whiteboard to diagram the offensive line drill progression in the Flexbone offense, including:

• Chute progression drills to teach the drive block.
• Double team blocking across the line.
• Veer releases and how to get linemen to the second level of the defense.
• Long and short scoop blocking schemes to cut off backside pursuit.
• A two bag drill to teach linemen how to come off the first level defender and attack the second level linebacker.

Running Back Drills

Running backs are the thoroughbreds of the Flexbone, and they need special attention if you're going to execute the amazing triple option. In this portion of the video, you will see:

• Bag drills for agility.
• Ball drills for ball handling and keeping possession.
• Pitch drills.
• Mesh drills.
• 2 ball drills for situational football.
• Full read drills for the triple and double options.

Wide Receiver Drills

Some coaches may think that receivers get neglected in the Flexbone offense. Not so! Receivers can be 'home run hitters' by either breaking the big touchdown run with a key downfield block, or by catching the deep ball on a surprise play-action pass. Your receiving corps can be the difference between a win or loss on almost every play. In this video, you will see:

• Proper stance and get-offs.
• Cone drills for agility and routes.
• ABC/Mirror drill for stalk blocking.
• Slam drill for crack blocking.
• 3-on-3 drill for quick screens and the general passing game.

Sometimes, coaches implement an offense without understanding the necessary drill work to make the offense work properly. That problem is eliminated with these breakdown drills for the Flexbone from Coach Hafner!

87 minutes. 2018.