This past weekend, I joined thousands of coaches from all over the country in Orlando FL for the USA Football National Conference. I was honored with the opportunity of presenting a “chalk talk” with my fellow coaches. My topic was 1 Scheme…Multiple Plays. In front of a large crowd, I shared our best run blocking scheme (Counter/Dart) and a variety of runs we call with it to both the running back and quarterback. 
Yes. Counter and Dart are the same scheme for us. It is a man scheme. Playside Tackle blocks #2 on the LOS (DE), Playside Guard blocks #1 on LOS (DT), Center blocks Middle to Backside LB (Mike), Backside Guard blocks #1 on LOS (DT), Backside Tackle lead pulls to block 1st Playside LB (Sam) and Tight End blocks #2 on LOS backside (DE). All plays run to the side of the Running back are Counter. All plays opposite the back ‘s alignment are Dart. By incorporating motions, we shared a dozen of our best plays all blocked the same way by the offensive line. The philosophy of our run game is to let the OLine play with confidence and the ball handlers have fun. We ran this scheme 98 times for a total of 763 yards this season. That does not include the times we called the scheme but threw Bubble, Smoke or an Isolation Route. We averaged 7.8 yards per run with this scheme. Moreover, our starting quarterback averaged 9.3 yards on QB Counter/Dart and our starting running back averaged 8.2 yards per carry with the Counter/Dart Scheme. I shared the Jump Set technique we use when man blocking a defender with an outside alignment (Playside Tackle with a 5 tech or Guard with a 3 tech) to influence him upfield and away from the point of attack. I showed how the Center combos with the Guard who has an A gap defender and the technique as well as the communication used for the Pulling Tackle.
The discussion carried on long past my allotted time with coaches who had other thoughts on how they could incorporate this philosophy into their offenses. Later that night, I was invited to join coaches from New Jersey, Ohio, Arkansas, Texas, and California who had also presented. We shared ideas, plays, and philosophies until late into the night. We will be incorporating some of those ideas in our Spring practices.
Please join us on March 25th at The Hun School in 
Princeton, NJ for our 17th Annual Alercio O-Line Clinic. We’ll be talking individual and team techniques, as well as strategies and tactics for teaching and coaching the very same methods and plays that were the foundations of St Johnsbury’s 2017 Vermont State Championship.
Click on the brochure to download yours, sign up, and join us in Princeton.
Although this is a non-contact camp, we recognize that there is the risk of concussion with the sport of football. For education materials on concussions please visit the USA Football at www.usafootball.com
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss team building, coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for your time!
O Line Skills 