Trap

[CoachSpencer82]

What are your trap rules?  I think every team can be a trap team.  What do y'all think?

[Wes Elrod]

2 hours ago, CoachSpencer82 said:

What are your trap rules?  I think every team can be a trap team.  What do y'all think?

G trap is most difficult block of all IMO. 
It simply has the most variables of all the blocks. 
Forget “rules”……..Block edges!!

Post/Lead/LBer with occasional Trick (influence)” and Sucker vs well coached teams 

Do you need trap….YES!

oce

[CoachDerz]

This is a question that I, too, have been wrestling with as of late. Trying to find a good trap play, that we could use as a staple year-in-and-year-out. There are two theories on running traps, run traps towards flow when the defense goes outside, and counter traps; run traps away from flow when the defense stays home to watch for bootleg. There's wide-traps where you trap from B-gap out, and short-traps where you trap the 3 technique for an A-gap play. Influence OL blocking schemes, and down/man blocking schemes. I've seen us run all of them at some point or another. My all-time favourite trap is a short-trap to the QB off Jet, towards flow from the gun. Several of my option mentors at the college level have had various traps in their playbooks. 2 I know of are firm believers in the trap/trap option concept, but currently Navy only runs those away from the 3 technique as a wide-trap play, however even though it's a wide-trap play, the FB cuts off the centre for an A-gap path. My other friend, retired from UWRF, wants to run it as a short-trap play, but becomes wide-trap vs. various fronts with no 3-technique, and will run the trap option to either side with no hesitation.  He also used to run a counter short-trap to the QB off Triple, but I'm too scared to even look at that. Then my remaining 2 friends had it in their playbooks and scrapped it because they hated it, one of those 2 decided to run a counter short-trap to the FB off Triple, the other one never installed another version of trap and doesn't believe that it's a staple. I think I agree with Coach Elrod though, I do believe you need some sort of trap play in the playbook. I guess I do like trap/trap option but it's expensive as all hell to teach your QB to ride the FB into the LoS being blind to the pitch key, turn inside and run the double option. At the 1-platoon HS level, we ran this as an automatic pitch rather than a true option. At any level, you're gonna have to find several things in your playbook to throw out in order to use it, for this reason I like counter option better than trap option. At the NFL level you'll occasionally see a counter trap to an offset FB, but mostly I've seen flow-side wide- and short-traps to the HB (particularly from the Rams who like it off Jet).  Then there's the classic Wing-T B-gap counter HB tackle trap off the power series. This one has become one of my favourites, at least on paper, but I'd prefer to run it off Belly steps than power steps, just because Belly is more relevant to me, but I'm not sure if the FB can keep the DE outside off belly tracks as opposed to the power tracks. The one that I'm experimenting with right now is a QB-Draw trap off 3 step half-roll action. But our spring season has been all messed-up due to some of those nasty spring blizzards, and I'm not sure we'll have time to install it, but if we do I'll let you know how it goes. 

[Wes Elrod]

Denny.

That is a lot of if's and and's.........................chuckle but all good

The very easiest trap to run IMHO is the Tackle Trap (what I call 0 & 1 W) especially in HS. The reason I say especially in HS is.................... (and I think Denny will agree). HS defenses are uncivilized wheras College defenses are civilized. Some HS's never know where they will line up; Colleges generally are fairly predictable as to how they will align............blocking them is the problem.

The Tackle Trap will work vs just about any look without all the ifs and ands BUT (always a BUT) there are 2 things that are a must.

1.) Always run with a TRICK (influence)

2.) Always run to the 3-line (* you can run to the 2-line; I did not include on this post but will if anyone would like to see it

*downside is that it is a bit slower trap

I also think that the addition of the Rocket has made it better.............that Rock fake over the top really enhances the play IMO..................plus the Boot pass off this action is an absolute killer. Your Rock fake becomes the Z blocker (protector) for the QB Boot. You DO NOT have to pull any lineman.

I am attaching the diagrams. One is from Book, 2nd one is the one scenario when you CANNOT TRICK. Third is the great Boot Pass off this action using the Rock protector

enjoy

oce

B Rock-Ctr 40 W to 2 & 3-line & the Boot Pass.pdf

[CoachSpencer82]

If you like trap option there is a video of East Carolina vs Florida State 1988 on youtube, ECU running trap option.  Past couple years we've only ran G trap strong, usually as a counter away from motion, we trap first man head up to outside of strong guard, if there is a defender in A gap we make a "loosey" call, block down and trap trap the next man out.  Wasn't a great play for us from the gun last year, but I've always been able to get mileage with it from under center, probably haven't used it enough. 

[Wes Elrod]

Coach Moore had some very specific suggestions on FB trap.................

One was the FB HAS THE MIDLINE...........HIS AIMING POINT IS THE CENTERS'S BUTT CRACK.  His break right (0X) or break left (1X) occurs when he gets into the area of the C's body..................... QB gets off midline!

THUS IMHO a Loosy call is deal breaker. Time waster (practice) and memory (brain bleeder).

The Center is only lineman that has 2 "edges". I trap outside "edges" NOT outside GAPS. I adjust GAPS to make area outside "edge" either narrower or wider.

The only call I will have on FB trap is the CHOKE CALL by the Center when the pulling G and C are both covered. C has to block back on defender on BSG; PSG has to block (lead) on NG by himself (his normal block on C covered dbl-team). Now if I get that a lot; I probably am not going to run trap a lot that game.

Another solution is to CHECK 30 or 31. Call Trap at LOS for best distance from C's "edge". Now you have to eliminate motion (Joker or Rock) from the play IMO. Too much brain bleed

just my old thoughts...............good comments

oce

[CoachSpencer82]

I've never loved the loosey call for that reason, I want the back on midline, just the way I learned it.  I like the idea of calling it the LOS, but also like you said if not getting the look I like, probably not running a lot of trap that night.  My first year coaching (2007) I watched a little tiny christian school with about 18/19 kids beat a 3A school to death with jet and trap at a scrimmage.  3A in North Carolina is about 1100-1400 kids, wish I still had that film.

[Crashonbuck]

We run the W trap 0,1 and we run the X trap (very seldom)..The W trap was one of better plays, we run it of belly typically..This year looking at running it Long (as we would call it) 2,3 edge off rocket fake..

[CoachSpencer82]

Crashonbuck, are you talking about a wham type block?

[Crashonbuck]

No. Red right 

Fb runs belly fills for W. Aims at backside hip. 

B back rock motion

A back jab steps and come under qb. 

W traps 0 edge. 

Playside is dependent on lb in box. We trick it sometimes. 

[Crashonbuck]

We call it 

B ROCK BELLY CTR 20W

[CoachDerz]

Coach Spencer, In Coach Elrod's verbiage, "W" means OT pulls, so Crashonbuck is describing Tackle-Trap off Belly action to you. That's where the "W" comes in, for the OT, not the wing... (Verbiage always different from staff to staff, for me "W" was pulling wing, "K" was pulling tackle.)

[CoachSpencer82]

Ok, I was thinking W meant wingback, that's why I had a wham block in mind.  Thanks.

[Crashonbuck]

My bad. 

[Crashonbuck]

But. I will say this. Trap is one of those plays I think u need. I'm blessed with 2 very good oline coaches (one old and 1 young.) Who do a great job of teaching pull steps and teaching our oline calls. I used to worry about getting a funcky front but now, I'll  call a trap and know our oline will check into the right call.