A Speedy Way to Flip the Field

   One of the watershed moments of my coaching career occurred on a flight to the Senior Bowl when I just happened to sit behind a scout from Canada. Before I knew who he was, I found it striking that on the video players were motioning all over the field, in some cases more than one player at a time. That's when I got a lesson in Canadian football rules, or lack there of, in reference to motions.
    I was struck by the way the motion kept the defense off-balanced before the snap of the ball and was determined to incorporate it into my offensive philosophy.
    Even though American rules for football prevent more than one player in motion before the snap and also prohibit that player from moving towards the line of scrimmage before the snap, I found a way to incorporate "Speed motion" into our offense at Phillip O. Berry High School.  When I became offensive coordinator in 2012, we differentiated between speed motion and slow motion.
   The call "Mo" meant that a receiver would cross the formation as fast as possible and carry that momentum into his route which more than likely was a flat route or wheel route in some cases.  Another speed motion was tagged "orbit" which required the receiver to loop behind the tailback.  We also incorporated a motion from our jet sweep package that required the receiver to run right over the toes of the quarterback.
    As we quickly found these speed motions, allowed us to flip the field from 3x1 to 2x2 and vice versa. In two back sets, we could go from 2x1 to 3x1 or 2x2 by running "bounce" motion with the running back.  That was a little gem that we picked up from coaches like Noel Mazzone and Larry Fedora's staff at coaching clinics.

    This became a great way to challenge the defenses responsibility and force players (not coaches) to make split second decisions.  Don't sleep on that part of the game.
    In the above example, the left slot motions to the right side and becomes the third option in the flood play.  Because our offense was based on concepts, we developed hard rules on numbering.  A receiver motioning to the two receiver side would carry the designation of number 3 and run the corresponding route.
    The hope is the read player designated on the play would be forced to question his responsibilities because he went from dealing with a two receiver concept to a three receiver route in the blink of an eye.  Any bust on the play resulted in a positive play.  In the video below, the motion with the running back, draws the alley defender away from the post run by the number two receiver who makes the catch for a touchdown.  The speed motion allowed the quarterback to make a quicker read and deliver the ball before the receiver was covered up by the safety.  I am a firm believer that every fraction of a second counts in the game of football.

Pass with Bounce

Flash concept with motion

   One other benefit of speed motion is that it makes it really difficult for man-to-man defenders to disrupt a receiver's release. That was one of the things I noticed when watching Canadian football. Speed motion along with picks or rubs can be a deadly combination for you offensively.
     Before incorporating speed motion into your offense, I would recommend teaching:

1) Base passing plays conceptually and make sure that every receiver learns the corresponding routes.
2) How each motion changes the numbering of the wide receivers.
3) Quarterbacks to understand pre-snap reads and how motion will adjust those reads. After all, the offense knows what coming and the defense does not.

Below is a link to some Canadian football. Hopefully, it will spark some ideas for how to attack defenses with motion.

Canadian Football Video