Compression Passing Attack

Maginot Jante

Compression Passing Attack Winning NCAA Strategies

It may sound like the biggest contradiction in football, but I believe when you combine a compression passing attack package into a spread offense, you can increase your success. Spread offenses generally have trouble finishing when the field becomes compressed, or when you need to run effective plays in short yardage situations. While the quick series is very effective in the spread, there is no reason to not add a compression passing package, which allows you to threaten almost all areas of the field. Compression style passing attacks are seldom found in the college football world. Most are more concerned with spreading the field out, for a variety of reasons, either to create blocking leverage or expose coverage’s through spacing. The goal of a compression passing attack is to open up areas of the defense for attack and to create rub routes. It also makes it easier for the QB; they will almost never have to make any of the “NFL Grade” throws that daunt most college QB’s (15 Yard out, 15 Yard Comeback). The goal of the compression series is not to base an offense around it, but as an added element to your passing attack. The first advantage of a compressed formation is it allows you to read coverage’s, not necessarily Cover 2 or Cover 3, but man or zone coverage. Here are examples of a half compressed half spread formation versus man and zone coverage.

In the first diagram, you see both a spread look and a compression look versus a common zone alignment. On the spread side, you can see the defenders are separated, creating its own advantages. On the compression side, you can see that the defenders are much closer, and in the event that the slot receiver goes to the flat, the corner is the only player who can guard him, which opens up the outside receiver to become open on a hitch route or a 6 yard out. The second diagram shows man coverage versus a spread and a compressed look. On the spread side you can see both defenders have plenty of room to operate, as do the receivers, which again, has its own set of advantages. On the compressed side, you can see the both defenders are practically next to each other, which means that if the receivers mesh their routes, the defenders will either collide, or one of your receivers will rub the other defender, slowing him down, opening up the other receiver. The compression side’s sideline is also now wide open, no defenders in position to defend it effectively at the snap. The second advantage of a compression formation is that your receiver can attack all areas of his side of the field. Not often are most receivers in a position to run any route in the book. Let’s look at some common alignments and their drawbacks first.

Compression Passing Attack 1 Here’s a common trips formation. The outside most receiver is in good position to run a slant or a post or even a drag, but he is completely useless to use on any outside release route other than a fade. The most inside receiver can run a drag, slant, In, or a post very effectively, but he’s not very effective at attacking anything to the sideline. The middle receiver is very effective at running flares, outs, and flags, but not many routes straight up the field or to the middle, with the exception of a drag route. Now let’s look at a bunch formation. All 3 receivers are in position to attack any areas of the field. The outside receiver can run a slant or a post, the middle receiver can release straight up the field effectively, or get open on a post, and the inside receiver can release to the sideline effectively. Any receiver can run most any route in the book. While the trips formations has it’s place, the bunch is more effective at maximizing effectiveness. The biggest advantage of compression formation routes is the natural rubs created by their alignment. “Natural” means that the receiver runs into the defender without having to throttle down or single out the defender. While the basis of the spread passing attack is reading a progression or coverage, the basis of the compression offense is generally bumping defenders off of their path and opening up receivers that way. Here’s an example of a common quick series throw made out of spread sets adapted to a compression formation. Here is a simple curl/flat play out of the spread look. You will generally read the corner and

react based on who he covers, the defenders play art shows man coverage, because the CB stays on the receiver while the Sam linebacker chases, so you will throw the flat route for about a 4-6 yard gain, a successful quick series play. Now let’s look at this same play, but only from a compressed formation. Here you can see the receivers are very close together at the snap. This is man coverage, based on the alignment of the defenders. At the snap the outside receiver will run up field, while the inside slot receiver will dart to the sidelines. As you can see by the defenders play art, they will collide, and since the Sam is in chase mode, a collision will put him at a big disadvantage. This leaves the slot wide open in the flats, allowing you to throw it over the shoulder and run for a big gain. This isn’t the only combination that will cause the rub effect, any combination where the receiver’s paths mesh will cause a rub. The rub series is basically the compression offense’s version of the quick series. The last major advantage of passing out of a compressed formation is that the receivers release naturally flood zones, whether intentional or not. Let’s look at a common pick route run out of the bunch, usually against man coverage, and how it also floods a zone in the process. To the left we have a pick route designed for the middle receiver. The only problem is that this is not man coverage. This is not an issue for the play however, because we are flooding the Will linebackers zone. The hitch route will force the Will to hold his position in order to cover him, while the drag moves across his zone, forcing

Compression Passing Attack 2 him to run with him in order to cover him. The fade will also pull the corner out of the play, if not, he will be open on a quick dump. So at the snap you just watch how the Will reacts, if he runs with the drag, you throw the hitch to the outside shoulder and turn up field, and if he sits with the hitch, throw the drag fast once he crosses the Will’s face. I would rather have the middle receiver run a Spot route to prevent him from running into a backer, but the drag will do in this case. The compression attack is a great package to add to a spread offense to increase its effectiveness. It can also be added to pro style attacks, but they are generally based on the run game and play action, while the spread is more based on advantage in numbers and leverage.

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