Developing An Offensive Philosophy: Building Your Pyramids

This approach is based off Central Connecticut State’s offensive pyramid building system. I suggest taking this system a step further, and make a pyramid for both the run and pass games. This will allow you to be more detailed within the development of your offensive identity.

Building the base of your pyramids, selecting your core group of run and pass plays. These plays are going to be the staple of your offense, your true identity – your bread and butter – so to speak.

Core Pass

Core Run

The next tier of your pyramids will be comprised of your complementary plays. A complementary play is one that resembles a core play at the initial snap of the ball, and works in tandem with one or more of your core plays. You need these plays to keep the defense from overplaying what you like to do most.

Complementary Pass

Complementary Run

The final tier of your pyramids will be comprised of your constraint plays. This final section will contain screens, draws, reverses, and play action passes. Just as complementary plays keep the defense honest, so do constraint plays, just in a different manner.

HB Draw

WR Screen

Play Action Pass

WR Reverse

Without defining your core, complementary, and constraint plays, you only have a random collection of plays. By defining these, it gives you a true offensive philosophy, a methodology, one in which all your plays work together. It gives your offense rhyme and reason, and creates a cohesiveness that will make your offense a true sum of it’s total parts.