Defending the Option and the RPO
Option football and run-pass options make one defender choose wrong on purpose. Here is how defenses assign, read and tackle their way through both, and where the plan breaks down.
Most plays in football ask the defense to guess what the offense will do and prepare for several possibilities at once. Option plays and run-pass options (RPOs) go one step further. They are designed so that the offense does not decide what to run until the play has started, and the decision depends on what one particular defender does.
That is a nasty problem for a defense. If the defender commits to stopping one thing, the quarterback gives the ball to someone else. If he hesitates, the quarterback takes advantage of the pause. Coordinators have a few reliable ways of attacking the problem, and none of them are magic. They rely on discipline, assignments and repetition. This article walks through how defenses prepare for both kinds of plays, and why preparation time is such a big part of the story.
The basic idea behind an option
In a classic option play, the quarterback runs toward the line of scrimmage with the ball and watches a specific defender, called the read key. If the defender moves to stop the quarterback, the quarterback hands the ball off or pitches it. If the defender moves to stop the handoff, the quarterback keeps it and runs. The defender cannot do both, which is exactly the point.
The triple option stretches this across three possible ball carriers.
- The dive. A running back takes a quick handoff straight up the middle behind interior blockers.
- The keep. If the first defender stays home to tackle the dive, the quarterback keeps the ball and runs outside.
- The pitch. If the next defender attacks the quarterback, he pitches the ball to a trailing back, who runs to the edge.
Each of the three options is "read" in sequence by different defenders. The offense wins when a defender is forced to choose and chooses wrong. The details of how teams build this offense are covered in our guide to the triple-option offense and the service academy approach and the broader overview of option football.
Assignment football: giving every threat a defender
The defensive answer to an option is surprisingly simple on paper: assign a defender to every possible ball carrier and tell each one to stay with his man no matter what happens. This is called assignment football.
- One defender is responsible for the dive and takes the first back.
- One is responsible for the quarterback and has to tackle him even after a fake.
- One is responsible for the pitch and has to take the trailing back every time, even if the quarterback keeps the ball.
If every defender takes the player he is assigned and does not worry about what the offense might do, the offense has no free run. The quarterback keeps the ball and is tackled by the defender assigned to him. The pitch man follows the pitch back and is not fooled by a fake. The dive man tackles the dive.
The problem is human nature. A defender who sees the quarterback run toward the sideline wants to chase him. The pitch man, seeing the quarterback with the ball, wants to help. Every time a defender leaves his assignment, someone else is free. That is why coaches say that option defense is "all about being honest."
Techniques on the defensive line
Defensive ends and tackles face the first two reads in most triple-option plays, and their techniques vary by scheme.
Crash
A defender who "crashes" attacks the dive back immediately, ignoring the quarterback. This stops the dive, but it means the quarterback can keep and run around the crashing defender. A crash only works if somebody else is assigned to the quarterback, usually a linebacker or safety who scrapes over the top.
Squeeze and slow play
A defender who "slow plays" stays square at the line, takes away the quarterback's outside path and waits to see what the quarterback does. If the quarterback hands off, the defender tackles the back. If he keeps, the defender is in position. This tactic is patient and demands strong tackling, because the defender has to make a play on a runner who has already crossed the line.
Spill and force
A common structure is to spill the ball carrier outside and force him to run toward the sideline, where other defenders help. The defense accepts that the play will go outside, then pins it to the sideline with defenders in good leverage. A defender on the edge squeezes the ball toward the boundary, forcing the quarterback to pitch early or run into help.
Scrape exchange
When the end crashes down, an inside linebacker "scrapes" over the top, filling the vacated space and taking the quarterback. The two defenders exchange assignments in motion. It sounds simple, but the timing is delicate, and one late step turns the exchange into a gap.
Dealing with cut blocks
Option teams often use low blocks to take defenders to the ground, and defenders have to protect their legs while still doing their jobs. Techniques include staying low, using hands to knock away a blocker's head, keeping feet moving and refusing to engage a lineman's shoulder. Rules restrict where and how low blocks may be used, and the limits differ among the NFL, college and high school. A defender who is unsure of the rules should ask his coach.
This is another reason option defense is hard to practice at full speed. Coaches have to balance realistic reps with the safety of players, particularly for defenders who will be blocked at the knees.
The preparation problem
Option football is unusual in that most defenses see it only once or twice a year. A team that runs a full triple option every week practices it every day. The opposing defense has one week, and that week is spent on other things as well.
This gap matters. A defense that has not practiced the option has not built the muscle memory to stay in assignment when the play speeds up. Coaches therefore try to simulate it in practice: the scout team runs the option, defenders repeat the same read dozens of times, and film from the opponent's past games is studied to detect tendencies. Some staffs install special game-plan adjustments, such as a different alignment, a different front or a smaller set of calls, to reduce the number of things a defender must remember.
The real key is still discipline. A defender who thinks he has to win the whole play by himself is the one who gets beaten.
What an RPO is, and why it is different
A run-pass option is a play in which the quarterback has a handoff or a pass available, and he decides after the snap based on a read of a defender. The offensive linemen block as if the play is a run. Receivers run quick routes such as slants, bubble screens and short outs. The quarterback holds the ball, looks at the read defender and chooses.
If the linebacker steps up to stop the run, the quarterback throws the quick pass behind him. If the linebacker drops to cover the pass, the quarterback gives the ball to the running back. We cover the offense in more detail in run-pass options explained. Here is the defensive version of the problem.
An RPO is not the same as an option. In an option, the quarterback chooses between two ball carriers on a running play. In an RPO, he chooses between a run and a pass. That means the defense has to cover the run, the pass and the person who decides between them, all at the same moment, because the blockers look the same on both.
There is a rule that shapes all of this. Offensive linemen are ineligible receivers, so they cannot go very far downfield before the pass is thrown without drawing a flag for being an ineligible receiver downfield. How far they may go differs among the NFL, college and other levels. That limit is why RPO passes are usually quick and short: the ball has to be thrown before linemen are too far past the line. Our guide to ineligible receivers downfield explains the rule, and you should check your level's rulebook for the current distance.
Answers to the RPO
There is no single solution, but defenses rely on a handful of tools.
Make the read defender wrong
The quarterback is reading one player, usually a linebacker or an edge defender. If that player does something unexpected, the quarterback's read is useless. The defense can blitz the read defender, drop an edge defender into coverage or stunt him in a way that changes his path. A quarterback who has been told "give if he steps up, throw if he drops" has a problem if the defender steps up and then falls back.
Remove the conflict with alignment
Some defenses use a defender specifically to cover the quick pass, so the linebacker only has to worry about the run. A safety might walk down to cover the slot, or a cornerback might press the receiver, making it hard to run a slant or a bubble. This turns a two-way read into a one-way read.
Play man coverage
Man coverage removes much of the conflict because the defender covering the receiver does not care what the run looks like. The linebacker no longer needs to stop the run and the pass, because a defensive back has the receiver. The cost is that man coverage can be beaten by rubs and picks and leaves the quarterback with the option to keep the ball and run.
Disguise and rotate
If the quarterback sees one look before the snap and another after it, his read can be wrong. Defenses use disguise and rotate a safety into the box after the snap to add a run defender. This fits with the principles in our article on disguising coverages.
Tackle well
Most RPO passes are short throws, such as a bubble screen to the slot. A defender who tackles the receiver immediately limits the damage to a few yards. Tackling in space is a coached skill, and the best RPO defenses are those whose defensive backs are comfortable doing it.
Comparing the two problems
| Question | Option | RPO |
|---|---|---|
| What does the quarterback choose between? | Two or three ball carriers on a run | A run or a quick pass |
| Who is the read defender? | A lineman or linebacker at the line | A linebacker, edge defender or safety |
| What is the defense's main tool? | Assigning a defender to each threat | Making the read wrong or removing the conflict |
| Where does it break down? | A defender leaves his assignment | A defender is forced to guard two things |
| Why is preparation hard? | The offense practices it every day; most opponents see it rarely | Many offenses use RPOs, so the defense sees variations |
| What does the offense need? | Blockers, disciplined backs, a quarterback who reads | A quarterback who reads quickly and receivers who run precise routes |
A hypothetical walk-through
Say a team runs a triple-option play against a four-man front. The defensive end is assigned to the quarterback, the inside linebacker to the dive, and the outside linebacker to the pitch.
At the snap, the quarterback takes the ball and rides the fullback along the line. The tackle blocks down, and the end is left unblocked. The end sits square and does not crash. The quarterback reads him: if he crashes, the quarterback keeps the ball; if he sits, the quarterback hands off. The end sits. The quarterback hands to the fullback. The inside linebacker scrapes over the guard and tackles for a short gain.
Now imagine the same defense on a play where the end crashes too early. The quarterback keeps and runs around him. The linebacker has to take the quarterback. The outside linebacker, who was supposed to take the pitch, stays with the pitch back and is not drawn. The quarterback is tackled for a modest gain. Every defender did his job, and the play was stopped even though the end made a mistake. That is the whole point of assignment football.
Finally, imagine the outside linebacker chases the quarterback instead of the pitch. The quarterback pitches. The pitch back is free. The result is a big gain, and nobody in the huddle has to ask what went wrong.
What to watch for
When you watch an option team, here are some cues:
- Watch the defensive end. Does he crash, squeeze or sit?
- Watch the quarterback's eyes. Whose movement is he reading?
- Watch the pitch man. Does he stay with the pitch back, even when the quarterback keeps?
- On an RPO, watch the linebacker. If he steps up, expect a quick pass. If he drops, expect the handoff.
- Notice tackling. Missed tackles on the edge are the biggest cause of long gains.
You can follow how teams are doing in the standings, look for service academy or option-style teams on college pages, and find a local game to watch in the high school directory.
The short version
- Option plays work by making one defender choose wrong; defenses answer by assigning every threat a defender and demanding honesty.
- Defensive ends use crash, squeeze, spill and scrape techniques, each with a cost.
- Option offenses practice their plays daily while opponents see them rarely, so preparation and scout-team reps matter.
- RPOs add a pass to the equation; the defense answers by making the read wrong, removing the conflict, playing man, disguising and tackling.
- Rules limit cut blocks and how far linemen may go downfield, and they vary by level.
- Discipline beats improvisation against both schemes.