What do you start with when developing an offense

First I would say it would boil down to what type of offense you want to run, then once you had determined the type you would want to get your foundation started which would be your base plays, your bread and butter.

Every coach when he starts teaching his offense will begin with certain plays and then build from them. The base plays might be different for each style of offense, but they will be the same in that everything in that offense expands from them. No matter what the philosophy caoches have their go to plays, the ones they use when they need to get in their comfort zone.

We start with the Power and build from there working our way back in to the Iso, the FB dive, and FB Trap. From there we build with the dive option, trap option, and stretch (outside zone). We also work our complimentary play action passes (Boot, Dump, Trap Pass) with these plays so the players can see how they compliment one another. From this point we can then expand our offense to the other areas we cover--we also run the WVU Spread and the first play we build on there is the IZ, then OZ , then Zone Belly.

I think your personnel will also play into the factor, but most coaches will find a way to modify their offense to their current personnel without making wholesale changes in scheme and philosophy. The bottom line is that no matter what you run, you believe in it very strongly or you wouldn't be using it; and you have certain plays that you know you have to make work to be successful. Those almost always are your base plays, your building blocks. How you group your formations, sets of plays and plays themselves will be a choice of the coaching staff and will vary on the scheme and teaching progression. But your base plays will still be your base plays.

Before you do anything, know your personnel...

1. Philosophy (we're going to attack with the deep ball; we're going to pound the rock, etc.)

2. Formations with alignments (I would suggest 1 or 2 bases to learn everything from before adding formations----for example, teach jet sweep out of your base Red and Blue Wing-T formations, then after you perfect it, add your empty sets and Nub sets)

3. Expectations of each position. (Our QB must be able to do 1, 2, and 3)

4. Core plays with compliments. Series guy here, so you want to go through the playbook in Series. (Buck sweep series, then Belly Series, etc.)

When it comes to practice (two-a-days) rep the crap out of your bread and butter (say, power pitch), perfect it, then add the compliments (trap, boot).

Hope this helps

i start with something that will work even if there is no talent

to me this means

1. option
2. wing t misdirection
3. air raid---dependant on having at least a qb that can throw

with all this in mind
i want to be balanced
and I want to be able to implement aspects of all three of these styles into one with a system that allows for it with as much carryover as possible

the system has to be flexible enough to morph from year to year depending on the talent on hand

we want to start with option
blend into wing t stuff if need be due to qb mostly
and mix in some air raid type things also depending on qb

start with a philosophy ...

examples:
* we want to establish the off-tackle runs
* we want to utilize lots of formations
* we want to throw to set up the run

now, what plays/style best fit that philosophy...

* we need to be in the I quite a bit
* we need to be 3-wide
* quick game & sprintouts are a must for us

blah, blah.


don't view the offense as a bunch of plays ... view it as an approach, a style, a philosophy ... plays come and go, philosophies are long-term