Multiple I-Back Offense

Coach and Athletic Director, Sept, 2001 by Mike Mizer

HAVING ALWAYS believed that it doesn't matter what kind of offense you run as long as you commit yourself to executing it to perfection, I include bits and pieces of various philosophies in the Multiple I-Back Offense we use at Columbia Academy.

Calling it a Multiple I doesn't mean that we are always in a two-back set. We are one-back, four wide most of the time, but our base package stems from the I formation. The single back in our offense is coached like a normal I-back.

The objective of our Multiple I-back attack is to execute our core run and pass schemes from a maximum number of sets. Our top three base runs (inside zone, outside zone, jab draw) can be executed from any one- or two-back formation. That is the flexibility we are seeking in this offense. Similarly, all base protections fit both one- and two-back schemes.

The versatility of our base schemes enables us to include a great deal of consistency in our planning. The things we insert in the first days of camp remain in the core of our game plan at playoff time.

During the 2000 season, we aligned in over 25 different offensive sets. As I stated earlier, we can execute our core scheme from all sets, but each of these formations stems from one of three base sets:

1. "Flex" (Diag. 1): A 3-wide receiver, 1 tight end, 1 back set. We refer to Y as a tight end because he is the player we'll align as a true tight end in specific formations.

2. "Slot I" (Diag. 2): A 2 wide, 1 tight end, 2 back set, with Y becoming a true tight end in certain sets.

3. "Trips" (Diags. 3 and 4): We employ two base trips, with our 3 wide, 1 tight end, 1 back personnel.

I am sold on the principles of the multiple I-back attack because I believe it provides us with five decisive advantages:

1 Bask plays from maximum number of sets.

To repeat, although we operate from multiple sets, we are still executing our base plays, regardless of the formation. Since we are not constantly adjusting blocking schemes, this allows us to maximize the number of repetitions we get in our blocking schemes.

Coaches often spend a better part of game week adapting their blocking assignments to the defensive alignment. Our system allows us to adjust our formations to attack the soft spots in the defense without ever adjusting assignments on our base plays.

Another plus is the preparation of our backups at each position in our offense. By establishing strong continuity in our attack, we are giving our #2's a better chance to contribute successfully.

2 Game plan adjustments made easy.

We insert our three base run plays and three pass protections into our offense in the first three days of summer camp. Though we are not "game ready" by any means, the core of our attack is in place. From that point on, we can focus on the fine-tuning of our execution.

By establishing the core of the offense from day one, we can begin developing multiple sets earlier than most teams. The sooner we can insert multiple looks into our scheme, the more prepared we will be to make adjustments to our attack. Again, whenever we make adjustments, we do not have to change assignments, only sets.

We have been very successful with halftime adjustments -- which is a direct reflection on the diversity we establish early in our offensive preparation. While it is true that good coaches can adjust to any situation, it is the ability of the players to adjust that wins ballgames.

3 Personnel Packages.

By utilizing multiple packages and sets in our offense, we can place our best 11 athletes on the field to execute anything we want. The best 11 to run from the I formation are not necessarily the best 11 to execute a four-wide, spread offense. We make these substitutions through personnel packages.

Sometimes this might involve substituting at only one position. Other times, three or four changes could be involved in a personnel change, The key to successfully making these personnel adjustments regularly is simple: Practice it!

I am a strong believer in the effectiveness of packaging offensive personnel, which also allows us to play a greater number of athletes on offense. Our #1's and #2's are often practically interchangeable in terms of ability. Through frequent package substitutions, we are able to keep our players fresh.

4 Time-consuming defensive preparation.

The greatest advantage of our multiple I-back attack is probably the variety of headaches it poses for defensive coordinators.

Its many looks make the defense accountable for a lot of things. This serves us extremely well in our preparation on game week. Though we can insert numerous sets in our package in the preseason, we may not use them in a game until several weeks later. (That smart new look we introduced on a Friday night in early October might have been in our scheme since early August!)

Simply put, "we are going to do what we do." Regardless of the defensive scheme, we are going to execute our core offense. We will be multiple with our sets, but we will not allow defensive adjustments to lead us away from our base package.