The Pistol Offense

The pistol offense is quickly becoming one of the latest crazes in the world of football. Ever since Coach Ault at the University of Nevada Reno introduced it to the world, the variations have exploded across the High School and College ranks. Having been a spread option (Navy and Air Force style) and Spread offense coach, I decided to take a closer look at the Pistol and have since adopted my own variation of it known as the Potomac Offense. (POTOMAC stands for Pistol Option To Optimize Matchups And Coverages)

As a spread guy, I was married to option plays such as inside veer and zone read. The problem running it out of the shotgun was that most teams were able to key on our offense because of the alignment of the back. The back had to be next to the QB and it was a dead giveaway as to which direction the ball would go. With the pistol, we were able to line the back up directly behind the QB and still be able to run the base plays that we love without tipping our hand to the defense. It also allowed us to run one of my favorite plays from the spread option, the Midline.

Another distinct advantage that we immediately discovered was that our QB was much more comfortable reading plays from the Pistol. He felt that he could get a quicker read because he was facing his read as soon as he caught the ball from center. It also allowed him to make his pass reads quicker. In essence, it was all of the advantages of the Shotgun, with the advantages of being under center all rolled into one.

When I took over the program at Leonardtown High School in Leonardtown, MD we were at the bottom of a long a turbulent ride for most of the players. I was the 4th Coach in just 3 years at the high school, which also meant the 4th system for the players in three years. Not only that, but the Raiders had only one victory in the previous two seasons, and just 6 victories since 2000. I knew that I would have to bring in a system that would not only have to provide an effective way to move the football, but a system that would be simple to learn and would adapt to the athletes that I had inherited. The Potomac Offense did just that. It combines for us the passing ability of the Shotgun Spread, four wide receivers on nearly ever play with the quick strike running game of the option offense.

The simplicity of the system is perhaps the greatest advantage however. We knew that by showing 4 wide receivers on nearly every play, we would be able to predict what type of front our opponent would show us. We came up with about 5 possible combinations that our front 5 would face:

1. 4-2 (6 Men in box)

2. 5-1 (6 Men in box)

3. 4-3 (Seven men in the box)


4. 5-2 (7 men in box)


5. 3-3 Stack (6 in box)

6. 3-4 (7 Men in box)


By knowing what your opponent is in ahead of time, and by knowing which player is responsible for Dive, QB, and Pitch as well as Flats we have really taken the odds and put them in our favor. We have developed a system by which we will count the box, and determine which plays to run against each front. We have even been known to have a run/pass option called on every play. Although there may be some other front combinations possible, these are the main fronts that we will face. Each of them presents its own unique opportunities for us to take advantage of them using our “two-headed monster” of the option offense, and the spread passing game.

While we still have a long way to go as a team, we were able to average over 260 yards per game on offense and accumulated the best record at our school in over 10 years utilizing the Potomac Offense. In a conference like ours where we constantly face teams with superior athletes, the system gives us the great equalizer. We are able to capitalize on matchups created by formation, and by knowing each players responsibility.

For more information about the Pistol or Potomac Offense, please don’t hesitate to email ap@fbcoaches.com or check out the discussion forums on FBcoaches.com

Anthony Pratley
Head Football Coach
Leonardtown High School
Leonardtown, MD

Coach,

Good luck on coaching at the school.

I like how you "defended" the use of the pistol. It is truly a craze, one that is catching on at the HS level.

thanks coach great article. and i to wish u much success