Bunch Formation

Horizontal Stretching from the Bunch

by: Lance Schneider

Head Football Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Northmont High School Clayton, Ohio

The Northmont offensive attack is predicated on the fact there are two ways to attack a defense, stretch it horizontally and vertically.We are blessed with good skill players that possess outstanding speed, but our opponents play too deep for us to try the long ball. With this in mind, we needed to develop a passing game that still utilized our speed, just in a different fashion.

In watching the San Francisco ‘49ers use Jerry Rice and the Minnesota Vikings Cris Carter in the slot from bunch, I applied the bunch package to our offensive philosophy. This has created a whole new attack for us. Where in the past we tried to vertically stretch the defense, we now look to horizontally stretch. The bunch package fits well with this in that it allows us to use our speed to run away from defenders across the field instead of down it.

In the bunch, we align our two slots and one wide receiver together. The inside receiver aligns one yard off LOS and one yard from the tackle. The middle receiver is on the LOS and one yard from the inside receiver (approximately three yards from the tackle). Finally, the outside receiver is one yard off the LOS and one yard from the middle receiver. This alignment allows natural picks and rubs for the receivers to use to separate themselves from the defenders. (Figure 1)

At Northmont, we use four different pass packages from the bunch. They are the four-vertical over/under series, three-step quick pass series, play action series, and the five-step Infante’ series. The latter is the package long-time NFL coach, Lindy Infante’ developed and we have used for about fifteen years. I will focus on how to attack from the bunch using this package.

First, a system is used to give each route in the series a number.

1- Choice = Six-yard hook over the center. If the receiver is open, stay there. If not, whip out toward original alignment keeping six-yard depth. This receiver is hot on ILB blitz from his side of the formation.

2- Sail = Get to a depth of ten yards. If it is three-deep zone, hook. If it is two-deep zone, work to the fade area. If it is man, run an out.

3- Option = The receiver gets to a depth of 8-10 yards reading the coverage as he releases. If it is zone he hooks in or out away from the nearest defender. If it is man, he runs an in or out off of the defender’s coverage technique.

4- Smash = This is a combination route run in conjunction with a flag by an adjacent receiver. As the receiver walks off the LOS, he reads the coverage At a depth of four yards he has two choices, either stay put hooking toward QB if he is open, or whip toward sideline if a defender is in the throwing lane.

5- Chute = The receiver releases on an immediate angle where he will run out of bounds at a depth of four yards. It is imperative that this is done at full speed. This is the key route in the horizontal stretch.

In calling these plays, we use a three digit numbering system. The first number is the pass protection. 100 tells the center or uncovered left guard to check blitz on the left and the RB right. 200 tells the center or uncovered right guard to check blitz on the right and the RB to block left. The second digit is the route call for our H receiver, and the third digit is the route call for the Y receiver.

The first pattern I want to show you is Bunch Right 253 (Figure 2). 200 tells the center to block right. The H receiver runs a chute underneath the release of Y. This allows us to pull the flat coverage wide, opening an area for Y to work on his option route. Z runs off the deep coverage by running a fade to his landmark (six yards from the sideline at the goalline). Y releases off LOS toward Z’s landmark for five yards, then gets vertical to run the break. This allows him to distance himself from ILB’s underneath coverage. The RB’s rule is, if there is no blitz and a 1 route (choice) is not called or tagged, then he has a choice route over the center (this could be tagged R Choice). The backside receiver (X in this case) runs a dig over top the choice route, however he can signal a change to the post if he notices no deep middle player in the pre-snap alignment.

The QB reads the flat coverage first. If H gets outside of the flat defender, pull up on the third step and get the ball to him immediately. If the flat coverage widens with the chute, look to the option and read the nearest defender. If, when reading the option, the ILB cheats out to help defend, then the RB will be open on the choice over the middle.

Another route that works off the same principle read is Bunch Right 252, Z Choice (Figure 3). Again, the center blocks right, RB left. 5 is the chute route by H, the second 2 is the sail route for Y and the Z choice tag tells Z to run the choice over the middle and R to run a stop to his side, three yards outside the original alignment of the tackle. Without there being a receiver clearing the zone, the Y must sell his defender and the deep coverage on the fact he is going deep before breaking at ten yards. Again, he is to release at Z’s landmark for the first five yards to gain width.

Finally, the smash pattern is incorporated to give the wide stretch a vertical component. Bunch Right 254, Z Whip (Figure 4) tells Y he has a flag because 4 always means the Z receiver (X to the left) has the smash route (in this case he is tagged with a whip to gain separation from the inside linebackers). H again has the chute. The QB read is virtually the same, except his second choice is to look to the flag. If he is outside of the deep coverage and the flat coverage has squeezed the chute, take a chance. If not, the smash will open whipping to the sideline in the area vacated by the squeeze on the chute.

This offense routinely produces a 2000-yard passer, multiple receivers with over 30 catches (five in 2000), and a 1000-yard rusher, consistently rewriting individual and team records.

This package can help incorporate a ball control passing game into your attack and makes the game fun for your players. Consequently, it will give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares.