The Jet Sweep

I would first like to wish everyone a very happy new year and wishes for a quick return to the football season. I say a return because college ball is all but over with the bowl games being played today. The NFL is gearing up for the playoffs and our jobs as as high school coaches are taking a little hiatus.

What a better time if the year than to start thinking about the next up and coming season. That is why I am now going to start talking about the jet sweep series or what I like to call the 600 series.

For those of you who are not familiar with the jet(600) series, and a refresher for some others. It is a full sprint motion behind the QB. The QB will turn their back to the LOS (line of scrimmage)and reverse pivoting away from the motion. In some cases the QB could even take a lateral step after the reverse pivot. It all depends on the skill and ability of the QB.

This motion takes a lot of work on timing with the QB and the back moving in motion.That is why it needs to be practiced over and over again.

As soon as the ball carrier receives the ball they should take what I call a bubble step into the backfield. This steps allows for two things to happen. 1) for the back to be able to make a better cut and allow him to make up field movement and 2) allows the back to give the pulling lineman time to get out and make a block.

This motion is most deceptive out of a double wing set which I would call red or blue or a variation of these sets. I discuss these various formations in my playbook.

I would mix the double wing formations in with the traditional wing-t formations. I do this because It isn't very hard for us to make a few adjustments. The blocking is essentially the same but it is even harder for a defense to practice and make a game plan against several different formations. No matter what formation we are in the blocking rules stay the same for the series and play we are running.

Confusing for the defense to cover but not very confusing for us to run. It is actually to our advantage to run the same plays out of several different formations and looks. Heck we will even do trades and shifts. I will get into that after I finish discussing the 600 series.

This jet motion can also be run out of the traditional wing-t look of left or right (100/900 for true wing-t fans)

While at the same time this motion is being made the ball would either be handed off to the back in full sprint motion (jet) or it would be handed off to the full back making a dive. The call would be made in the huddle and the backfield motion would look the same every time.

Here is what the backfield motion should be drawn up to look like.(without the dive back)



Here also is a video of New Palestine running a typical Jet sweep in my system. Pay attention to the pulling lineman.



In my next post I will get into the basic blocking for the jet based on if it is given to the jet back or if it is given to the full back.

Have a happy New year

Coach D

You have to play this game like somebody just hit your mother with a two-by-four. - DAN BIRDWELL