Rocket from the Gun

[EM44]

We are a Rocket team. However, when we go gun, we become a Jet team. For us, Rocket from the gun looks slower and awkward (we were reverse pivoting just like UC.) A few years back, we stumbled on some of Blair Hubbard's Gun Rocket clips. Just purchased them a month ago, and we like how Rocket from the gun looks with a basketball chest pass or option style pitch from the QB. We were always afraid to do it because of the added teaching, but truthfully, only the QB seems to have to learn something new. We're going to try it this spring...



Questions- Does it hit as fast and wide as Rocket UC? Do you lose deception with the QB not reverse pivoting?

[coachmcg]

It does hit fast and wide. The back will get the ball deeper in the backfield than UC, which could be a huge problem depending on who you talk to. You lose deception, but I think you get the DEs widening quicker which will make your complimentary plays better. The play side DE will easy to kick out or not block at all. Overall, I like the play paired with DeMeo style Triple Gun and Trapping the PSDE.

[Rich Erdelyi]

We did it both ways and it really hits wide. With the QB fronting out and an option type pitch, we would have him aim at the heels of the slot and take 3 quick steps slightly downhill. Going to the right the first step would be crossover left-right-left-pitch. This allowed him to step with his right foot toward the Rocket back getting a little extra on the pitch as the Rocket back is wide. No matter what the coaches have told that DE he'll freeze when the QB starts toward him. You can run a great counter play to the FB off of it. We didn't run it enough and got away from it but Gettysburg College and my friend Barry Streeter who just retired made a living doing it and would be the person to contact.

We did run it from the Pistol into my last season. We ran it with 2 SE's and lined the slots with their inside foot on the outside foot of the tackles at 3 yard depth. The QB moved up to 4 yards and we put the FB behind the QB @6. The Rocket back went between the QB and FB so he was basically at the same depth as he was UC. The QB reverse pivoted and he had to get around to 270 and the pitch was 2 thumbs up flat and fast. His pivot was similar to Down UC. I would usually call it to the field but because we were balanced the QB could yell "Check it" and we would run it to the boundary based on #'s. Everyone did what they would UC. We ran a Rocket Counter which was an underneath HO using SE XX blocking rules with the FB kick-out; a Rocket Naked which was break contain Waggle pattern with the FB as a chipper to the flat; a Rocket Zone to the FB which we would check to the 1 technique; and a Rocket Keep Pass. We fooled with Belly Sweep and Jet from this set but it was too much.

If I were still coaching, we'd be a little more Gun and I'd probably run both. As always, write or call if I can help.

Rich Erdelyi

[andycamm]

we've run it the past 2 seasons. we are all gun.

here was the effect:

it brought back the "T" motion element of the wing t for us

it hit the flank,which is outside of the bucksweep lane and into what we call E gap

it opened up c gap playside because you had the 3rd man from center in a bind, he widens, you can kick him out or base block him, he tightens, you can run right around him with your OT. even the reading ends are late to the party

it strained the inside backers who are downhill from 2 yards and forced them to run really wide. this helped us run belly and in b gap because they were lateral and not downhill

it opened up our misdirection play coming back because we'd end up with a 1 backer middle and a double kickout away.

--and a final note, i heard ed sadloch (cedar grove, NJ) speak once, and he said "look by the 3rd quarter the kids on defense don't care what motion you're running, they just start to follow it..."

we run zero jet out of the gun because a) you need a burner of a ball carrier b) i don't want to teach zone schemes c) i run enough mesh with qb looks i needed something else

HOPE THIS HELPS.