Choosing Youth Football Offenses Part 5 – Spread, Gun T, Pistol, Split Backs

In the Choosing Youth Football Offenses series Part 5 I will review the following popular, proven, and some of the best youth football Offenses / formations:

1. Split Backs
2. Spread Offense
3. Gun T Offense
4. Pistol Formation

I am reviewing these youth football offenses from the perspective of a Rookie first time tackle youth football coach coaching in a recreation youth tackle footbal league.

In Part 4 of this series, Choosing Youth Football Offenses, we looked at the I Formation, Wishbone, T Formation and the Power I formation Offenses. See the past article series Part’s links below.

Read or Listen to the Series on Choosing a Youth Football Offense

• Part 1 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 2 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 3 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 4 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 5 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 6 – Article / Podcast Coming Soon

This is a great cousin article; the Best Youth Football Plays.

Many of these youth football offenses above you can find a playbook for on the Selected Youth Playbooks page.

Split Backs

The classic split back formation is two backs flanking behind the QB; balanced runs, pass options, flexible formation, offensive versatility. Like the I Formation but backs aligned horizontal. This is one of the top youth football offenses.

• What is it? A balanced attack with 2 great halfbacks behind the QB.  
• Strength – Power Running and Sweeping
• Weakness – Need 4 good RBs / Triple Option at Youth Level

Here’s the Split Back formation and top play.

This Split Back formation is a balanced attack that features two horizontal running backs behind the Under Center Quarterback. I like the Split Back formation when I have two really good tailbacks and not a blocking fullback. The Offense is very similar to the I Formation and Wishbone.  I am not running the Veer option out of this Split Back formation. The WIng-T Offense also has a very good Split Back play series.

1. Snap – Under Center
2. Blocking – Simple GOD / GOLD
3. Pulling – Yes and No
4. Power or Speed – Usually more Speed & Misdirection than Power
5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – Simple if needed
6. Passing – Possible but minimal
7. OLM Size – Need average OLM
8. QB Skills – Manager
9. Running Backs – Need 2 top RBs
10. Team Speed – Average to Fast
11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Simple Dives and Tosses
12. Easy to Install – One of the easiest
13. Time – Quick to Install
14. Age / Team Experience – All Ages
15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Tons

Most coaches at the youth football level are not running the Split Back Veer Option Offense. I run more Wing-T typle play series and I formation plays from the Split Back formation when I have two equally talented Tailbacks and not a true FB. Is the Split Back formation one of your top youth football Offenses?

Spread Offense / Formation

The classic Spread Offense formation spread the players horizontally with usually 3 or more receivers and a Quarterback in shotgun. The Spread Offense is a modern football offense that is designed to pass the ball. It is characterized by four wide receivers lined up spread out across the field, which creates a numbers advantage for the offense and makes it difficult for the defense to cover the field both horizontally and vertically.

• What is it? A Horizontal Spread attack by highly skilled players  
• Strength – Spreading the Defense, Passing, Speed
• Weakness – Need 6 top skilled players / Great QB / Speed

Below is a main play from the Spread Offense.

Since football’s early days coaches have been spreading the football field. Dutch Meyers at TCU popularized the Spread in the 50’s. Supposedly he picked it up from the Mighty Mites coach Rusty Russel who was also an SMU coach in the 50’s. Tiger Ellison wrote a famous book on the Run and Shoot Offense, Hal Mumme / Mike Leach popularized the modern Air Raid Spread Offense and Urban Meyer / Gus Malzahn influenced the Power Spread and RPOs along with many other college coaches. The Spread Offense comes in many flavors.   

1. Snap – Usually Shotgun
2. Blocking – Zone
3. Pulling – Yes
4. Power or Speed – Speed
5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – Many
6. Passing – More than Average
7. OLM Size – Need average OLM
8. QB Skills – Great Passing QB
9. Running Backs – Need 6 top Skiled Backs / Receivers
10. Team Speed – Fast
11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Above Average
12. Easy to Install – No
13. Time – Above average
14. Age / Team Experience – 11U plus
15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Tons

The Spread offense is a very versatile offense that can be used for a variety of plays, including runs, passes, and option plays. It is a great option for youth football teams that want to take advantage of their QB’s passing capabilities, speed, athleticism, and receiving core’s skills. I do not recommend a Spread Air Raid type offense for youth football. Most High Schools should not be running the Spread in my opinion. In my opinion you must have a “real” passing threat to take full advanatge of the Spread Offense. Do you consider the Spread Offense in your top pick for youth football offenses?

Gun T Offense

The Gun T Offense is a 2×1 shotgun Spread type offense with a highly mobile QB and very skilled running backs that use the Wing T plays and series as its base. It utilizes the Jet / Orbit Sweep, misdirection and play action / RPO passing as key plays in its base system. 

• What is it? 2×1 Shotgun Wing T Based Spread Offense
• Strength – Power Running, Misdirection with Play Action Passing
• Weakness – Need a great running QB and HIghly Backs / Receivers

Here’s the Gun T Formation and a main play.

1. Snap – Shotgun
2. Blocking – Zone / GOLD
3. Pulling – Yes
4. Power or Speed – Speed
5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – Many
6. Passing – More than Average
7. OLM Size – Need average OLM
8. QB Skills – Great Running QB with passing skills
9. Running Backs – Need 6 top Skiled Backs / Receivers
10. Team Speed – Fast
11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Above Average
12. Easy to Install – No
13. Time – Above average
14. Age / Team Experience – 11U plus
15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Many

The Gun T Offense has a great name and brand. I’ve been running similar 2×1 plays for a decade and so have other coaches, but everyone seems to be enamored by the Gun T systems out there. You can find many of these plays in my Wildcat Multi Spread Offense Playbook.

The Gun T Offense for youth football uses the Wing T based language and the Double Wing formation and similar plays for many of its base plays. I know many coaches ask me, “Isn’t this a DW formation and system?” To me it is, in my opinion. I guess we all have similar plays with different formation, play call languages.  So yes, I love a Gun T style Offense for older experienced youth football teams 11U and up.  And maybe for highly skilled experienced 10U travel teams.

Do you like the Gun T Offense in your top youth football Offenses pick?

Pistol Formation

In the Pistol the QB is closer to center than a traditional shotgun; versatile runs, play-action, option plays, balanced passing, adaptable formation. In the Diamond formation the QB is under Center and is more run heavy like a T Formation with power running and misdirection.

• What is it? 4 back Diamond Formation in a short Shotgun or Under Center
• Strength – Power Running, Misdirection with Play Action Passing
• Weakness – Need a great running QB and Backs

Here is the Pistol formation and a top play.

1. Snap – Usually Shotgun
2. Blocking – Zone
3. Pulling – Yes
4. Power or Speed – Speed
5. Forms / Motion or Shifts – Many
6. Passing – More than Average
7. OLM Size – Need average OLM
8. QB Skills – Great Passing QB
9. Running Backs – Need 6 top Skiled Backs / Receivers
10. Team Speed – Fast
11. Ball Skills Handoffs Tosses – Above Average
12. Easy to Install – No
13. Time – Above average
14. Age / Team Experience – 11U plus
15. Available Playbooks / Materials – Tons

The Pistol Offense is a more sophisticated offense for youth football teams than the Single Wing, Wishbone, Wing-T and or the I Formation. The Shotgun alignment of the Quarterback adds a level of complexity along with the deeper Tailback, Spread like receiver alignments and assignments for passing.

I like the Pistol formation for youth football teams if I am coaching a highly skilled older youth football team 10U plus that has above average mobile passing quarterback, tough hard nosed I formation type Tailback, great lead blocking Fullback and skilled receivers that can catch and block. I also need a good Shotgun Center snapper. For older youth football players, the Pistol is a very good transitional formation into a more traditional Spread passing formation since it excels at both pass and run concepts.

If you have the roster talent to run the Pistol, then it is a good combination between the run and passing game. I like the Pistol formation for older experienced youth football teams that can throw the football, especially if the QB is very mobile and a top tier running back as an addition to your top tier Tailback. 

The Diamond T – Pistol Adjustment

The Diamond T formation in shotgun alignment which switches the TB for a FB as the deep back is a more a downhill running formation and can be used along with the T Formation as a good youth formation at most age levels, as long as, you have a good Center and QB exchange in Shotgun.  I like the Diamond T under Center and I use it. I call it Trig in my Power Wing Beast Offense playbook. I have run the Diamond T formation in Shotgun when I did not want to motion my running backs in my Speed Double Wing formation. Many opponents have run the Pistol and Diamond T formations against my Defenses, and they are very effective youth football offenses. 

More on Youth Football Offenses Coming in Part 6

In Part 6 I will go into my choices of youth football offenses by Age Group.

Read or Listen to the Series on Choosing a Youth Football Offense

• Part 1 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 2 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 3 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 4 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 5 – Article / Podcast – Apple or Spotify or YouTube
• Part 6 – Article / Podcast Coming Soon

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Do you agree with my assessment of the Split Backs, Spread Offense, Gun T and Pistol? Which youth football Offenses that I have reviewed do you think is the easiest youth football offense or best offense for your youth football team?

For the next part of the Choosing a Youth Football Offense article, what Offense or youth football formation do you think will be easy for each age group? Let me know in the comments. 

Please leave me a comment below or contact me anytime. I love talking youth football offenses.

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

Coach Parker
Fort Worth, Texas