Which Football Offense Should I Run? Football Podcast #1 Offense?

Welcome, Youth Football Coaches! If you’re constantly debating which football offense scheme from the Spread to the classic T Formation to the unstoppable Beast Offense and the rugged Power I — which FB offense is the secret ingredient for winning youth football, you’re not alone. I recently sat down with Coach Zach Davis to dive deep into top coaching youth football offense strategies and dissect why proven power football offensive systems are making a major comeback against the spread defenses, especially at the youth level but really at all levels. The 425 and 335 defenses are not set up to stop Power Football in my opinion opening the door to run people over.

Zach and I discuss the importance of having a flexible, multi-formation playbook like the Power Wing Beast Offense (PWBO) to match your ever-changing personnel, and we even wade into the age-old debate about offensive line fundamentals: is it who you block, or how you block? Get ready to enhance your football IQ and learn how to tailor a football offense that ensures success for your 5-12 year old’s all the way up through the 7th or 12th grade; middle & high school football.

Check out my other blog article on Choosing a Youth Football Offense.

Which Football Offense Should I Run? Video Podcast

Listen on Spotify or Apple over at Mind of a Football Coach.

Why Your Coaching Toolbox Needs More Than One Offensive System

This blog, running since 2008, has always been focused on helping rookie and veteran coaches learn about coaching youth football. Much of the information here, especially around football offense systems and strategy, works great for players aged 5 to 14 years old, or up through the 8th or 9th grade. With Coach Zach Davis through High School.

When I was running my teams — I quickly learned that the best football offense for youth football isn’t a single formation; it’s a robust system designed for flexibility. Because our league constantly changes rosters every season, I had to be prepared to modify the offense to suit the particular team I had.

That’s why the Power Wing Beast Offense (PWBO) has served me so well over almost 30 youth football seasons. It’s actually a multiple football offense system I developed over decades, allowing me to take any roster—whether they are “super studs,” middle-of-the-road, or low-talent—and still be competitive. I often advise coaches to have two or three offenses ready that they like, have learned, and can teach effectively. Within the PWBO, I have a speed double wing option, the Beast formation, and several power-centered Multi I variations, which is how I got the name: Power, Wing, and Beast.

The Return of Power Football: T Formation and Power I

Lately, there’s been a definite trend back toward power football. Why? Because defenses have spent the last 20 years trying to stop the spread offense, which has been run heavily since about 2005, ala Air Raid. Now, with defenses geared to stop the fast, spaced, pass oriented attacks, old-school power football offense is winning again in 2024 and 2025.

Take, for example, the T Formation. Zach Davis ran this in 2022 and even did a podcast dedicated to it. It’s a beautiful, fun formation. Did you know the T Formation is the oldest formation in football, dating back to the late 1800s? What makes the T so effective, especially for youth, is the power generated by those three running backs. You can make crazy things work for you out of the T, and it’s somewhat like a pistol formation under the center. In fact, several HS teams in Michigan recently won state championships running either the T or the Power I. These a a great power football offense options.

The T, along with the Power I Formation (which I also offer an eBook on), are pure downhill running schemes. I love the visual look of the Power I—the ability to overwhelm the defense at the point of attack, the counter game that flows off of it, and the play action.

Multi-I Offense

This brings us to the concept of the “Multi-I offense.” The Power I, the Offset -I, Wishbone and the Inverted Wishbone go really well together because the movement for the backs is minimal, yet it looks like a whole new offense. If you want to simplify things, these formations are all downhill concepts hitting around eight different holes, making installation much simpler for youth teams.

However, if you commit to the traditional I Formation, that tailback must be special. He needs to be a hybrid fullback/tailback who is mean, can run downhill, break tackles, and also execute a sweep. If you don’t have that special future D1-caliber player on your pee-wee team, the defense will spy him and target him because they know he’s getting the ball 90% of the time. Furthermore, your offensive line has to be dominant, and your fullback needs to be tough and physical to lead, kick out, and seal blocks. Playing fullback is tough—you’re getting hit even when you don’t have the ball!

The Ultimate Tool: Why I Love the Power Wing Beast Offense

After running almost every system, my brain keeps coming back to the Beast set. What makes it so effective is that it simplifies everything I need to do, and it is quick to install.

When running the Beast, I often have the backs under center or in shotgun. Unlike the T Formation, where backs have long angles and paths to get to their blocking assignments, the Beast is designed to shorten those paths. I have the backs close enough to the line that they can touch the thigh pads of the offensive linemen. This means they only have to go about four steps to get to the defender they need to block, drastically shortening the time and simplifying the path. The Beast Back, when taught correctly, shouldn’t lose a yard because he’s running with his elbow hitting the butts of the linemen, quickly hitting his mark and the hole.

The beauty of the PWBO is that it allows for a teaching progression: simple to sophisticated. I can start with Beast Tight, which is simple, and move to Beast Wide, which is more sophisticated, or even into the FatCat Offense, which is a tricked-out high school offense. The commitment to the entire 500-page PWBO playbook (yes, it’s beautiful and thorough) means you have a huge toolbox—a hammer, a screwdriver, a wrench—to use based on the ingredients you have in your “kitchen,” as one coach called it. Those who truly commit to learning the entire football offense system find that it will evolve with their team all the way through high school.

Modern Systems: The Pistol and Gun-T

For older youth players, especially 11U and 12U select teams, you can introduce football offense systems that offer more variance. I have recently fallen in love with the Pistol formation. It’s very much like an offset I or Power I scheme, but run from the shotgun. For a power team that might not have the best passing quarterback, the Pistol offers short-yardage options and an opportunity to transition toward a passing offense without going full spread immediately. It is easily mixed into a lot of other offenses, whether you want to gap scheme or zone block. If you have a running quarterback who can throw a little, and good receivers/tight ends, the Pistol excels.

The Pistol pairs really well with systems like the Gun-T Multi Wing Offense. The Gun-T system is popular at the high school level, utilizing the 2-by-1 set, which is easier to block than a 2-by-2 formation. If you’re at the select level (10U and up), you can start implementing some RPO concepts, either called by the coach from the sideline or using hand signals, even if the quarterback isn’t ready for complex reads.

And of course, we can’t forget the Double Wing and Single Wing. Coach Cisar’s Sainted 6 Single Wing plays were a gold standard for many coaches. If you can run the Single Wing or the Don Markham Double Wing effectively, they kill people’s will because you can control the clock and simply run people over.

Offensive Line Fundamentals: Who to Block vs. Technique

No matter which power football offense scheme you choose—Beast, T, or Power I—success hinges on the offensive line. Coach Zach and I got into a great debate about blocking philosophy. Is it better to focus on the technical expertise of the block, or ensuring the lineman blocks the right guy?
At the youth level, getting on the right guy is paramount. You don’t need to knock him down; you just need to shield him for a half second. If you’re going the wrong way, the play has a problem, and you’re not blocking the point of attack players.

While technique is a career-long struggle even through college, I focus on getting my hands engaged on the defender quickly, and on the right guy. I am so atypical on the “low man wins” mantra. I want my hands engaged on the chest and leveraging the hip, maybe even getting under the elbow or armpit. Trying to get too low can actually cause you to lose leverage, potentially causing you to roll or cut rather than driving the defender. The idea of just needing to be lower, without considering positioning and power, is one of those coaching myths that is debatable. The goal is to be in a powerful position with good knee bend and ankle flexion, engaging the defender body to body.

Final Word: Coach What You Know

If you are a rookie coach just starting your journey, please check out my Youth Football Coaching Clinic video series. If you’re a veteran coach, keep visiting to research things like my Power Wing Beast Offense and the 62 Multi 8 Defense.

The most important takeaway from our conversation is simple: coach what you know. Coach what you love and what you feel comfortable with, and most importantly, what you can teach. It takes time to install a new offense properly; for me, it takes two full seasons to feel truly comfortable. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to get a football offense system installed, unless you happen to have a team full of all studs.

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!