Option offense The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football . Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes . Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running plays , though modern option offenses now incorporate a large number of passing plays . Because they are run - based , option offenses are very effective in managing the game clock , giving the opposing team less time to score , and keeping the option team ' s defense from tiring . However , this also means that when the option team is losing near the end of the game , and needs to score quickly , it is at a disadvantage . These schemes rely on timing , deception , and split - second decision - making under pressure , which , in turn , requires flawless execution and discipline . Types . An option offense is any football scheme that relies on option running plays as its cornerstone . There are a variety of such schemes . Some of the most popular versions include : The most popular running play employed in the spread is the Read Option . This play is also known as the Zone - Read , QB Choice , or QB Wrap . A type of double option , the read option is relatively simple play during which the offensive line zone blocks in one direction , ignoring defensive personnel , while the quarterback makes a single read ( usually of the backside defensive end or linebacker ) and decides whether or not to hand the ball to a running back on a dive or slant track - - " reading the end and decide whether to keep it or to pull it " . Others have found even more innovative ways to run the option from spread formations . Creative use of motioning schemes have enabled wide receivers and even tight ends to become ballcarriers as evidenced by Wake Forest ' s version of the spread employed during the mid - 2000s . Rich Rodriguez is credited with inventing the zone read play run out of the shotgun formation . Other pioneers include Ohio State University coach Urban Meyer , Kansas State University Coach Bill Snyder , and Oregon coach Chip Kelly . Option plays . At the heart of all option offenses is the option run . This relatively complicated running play may take on many forms . All option runs , however , rely on two common principles : Whereas the traditional running play typically designates the ballcarrier prior to the snap , the ballcarrier in a true option running play is determined by reading the defensive alignment or the actions of defensive players . This may occur at the line of scrimmage or after the ball is snapped . The second principle of the option run is that it must include two or more potential ballcarriers . These individuals each perform a predetermined route , or " track " that poses a unique threat to a defense . By threatening to attack the defense in multiple ways during the play based on the defense ' s own actions / alignment , the option run forces the opponent to maintain extraordinary discipline . Defenders must focus on their assignments , which stresses the defense and often mitigates its speed , size and aggressiveness . Consequently , option offenses are excellent for undersized teams . Option runs . Option running plays are as numerous as the schemes that employ them . However , nearly all option running plays can be characterized as either a double option or triple option . This is determined by the number of choices available during the play . A very popular type of double option is the Read Option ( or Zone Read ) . It is typically run out of the shotgun formation . The quarterback reads the defensive end on the side in which the play is designed to take the running back . If the defensive end is playing inside the tackle after the snap of the ball , the quarterback hands the ball off to the running back . If the defensive end is playing outside of the tackle after the snap , the quarterback keeps the ball and runs counter to the blocking scheme . This scheme has been successfully utilized by former Texas Longhorn quarterback Vince Young , Chase Daniel of Missouri , Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois , the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators , West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Patrick White and running back Steve Slaton , Oregon Ducks ' Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart as well as the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton of the Auburn Tigers . Modern use . The option offense is most frequently utilized in the high school and collegiate ranks . It is rarely used in the National Football League for several reasons . First , the speed and athleticism of NFL defenders ( in comparison to the large , relatively immobile offensive linemen who are primarily trained to pass block ) negates the advantages of an option offense . Second , option quarterbacks are hit and tackled frequently . Few professional teams , whose quarterbacks have multi - million dollar contracts , are willing to assume this increased risk of injury . Use in college football . There has been a resurgence of option offenses in major college football . When implemented properly , option offensive schemes can be very successful , as demonstrated by the success of the Nebraska Cornhuskers , Oklahoma Sooners , Georgia Southern Eagles , and Syracuse Orange in the 1970s through the early 2000s . Despite its success , many teams favor more " pro - style " offenses that attract athletes who may want to play in the NFL , where option offenses are less popularized . Recently Urban Meyer and other coaches have developed extraordinarily competitive schemes using an option attack out of the shotgun formation . Meyer visited Kansas State University ' s Bill Snyder and learned the principles of his system . These combine elements of the West Coast offense and the single wing with sorted elements of the flexbone and the wishbone . Meyer used his spread option offense with great success at Bowling Green , Utah , and most recently at Florida , where he won two Division I FBS national titles . Meyer ' s version is based on the spread attack developed by then - Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez . Rodriguez earned " pioneer " status for incorporating wishbone principles , such as the zone - read and option pitches , into the primarily passing - oriented spread offense . However , it is unclear whether Rodriguez developed the system , Kansas State coach Bill Snyder developed the zone - read philosophy with QB Michael Bishop in the late 1990s , or whether the two coaches coincidentally developed the system at the same time . The option remains popular at mid - major levels as well . The Appalachian State Mountaineers , who won an unprecedented three consecutive titles in Division I FCS from 2005 through 2007 , rely on the spread option offense . Additionally , the Cal Poly Mustangs achieved unprecedented success with its flexbone - style option offense under former head coach Rich Ellerson , who has since installed the offense at Army . Option offenses are considered to be " equalizers " on the playing field – allowing less athletic teams to compete with larger and faster defenses . Appalachian State proved this theory by defeating the heralded Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium during the 2007 NCAA season . Still , some critics label option offenses " gimmicky " . This is most likely due to the lack of acceptance of the schemes at the professional level . Option offenses remain very popular among the United States service academies . The Navy Midshipmen , Army Black Knights , and Air Force Falcons each use option offenses . If run properly , an option offense should be able to gain 2 - 3 yards before the linebackers and defensive backs can identify who has the football and make a tackle . Due in part to this , Navy rarely punts the ball , which has led many Navy fans to jokingly refer to 4th down ( normally a punting situation ) as " just another down . " Coach Paul Johnson was particularly effective using this offensive scheme , leading Navy to 43 victories between 2003 and 2007 , and Navy led the nation in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2007 . He left Navy for Georgia Tech after the 2007 season , where he continues to successfully run the option . Former Army coach Bob Sutton joked that the Army – Navy Game could be played in an hour because the game clock rarely stopped due to both teams running option schemes . After Sutton ' s firing , Army went away from the option in favor of a Pro Style attack under new head coach Todd Berry . After eight years of poor performance on the field ( with a record of 17 - 76 from 2000 - 2007 including the only 0 - 13 season in NCAA history ) , Army returned to a flexbone triple - option scheme in the 2008 season . Many Army alumni pushed for a return to an option - based offense in hopes of regaining the success they saw under head coach Jim Young in the 1980s and early 1990s . Under Young , from 1983 – 1990 , the cadets went 51 - 39 - 1 , including 3 bowl appearances . With the beginning of spring practice 2008 , Army coach Stan Brock closed practices to the fans and media in order to install the new offensive scheme . In mid - April , the Times - Herald Record broke the silence and eased alumni concerns by announcing that Brock and Army would return to the triple - option offense for the 2008 season . Though Army improved statistically , they failed to achieve a winning season , and in December 2008 , Army Athletic Director , Kevin Anderson announced Brock ' s dismissal after only two seasons . Later that month , the team welcomed famed Cal Poly head coach Rich Ellerson as the 36th head coach at West Point . In his first season ( 2009 ) on the banks of the Hudson , Ellerson implemented his version of the option and led the Cadets to a 5 - 7 season . The team showed a marked improvement from the previous 10 years , missing a bowl game by one game . The United States Air Force Academy also ran the option successfully under coach Fisher DeBerry , often having a run offense near the top of the NCAA . Falcons option quarterback Dee Dowis was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 1989 , setting an NCAA record for rushing by a quarterback , with 3 , 612 yards . The option helped the team win the Commander - in - Chief ' s Trophy 16 times , the most among the three major football - playing service academies . Use in professional football . The option has made rare appearances in the NFL . An article on the option play in the " ESPN College Football Encyclopedia " discussed why the option was not used as much in the pros . While coaches agreed the option would work , the problem was the impact it would have on the quarterback . The quarterback would need to run more which means taking more hits , causing greater risk of injury . Starting in 2004 , Michael Vick , Warrick Dunn and T . J . Duckett ran the option with a degree of success not seen in the NFL before . In a December 2007 game against the New England Patriots , the New York Jets ran the option with quarterback Brad Smith , substituting Smith for starter Chad Pennington . In the 2008 AFC championship , Ravens QB Joe Flacco ran a QB option tucking the ball for a 5 yard gain and a first down on crucial third down . The Ravens offense was known for mixing up its game plan , and although Flacco is not known for his speed , the deception employed by Baltimore allowed for Flacco to mix up plays successfully despite an AFC championship game loss . In the 2009 season , the New York Jets ran the option numerous times , with Brad Smith . Each play produced positive yards . The Tennessee Titans also ran the option when Vince Young was re - installed as quarterback . In addition , the option helped Chris Johnson rush for 2000 yards . In October 2010 against the Oakland Raiders , David Garrard performed an option run and kept the ball for a 24 yard run to set up a FG . On October 9 , 2011 , the Carolina Panthers effectively ran the option twice against the New Orleans Saints . The first play was an option pitch from QB Cam Newton to RB DeAngelo Williams for a 67 yard touchdown . The second time , Cam Newton kept the ball and ran for 13 yards . A month later , the Denver Broncos ran seventeen plays with Tim Tebow as quarterback and Willis McGahee as running back totalling 298 yards on the ground . The option was so effective that the Broncos played it almost exclusively in the fourth quarter of the 38 - 24 win over the Oakland Raiders and continued using it a week later in a 17 - 10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs and a week later in an overtime win over San Diego . In that win over San Diego , Tim Tebow set an NFL record 22 rushing attempts by a quarterback in one game . The 2011 Denver Broncos , with Tebow at quarterback , have been the most successful team in the NFL to run a read - option offense . The 2012 season has seen more NFL teams adopt the option offense , the most prominent being the Washington Redskins , the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers . 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards ( a NFL single game record for a QB ) on 16 carries using the read option out of the pistol formation vs the Green Bay Packers in a on January 12th , 2013 . As a team , the San Francisco 49ers rushed for 323 yards on 43 carries . The use of the read option in the NFL has been somewhat controversial . The main reason is because it puts the QB in more harm than usually is comfortable . Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was the first to use the new style of play as an integral part of the offense . He suffered multiple injuries due to the read option , including a concussion and a LCL / ACL injury , both of which sidelined him for back - up Kirk Cousins . External links . Colin Kaepernick executes the Zone Read option against Green Bay in 2013