Triple option The triple option is an American football scheme used to offer multiple ways to progress the football forward in the field of play . The triple option is based on the option run , but uses three players who may run with the ball instead of the two that are used in the standard option run . The triple option forces defenses to worry about multiple running options on a single play . For the offense , the decision of who is to carry the ball – which option to use – is made during the play by the quarterback ( QB ) . The QB makes the decision whether to give the ball to the fullback ( FB ) or to keep the ball based on what the defensive end ( DE ) does . If the DE pinches down , the QB pulls the ball . If the DE runs straight upfield or directly at the QB then the QB gives the ball to the FB . The triple option can be complemented by fixed running plays which look like the triple option when they start but use traditional blocking , as well as play - action passing . There are three basic forms of triple option : the " wishbone " triple option , the " veer " triple option , and the " I formation " triple option . These differ in terms of the personnel on the field and their positioning prior to the beginning of the play . Wishbone . The " wishbone triple option " can utilize several formations including the flexbone or Maryland I . The wishbone triple option is a running play where either fullback , quarterback , or one of the halfbacks will end up running the ball . First , the quarterback ( QB ) receives the football from the center . The quarterback then begins the play in one direction by starting to handoff the football to the fullback ( FB ) right behind the playside guard on a standard fullback dive play . The guard " chips " the 3 - technique ( Defensive tackle ) and blocks the playside ( The side where the play is going ) inside linebacker ( usually called the Mike , or Middle Linebacker ) . The quarterback then reads the unblocked defensive linemen , if he crashes down on the fullback the quarterback pulls the ball from the fullback ' s gut and continues down the line , but if the defensive linemen goes outside to contain the play he hands off inside to the fullback . The offensive tackle on the side of the play ' s direction does not block the defensive end and instead moves to block the first threat which is usually the linebacker stacked behind the defensive end . In the traditional triple option the backside tailback will take a parallel course down the line of scrimmage keeping a 3 to 5 yard separation with the quarterback . If the defensive end comes inside toward the quarterback he will pitch it outside to the trailing halfback . If the defensive end keeps outside leverage and plays the trailing halfback the quarterback will keep the ball and cut upfield inside of the defensive end . The tailback to the playside is responsible for blocking one of the defensive backs , usually one of the deep safeties . The wide receiver to the play side is responsible for blocking the corner back assigned to cover them if the defense were playing man coverage . If this is run properly it can be extremely effective as most all defensive players are accounted for by blockers . Once the quarterback or tailback gets beyond the line of scrimmage there should be nobody in front of them because the tackle , guard , tailback and wide receiver are all downfield picking up the first threat . The play is called the triple option because the fullback dive is the first option , the quarterback keeping the ball is the second option , and the quarterback pitching to the halfback is the third option . A slight variation of this formation is the Flexbone , where the running backs move out to just outside the tackles , but still off the line of scrimmage . The running back that the play is using for the third option motions in , and while in motion the ball is snapped . The Triple Option , in this case , is still run mostly the same as the wishbone . Veer . The veer triple option uses two halfbacks and a tight end . The " inside veer " play is similar to the wishbone triple option , but the dive option is performed by the halfback on the side of the play , and the other halfback becomes the pitch man . The veer is more challenging to run to the weak side ( the side without the tight end ) because there is no lead blocker for the pitch man . The " outside veer " moves the halfback dive option outside the offensive tackle , forcing the outside linebacker to stop the halfback dive , and forcing the defensive backs to play the pitch option . I formation . The triple option can be run out of the I formation as well . With two running backs , it is sometimes called the " I - veer " , as the play is similar to the two running back veer offense . Three running back I formations such as the Maryland I and the stack I are more similar to the wishbone play . Recent variations . In recent years , as spread offense s have become popular , many teams have begun to run variations of the triple option with the quarterback in the shotgun . This has been greatly popularized by the success of coaches such as Rich Rodriguez , Chip Kelly , and Urban Meyer . The more traditional version of the triple option utilizes a quarterback under center and is advocated by the service academy coaches , including Fisher DeBerry , formerly of Air Force , and Paul Johnson , formerly head coach of Navy and now head coach at Georgia Tech ( who installed this offense at Hawai ' i and Georgia Southern , the latter school seeing several Division I Football Championship Subdivision titles using it ) . Paul Johnson has had the most success with the triple option / veer in the last few years . The triple option can be used in the spread offense . Teams like Florida , West Virginia , and Auburn have been using an inside zone triple option from the spread . The quarterback reads the defensive end for give or keep . If the defensive end squeezes down to take the dive , the quarterback will pull the ball and take his reading progression to the outside linebacker or defensive back . If the linebacker / defensive back takes the quarterback , the quarterback will pitch the ball to his runningback who is running in pitch relation to the quarterback .