I am an avid reader of articles on the web about football strategy and tactics, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
I have started compiling useful articles and links from many corners of the web (though a huge number of them come from SB Nation sites) and organizing them. This isn't anywhere near complete. If you like it and are interested, I will continue to update it.
It definitely skews toward the formations, tactics, and strategies used in the modern game. If you only want to read about the stuff Bear Bryant or Vince Lombardi did, go check out a book from the library.
I hope you enjoy it and find it informative and useful.
If you have an article relating to these or any other related topics that you think is particularly good, feel free to PM me with a link. I'll look at it and will probably include it.
If I make updates, I will show new updates in some distinctive font to make browsing easier. I will also keep a record of any updates below:
UPDATES:
8/14/14: First post
Xs and Os Resources
General Concepts:
Glossary:
- A truly useful dictionary of football terms explained in a fairly clear way: John T. Reed's Football Dictionary
Leverage:
- A good general primer on the concept of Leverage in both the passing and running games: Leverage Basics
- What makes a great football play? Leverage, Numbers and Green Grass
Understanding Defensive Structures:
Coverage Principles:
- The basics of understanding defensive coverages: Pass Coverage Basics
- Basics of attacking coverages: Reading Coverage Basics
- A slightly more detailed read on attacking different coverages: Understanding Coverages and Attacking them with the Passing Game
Gaps and Force Players:
- Basics of run fits: Gap & Force Responsibilities
Offense:
Offensive Line Basics:
- Overview of offensive line play: OL Positions & Basics
Run Blocking Basics:
- Building blocks of understanding run blocking from DrB at Shakin the Southland: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
- Chris Brown on Zone running basics (Inside & Outside): Very Simple Zone Run Explanation
- Danny Kelly on Alex Gibbs, the Godfather of the zone run game: Alex Gibbs is Awesome
- A HS Coach discusses ZBS used by Ohio State: Ohio State Zone Blocking
- Overview of the Zone Blocking Scheme from Behind the Steel Curtain (SBNation Steelers blog): Some Good Stuff on ZBS
- Another ZBS Overview building off of some of the above: ZBS and the Seahawks
Pass Blocking Basics:
- Pass blocking basics in two parts from DrB: Part 1 Part 2
Man/Power Blocking:
- Basic Run Down of Gap/Power Blocking, with discussion of Iso and Power O: Gap Scheme Boot Camp
- Discussion of LSU's take on the Power O: This is a Les Miles Kind of Play
- Analysis of Clemson's Power O plays (mainly from pistol and gun): Chad Morris' Power O
- Chris Brown on the Power O and related concepts: Explanation and Cut-ups of the Power O
- PDF of an article by Jim Tressel about Ohio State's "Dave" play: Tressel Describes his own Power O play
- A walk through of the Colts' running game, with multiple cut-ups of gap runs: Dannly Kelly is a GIF animation Ninja
- Power, the Most Versatile Concept in Football (allegedly): Beware: Coaching Jargon Ahead
- Massive list of links relating to the Power O: Like really really Massive
- Another excellent overview of power/counter from Chris Brown: Football 101: Why Power Running Works
Traps and Counters:
- The Clemson Trap play: Chad Morris' Trap Play(s)
- The Clemson Counter (Trey): Joe Gibbs Approves of This
- Tons of detail on the Malzahn Counter plays: Diagrams and Pictures Galore
The Buck Sweep:
- The Clemson Buck Sweep: DrB on Morris' Buck Sweep
- Gus Malzahn describes his shotgun Buck Sweep: Video of Gus Diagramming Play
- Lots of details on the Malzahn Buck Sweep: Always with the Diagrams
- Auburn's Buck Sweep in pictures: More? Yes, more.
Inside Zone:
- A very well explained basic overview of the Inside Zone: Inside Zone Bootcamp
- A slightly more detailed basic IZ tutorial: This one is Really Outstanding
- Discussion of Inside Zone, the LSU way: Where Boring But Effective is a Way of Life
- Discussion of Chip Kelly's Inside Zone, without a read component: First of Several FishDuck links that I Hate Myself for Enjoying
- A HS coach breaks down the Inside Zone play used by Ohio State: Urban Meyer's Inside Zone
- Scott Gerlach on the Inside Zone: Video with Nifty Cut Ups (narrated by a football loving hipster)
- Some more detailed discussion of blocking rules on inside zone: Covered and Uncovered Rules and so forth
Outside Zone:
- Good Outside Zone overview from a Michigan State blog: OZ the Sparty Way
- Miami Hurricanes TE coach talks Outside Zone: Video with Cut-ups
- Discussion of Outside Zone at Ohio State from a HS coach: Buckeye OZ
Zone Read & Other Read Concepts:
- Overview of how read concepts "flip the math" in the run game against the defense: Must Read
- Article by Chip Kelly about the basics of the Oregon Zone Read game: Great Stuff (PDF)
- Excellent description of the basic Oregon Inside Zone Read from FishDuck.com: Article & Video
- Rich Rod (who basically invented the zone read) gives a simple explanation of a Zone Read packaged with a bubble screen: Video from Pac12 web site
- Description of the Outside Zone Read from FishDuck.com (video): One of the First (and Best) FishDuck Tutorials
- Ohio State Inside Zone Read: Excellent Article on the IZR
Passing Game Basics:
- Roles of the different receivers: Recap of a Hugh Millen Analysis by Field Gulls
Basic Short Game Concepts:
- Good overview of some basic short game concepts: Snag, Spot and Y-Stick
- Key WCO and Spread Short Game Concepts from Smart Football: Shallow, Drag & Drive
- Spread Offense Quick Game from the Gun: Detailed Playbook from Coach Mike Emendorfer
The Smash Concept:
- Basic overview of the Smash concept: Smash Concept
- More detail on the Smash concept: Includes Some Cut Ups
Four Verticals Concept:
- Chris Brown and Dan Gonzalez on Four Verts: Getting Vertical
- Excellent detailed look on Four Verts in the Leach Air Raid: Some Cougs are Pretty Smart
- One Coach's Four Verticals Concept: From American Football Monthly
Passing Oriented Offenses:
Air Raid:
- Great Air Raid Primer from Chris Brown: Essential Reading on Air Raid History
- Really good detail on Air Raid passing concepts: Amazing Resource with Cut-Ups
- Air Raid Basics with analysis of Y-Stick: Y-Stick the Ryan Gosling Way
- Noel Mazzone's Key Passing Concepts: Shallow, Drive, & Verticals
Run and Shoot (RnS):
- Chris Brown on the old University of Houston RnS: Includes Lots of Links
- Chris Brown on RnS Concepts still being used in the NFL: RnS Concepts are Now Mainstream
- Understanding the RnS: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About RnS Option Routes
- The Go Package
- The Switch Package
Packaged Plays:
- Chris Brown with a couple awesome overviews of Packaged Plays: The Newest Form of Option Football
- Rethinking the Concept of Modern Play-Calling
- A surprisingly good look at Packaged Play concepts in the NFL: Something from Bleacher Report that is NOT Total Garbage (miracle)
- Zone Read with Bubble: Mazzone's Zone Read with Bubble
- Sonny Dyles/Tony Franklin Packaged Play: A California Golden Blogs Post that is NOT Tosh Related
- The packaged play "encyclopedia": Includes Diagrams & Cut-Ups (mainly Ole Miss)
HUNH Philosophy:
- Good overview of Malzahn's HUNH principles in two parts - posted 6/6/14: Part 1 Part 2
Bigger Picture Articles that Still Have lots of Xs and Os goodies:
- Chris Brown on Malzahn's Offense at Grantland: The Making of a Modern Day Guru
- More good stuff on Malzahn from Chris Brown: The Smartest 3,000 Words on Gus Malzahn You'll Ever Read
- Noel Mazzone's Spread Offense Philosophy: Mazzone's "Old Fashioned" New School Spread
- Ian Boyd on Baylor's Spread Offense: An Excellent Primer on Baylor's Offense
- Ian Boyd on Clemson's Spread and its Wishbone/Veer roots: Clemson's Smashmouth Spread
- Ian Boyd on Oregon's Matchup Model: "Basketball on Grass"
- The "classic" article from Smart Football about the old Boise State offense: How the Broncos Use Leverage, Numbers and Grass to Gash the Opposition
- An article on understanding last year's new Husky offense: This is a Talented Writer
- An in-depth look at Gary Patterson's 4-2-5 defense at TCU: Hard Knocks: Playing Defense With TCU's Gary Patterson