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Why I Like... The Trap Play part 1: The Wing-T Guard Trap

Why I like… The Wing-T Trap Play

By
Darrin Sheffer
@darrinsheffer

With Contribution by 
Coach Bruce Eien
@bruceeien

See the source image
https://3dprintingindustry.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/its-a-trap-tumblr-1024x435.jpg

As a player I’m sure you had one play that got your skin tingling when it got called in the huddle.  In High School we ran the traditional Delaware Wing-T, my play was the Trap Play.  Finally, my chance to rise up and shine, and I wasn’t even the ball carrier, I was the guard.  The play call for us was Red 34 Guard Trap.

Something I here from a lot of coaches on Twitter: “The Wing-T is BORING” by pretty much every Spread Coach ever.  Well, as a High School player who was grateful for a chance to get on the field no matter what I loved playing in the Wing-T offense.  I’ll be totally honest and say that at the time I had no idea that our offense was Wing-T, I really didn’t care and most kids don’t. 

Now as a coach who is researching various offenses I have a whole new appreciation for the Trap.  My plan is to profile this play in different offensive formations, but today I’m focusing on the Wing-T Trap. 

See the source image
http://image.slideserve.com/246137/124-guard-trap-l.jpg

If you are unfamiliar with the Wing-T Buck Series I suggest that you check out some of the many Wing-T coaches on Twitter.  Once you have done this come back and finish reading.  For those of you who are familiar with the Buck Series you will know what I am talking about.  The Buck series usually consists of four plays (Buck Sweep, Trap, Counter and Waggle).  In the Wing-T we are looking to misdirect the defense by having a series of plays that look like the same thing but have different outcomes.  The backfield action in the Buck Series is the same for all three plays, the major difference between each is who gets the ball and where are the guards going.  Someone is pulling off the line on all four plays, which is why many defensive coaches teach their linebackers to read pulling guards when playing the Wing-T. 

That being said, I don’t believe defending the Wing-T is as easy as reading a pulling guard.  1st, any Wing-T coach worth his salt will have an answer to whatever your defense does.  2nd, we are talking about teenage boys, not full grown men.  Teenagers are impulsive, emotionally driven creatures who forget everything they are taught when in pressure situations.  You may pound “follow the guards” all week, but eventually they will begin to watch the backfield which is when they get really confused. 

So why does all this matter?  Well, let’s say that as an offensive coach who runs the Buck series I am most likely going to start by running Buck Sweep at least 5-6 times before I call another run play.  Why?  I want those linebackers to start to flow over to stop the sweep play, I want them following my guards.  Once I know that they are going to flow, that is when I hit them with something else, most likely Guard Trap. 

Contributed by Coach Bruce Eien @bruceeien

Trap from UC is probably one of the fastest hitting run plays there is, besides maybe Wedge.  Most of the time if you see a trap play hit for big yards it’s because the defensive line is flying up field too fast and the linebackers are flowing to the sweep action.  In the Wing-T Trap play, you don’t block the DE’s, have your tackles release to the 2nd level and pick up a linebacker.  The fullback is following the same action path as Buck Sweep but will receive the ball and follow the pulling guard into the 4 gap.  As a OG myself I always looked to have a devastating block on this play because the DT never expects it.  That being said, it is not a requirement that the pulling guard gets a big hit, all he really needs to do is get himself between the defender and the ball carrier.  Just a little wing clip will do in most situations. 

Now, what about those situations where the defense is obviously reading pulling guards?  Would they not sniff this play out?  Well here is my answer: Influence Trap.  Most trap plays don’t pull both guards, just the trapping guard.  But on influence trap, you pull both guards: PSG pulls and blocks Buck Sweep path, BSG (trap guard) pulls and traps DT.  I’m a big believer in the saying “One good fake equals two good blocks”. 

See the source image
https://www.xandolabs.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Slide12.jpg

If you have any questions, please comment down below.  For my next article I plan on profiling the Trap play out of Spread Gun formations.


Stay Obsessed.  

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