One of the most important jobs for an offensive coordinator is to identify what they are really good at on offense. The next most important job for a coordinator is to find as many possible ways to run what they are good at. One scheme that we have been successful with in recent years has been GT counter. This gap scheme has been great for us because of the different ways we dress up the run scheme, whether that is formation, motion, shifts, RPO’s, packaging plays, or simply adding wrinkles of deception and/or misdirection in the run scheme.
I had some time to think about what I would do if I were to just run GT counter on every single play, but still be versatile enough to attack the defense with the run, pass, play action pass and even a sound screen game. I narrowed my thinking down to 8 simple ways to run GT counter, which I wanted to share with other coaches out there.
8 Simple Ways to Run GT Counter
GT Counter Bubble Slip
This GT Counter Bubble Slip has been a great concept for us because it gives the QB a pre-snap option to throw the bubble if we have an advantage with numbers and space on the perimeter. If the bubble is not an option before the ball is snapped, then the QB will run GT Counter option with his RB. Our Sniffer will slip into the flat on his arrow route, leaving the DE to be read by our QB. If our QB has the read to keep, he will rip and run to the alley with his eyes into the flat. If the flat is open, he will dump the ball to the H. If the flat is covered (cloud CB / Curl-flat player) then he will tuck and run the football. This simply becomes a triple option play and puts horizontal stress on the defense which can be difficult to defend.
GT Counter Toss Bubble
This is a great concept if you have a QB that can run the football. The bubble is still a pre-snap option for the QB, which again forces defenders to either become box players or coverage players. In the run scheme our QB will now run counter off a toss read with his RB. If the DE sits or squeezes, then we simply toss to our RB with H arc releasing for his block. If the DE widens as he sees toss his way, the QB will keep it and run GT Counter back the other way. I love this concept because it has split-flow action, gives the QB a chance to run the ball, and gets the H as an extra blocker on the Toss option.
GT Counter Boot Z Smash
Now if you are going to show GT counter every single play and have success, then you have to be able to pass to avoid being one dimensional. GT Counter Boot Z Smash is a great boot concept as it can hold down second level defenders with the counter action from the OL and in the backfield with QB and RB. The H will make it appear like he’s arc’ing, but then smash into the DE to pin him inside so the QB can boot outside the pocket. When the QB gets out of the pocket he will look into the flat first for the out, then on the smash, and then on the deep crosser coming from the backside. This is a great concept because it can beat multiple coverages.
GH Counter Glance
I may be cheating on this play because it’s technically not GT counter, but it still gets the job done the same way. The reason why GH Counter is used for this RPO because I want to keep the BST home (Step-hinge protect B-C gap) so we can account for all 1st level defenders. Blocking all down linemen will make it possible to read 2nd level or 3rd level defenders, as seen in this Glance RPO. What I like about this GH Counter scheme is that it can attack weak-side safeties that want to rotate down into the box to support the run. We continue to work the pre-snap option of having bubble just incase that OLB wants to start creeping into the box or is tight in his initial alignment.
GT Counter Boot Y Cross
This is another boot pass off of GT Counter. Here I would expect the defense to be in a single high safety because of our formation with a TE on the ball and an H back in a wing position. With that type of defense I would expect either Cover 1 or Cover 3, which is why I started thinking about double moves and flood concepts. here we are essentially flooding the left side of the field with the Z on a Post Corner, Y on a deep cross, and the H on a delayed out after pinning the DE. The QB will look Z, Y and then H into the flat in his progression.
GT Counter Bubble Pop
If you’re facing a defense that remains in their 2 high structure against this offensive look, then this could effectively attack the middle of the field open with the H back. The QB has the Option to throw bubble if he has the green light pre-snap, but if not, he will then either hand the ball off to his RB, or throw the pop pass to H as he reads the backside linebacker. We are not blocking the BSDE on this GT Counter RPO, which some coaches would argue against, but I believe the QB can get the ball out of his hand in plenty of time without having to block the DE.
GT Counter Sweep
This GT Counter Sweep play is designed to go outside. This play will work if you have great pulling linemen as it may take some patience in the backfield for this to develop. One aspect that I like about this is that it comes from a condensed formation, which gives us great down blocking angles with our receivers to set the edge. If our LG and LT can get to the front side of this play and around the edge, then we should be able to get numbers to the point of attack. If timing is an issue then you may want to think about selling “Sprint out” to the left for 2 steps before the QB hands the ball off to the RB countering back to the right.
GT Counter Tunnel Screen
This is taking a page out of Lincoln Riley’s playbook and layering Tunnel Screen with GT Counter action. This is a great way to show your best run play to one side of the field, and then attack the other side of the field with Linemen getting out in front. The down blocking angles for the C, PSG and PST all take them to their proper aiming points for Tunnel screen. The tricky part for these OL is to avoid contact with the 1st level defenders so they can get to their landmarks on time. The QB needs to punch fake the ball to the RB and then get the ball out quickly to the #1 WR on the Tunnel screen.
Run GT Counter as Many Ways as Possible
If GT counter is a run scheme that you want to hang your hat on, then it’s imperative that you find other says to attack with GT Counter. This can be done by adding wrinkles or layers in the run game, using it for your boot pass concepts, or even throwing tunnel screen off GT Counter action. This can easily be applied to other run schemes as well. If you are not a gap scheme team and you run more inside zone, then this same philosophy can be applied to inside zone as well.