Midline option
What it is
An option run directly at the interior, with the quarterback reading a defensive tackle rather than an edge defender.
Why it matters
Midline exists to punish a penetrating three-technique: the more aggressively he gets upfield, the more certainly he reads himself out of the play. It attacks the one part of the defense that is usually left alone by option football, and it needs almost no width to work, which makes it a short-yardage staple.
Both sides of it
Running it
The line blocks away from the read tackle and the dive back aims straight at the centre-guard gap. The quarterback rides and reads the unblocked defensive tackle: if he crosses the back's face, pull and run in the vacated lane; if he sits inside, give. Everything happens inside the tackle box, so the read is faster and tighter than any perimeter option.
Stopping it
The read tackle must be taught not to chase penetration. Squeezing down and staying square keeps both threats in front of him and makes the read a bad one. Linebackers fill the dive gap and the quarterback lane behind him, and the safety fits the middle rather than the alley — midline puts nothing on the perimeter, so perimeter defenders are not part of the answer.
Also called
Programs call this midline, midline option or read the three. The Coach answers to any of them.
Related
This entry is authored, not generated. It is one of 205 in the index that the AI-ssistant Coach retrieves from, and that Film Study tags clips against.