Coach James Vint, an assistant coach at Estacado High School In Lubbock, Texas
has authored a new book that is available in hard cover or paperback entitled, “Installing
Explosive RPO Concepts Into Any Offense.” We recently completed a Q & A with Coach Vint.
#1 – What led to this overall concept being published?
There was a real demand from coaches for more information on RPO’s. Two years ago I was working with a coaching staff to install RPO’s into their offense, and they talked about how simple the process was. There were very few pieces of information on run pass options, and I decided it would be valuable to coaches to put the process into book form. RPO’s have been around for years, and there are a lot of coaches that have used them in some form or fashion for a long time. What we did was take information from several sources and put it together into a process.
#2 – What makes the RPO so effective?
The defense has to defend the entire width of the field and all of our skill guys every single play. We are able to put defenders in conflict, and take advantage of space created when defenders pursue the football. We are able to attack the defense on the first level, 2nd level, and 3rd level. Essentially, RPO’s are option football with the ability to read defenders on multiple levels.
The other thing that makes RPO’s so tough to defend is that it uses coaching against defenders. A great example of this is an RPO we run with an isolation scheme attacking an inside linebacker. We block iso, but we have an 8 yard route similar to a stick that replaces the linebacker. A good linebacker is taught to fill if he gets a down block and an out block. With an RPO we can give him that exact look, but have pass route replacing him. If he fills, the quarterback pulls the ball and throws the route. If the linebacker doesn’t fill, then we give the ball and take advantage of space being opened by the slow play linebacker.
#3 – How easy is the RPO to install?
RPO’s are simple to install if you have a process. We have a specific process for our players that allows us to attach a pass to every single run we call. We do this through our “ruled RPO’s.” These can be thrown based on pre-snap alignment or post snap
movement of a defender. We use one call for the run, and the pass routes are built in by rule. The offensive line is going to block the run. The defense is going to get a run read. The defense doesn’t know who the conflict defender is, or what the routes will be. RPO’s can be built into any offensive system. But you have to make sure you tailor it to your personnel. We adapt it to the players we have.
#4 – What are the critical elements in making the RPO a successful offense for your program?
First, we want to have a quarterback who makes good decisions. Second, we want to have skill players who can turn 6 yard plays into 60 yard plays. It is vital we train our skill guys to block well in space and give great effort. RPO’s gives us the opportunity to attack the defense in multiple ways, and allow us to get the ball to our skill guys more often in space. If we have a quarterback who can throw an accurate quick game concept, and we have skill guys who can make a player miss, RPO’s will be much more effective.
#5 – You also wrote on the importance of tempo – how important is it?
Tempo gives us the ability to change speeds and keep the defense off balance. Using multiple tempos creates stress for the defense because they don’t know if we are going to snap the ball 10 seconds after the last play ended, or if we are going to freeze them. They don’t know if we are going fast or going slow. Tempo adds another element to our offense that our players feel gives us an advantage on the field. It also fuels our culture as we do everything with a sense of urgency.
James Vint can be reached at his email: coachvint@gmail.com or his cell number: (806) 445-1751
Twitter – http://coachjamesvint.com Amazon Author Page www.coachvint.blogspot.com Practice and Game Planning Package: Practice and Game Planning Package
Links to Books: RPO book iBooks Version: RPO Book iBooks Version RPO book Amazon Version: Amazon Version of RPO Book Tempo Book iBooks Version: Tempo Book iBooks Version Tempo Book Amazon Version: Tempo Book Amazon Version