If you’ve coached JV football long enough, you know the battle: how do we keep things simple enough for kids to execute, but complex enough to compete on Friday nights? You watch film and see teams that seem to be running a million different things—pre-snap motion, formation changes, RPOs—and it’s easy to start thinking, “We need more stuff.” But here’s the truth: you don’t need more plays—you need more ways to run the ones you already have.
You gotta remember, these are still young kids. Half are just entering high school, some are dealing with issues with their girlfriends outside of school, some of them are trying to find and work jobs to support their families, and all of them are dealing with so many hormonal changes, that none of these kids are going to be able to remember a 300 page playbook.
The real win at the JV level isn’t just about the scoreboard—it’s about building smart, adaptable players who are ready to play fast, confidently, and within a school’s system. This week, we’re talking about how to use formations, motions, shifts, and RPOs to make your offense look like a moving puzzle while keeping the core as basic as possible.
Resist the Urge to Add Too Many Concepts
Let’s start with the biggest trap: thinking you need a massive playbook. You don’t. Trust me, I’ve fallen into this trap as well. My first year as JV OC, my QB’s wristband had 140 different plays on it. To me, I was fine with it, because I could remember them all. What I found, though, was my kids were confused as all hell trying to remember how to run the plays we needed.
The Problem: Too many plays means fewer reps. Fewer reps means poor execution. Poor execution means your JV kids don’t learn what they need to succeed.
The Solution: Find 3-4 run concepts and 4-5 pass concepts that match the Varsity system, then teach the hell out of them.
We’ve talked about this before; JV football is where you learn to block down and kick out. Where you learn how to adjust splits, read leverage, and snap count timing. You’re not building a high-powered spread system—you’re building football players that will be prepared to dominate on Friday nights in the future. The more you can rep the Varsity system’s concepts, the more comfortable they will be when they get called up. And the more they can rep those same concepts, the better they will get.
How to Install:
- Stick to two day installs when installing new concepts. Don’t get caught up in trying to install 8 different plays in one day. In our JV system, we teach one run and one pass play every 2 days.
- Build off core Varsity concepts. If Varsity is a power team, you’re running Power 5 different ways.
- Use the mantra: “Same play, different look.”
Simplify the Teaching:
- Use consistent language with Varsity terminology. If Varsity is teaching “gap-down-backer” or “covered/uncovered” rules to their OL, you sure as hell better be using that same language with your kids.
- Install days are install days—no surprises. Don’t decide in the middle of practice that The Annexation of Puerto Rico would be a great play to run, then waste time trying to put it in. Your kids are expecting Counter and Flood, so work Counter and Flood.
- Script practices to reinforce reps of your core each day. Know what you need to work on out of your base, then script out your sessions to ensure that you run those concepts. This is also why filming your practices is important. Now I’m not saying you need to get the HUDL cams timed up to your back grass field (because we all know that’s where our sub-varsity teams end up anyway.) No, take one of your coaches, or one of your hurt kids, or some homeless guy off the street, give them your phone, and have him film your reps. It gives us a clear idea of what we need to work more, and what we should script further for the rest of the week. Just make sure the homeless guy gives you your phone back.
Concerned that you’re going to be too simple? Stop! You don’t need to have 30 run plays to make a simple complex. Stop worrying, because you can always add window dressing (which we’ll get into next) to make you look more complex than you actually are.
Whatever you do, though, never sacrifice execution for variety.
Using Formations to Multiply Your Offense
One of the easiest ways to make your offense look dynamic without adding plays is by varying formations. Different formations create different defensive responses, open up leverage, and allow you to run the same concept into better space.
There’s an old teaching style for OC’s, that says when creating a system, the order you should focus on is “players, formations, plays.” At the sub-varsity level, in my opinion, the last two need to be switched. You’re not creating a system from scratch, and the plays are already there for you. By switching the order of the last two (formations and plays), you’re taking what the Varsity gave you and adding the window dressing to make yourself look more complicated.
The Pros:
- Force defenses to communicate and adjust. Sub-varsity defenses aren’t that complicated, and mostly focus on fitting the run correctly, right? So, make life more complicated for those kids and give them different looks that they have to fit. Think about it like this; even before the game starts, you can get a dynamic advantage by giving them a ton of formations to have to rep fitting in practice. Just like with your own practices, forcing these young kids to remember how to align to every formation you run is going to be too much for their developing brains to handle.
- Hide tendencies by moving players. Adding formations can become a nice shell game for the OC, being able to get your dynamic players in different positions that the defense might not account for. Are you an Outside Zone player, and your RB has been running sidecar all night? Line him up over at the Slot, then bring him on a jet sweep from his current spot. Pre-snap, you’ve already frigged with that defense by softening that box, and if you haven’t ran Jet OZ in previous games, they might not know it’s coming.
- Make a defense defend the entire field. Switching from Trips to 2×2, to Bunch, to I-formation, defenses are going to have to get really good at defending multiple areas of the field in the same game. That means that DC’s are going to have to have an even more basic game plan than normal, because they’re not going to be able to create exotic packages against every one of your formations.
How to Install:
- Start with your basics For example: Twins, Trips, Tight, and Bunch. Whatever your Varsity bases out of, start there, then build in formations that align to what they’re already doing. If your varsity is all spread, don’t all of a sudden throw in the Wing-T.
- Teach in “families” (e.g., all 2×2 formations, all 3×1 formations). It’s easier for your players to remember where they go if you group them the same way.
- Build every new formation off the same alignment rules: slot is #2, outside is #1, TE is strong side, etc. If you’re going to all of a sudden move the slot inside the exchange box to be an extra running back, you better rep the hell out of it, so on a Monday night when you do call that formation, he’s not lined up in his typical slot.
Simplify the Teaching:
- Use landmark rules: “Split the numbers,” “Stack behind the tackle,” etc. Players can read landmarks easier than they can understand “5 yards inside from the receiver” Don’t give their brains too much to work with.
- Use cones in walk-throughs so they can visualize spacing. It helps with identifying their landmarks, and it helps the install period go quicker when you can just say “hey go to the second cone.”
Why It Works at JV:
- Allows you to run your base plays into different looks. The great part about using different formations is that most of the time, you don’t need to change your base rules for your plays. If you’re a gap-down-backer team, that’s not going to change if you run unbalanced with an extra tackle and a TE to one side.
- Keeps kids comfortable and keeps defenses guessing. It’s like telling someone a riddle: you know the answer, and you’re fine, but the person you told the riddle to is spiraling because they don’t know how to answer it after a while.
- Teaches alignment and assignment discipline early. Your players will begin to understand that even though their alignment might change, their assignment does not. It also helps your players how to adjust their assignments and angles based on their new alignments.
You don’t need 20 formations. You need 4 or 5 that change how the defense lines up. In our JVsystem, we tend to carry 4-5 that we will utilize every game, but each week, we may gameplan in a new formation or alignment based on what the defense is giving us on film. This could be a whole new formation, or a tag on a formation (for example, one of our formations is Slant, but if we want the Slot and WR to come align up next to the OL we simple say Slant Tight).
Using Motion to Stress Defenses
Motion is one of the most underused tools at the JV level. It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, motion teaches timing, discipline, and defensive recognition. It also gives you the chance to change the picture for the defense right away, with little time to react. The best part: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO CHANGE THE CONCEPT!
The Pros:
- Helps diagnose man vs zone. We see the DB or LB motioning with our kid? It’s man. He sits still or backs off? They’re in Zone. SImple as that.
- Creates leverage without changing formations. If you’re an R4 guy, when I motion, in 2 seconds I can go from having a +0 advantage to a side to a +1 advantage. In layman’s terms, I can go from having no man advantage on a side of the formation to having an extra blocker just like that.
- Can pull defenders out of the box or force them into bad matchups. On the other side of the argument, if there’s a stud to one side of the formation that I want moved, I can motion his guy out of the box and run in the direction he just left.
- It gives me a quick extra runner on any play. Jet sweep is a viable option on any offense to try and get a speedy kid to the outside quick as possible.
How to Install:
- Start with Jet, Orbit, and Quick motion.
- Label motion types clearly in play calls (e.g., “Z Jet,” “H Orbit”). You don’t need exotic names for the motions and get the kids more confused; even if the defense hears it, they still need to adjust to it within a 2 second time frame.
- Time the snap consistently (e.g., on 2nd step across center or before the center, depending on the play).
Simplify the Teaching:
- Designate start and end points for motion.
- Walk through timing in slow periods before installing full-speed.
- Rehearse every motion during Indy, then again in team.
Why It Works at JV:
- It teaches eye discipline and pace. QB’s need to learn the rhythm for running motion, but once they do, it opens up so many possibilities for what we can call as an offense, and how Varsity can use them in the future.
- Helps QBs with pre-snap reads. Start with training his eyes on the defender across from the motion. Does he move? What does that mean? Once he gets good at that, work him up to reading the triangle.
- Gives you the ability to shift leverage without new plays. You can easily move defenders on a motion out of the way of a play you want to run, or add a blocker to the playside when needed.
Wanna get crazy? Add one new motion every couple of weeks. This will help you look more exotic than you actually are. Just remember, reps are more important than volume.
Using Shifts to Confuse Without Complexity
Shifts are just pre-snap changes in formation. They’re great for forcing defenses to communicate and realign. At the JV level, that alone can cause confusion and blown assignments.
Let’s say you’re coming out of the Huddle in a pistol formation, with a FB to the side and a RB behind the QB. All of a sudden, the offense shifts, the QB and FB move to slot receivers, and now you have an empty wildcat formation. The defense isn’t gonna know what hit them. And this is JV! Some people might say the easy answer is “load the box, rush the RB.” But at this level, that kid might’ve played Pop Warner QB for years, what if he can throw?
Shifting allows you to play those mental battles pre-snap without changing anything about the play that you’ve called.
The Pros:
- Forces real-time adjustments.
- Creates misalignment.
- Can simplify blocking assignments by realigning strength.
How to Install:
- Begin with group shifts (e.g., TE and FB shifting from strong to weak).
- Assign simple shift calls (e.g., “Shift Right” moves everyone one slot).
- Use the same start and end formations each time.
Simplify the Teaching:
- Teach a cadence: “Shift—Set—Snap.”
- Practice the shift independently of the play.
- Film walkthroughs so kids can see the result of the shift.
Why It Works at JV:
- Helps players understand defensive fronts. Moving multiple players pre-snap forces your offensive players to understand where the Defense is lining up against them so they can follow their own rules.
- Makes the same play look different.
- Gives players ownership of learning to adjust in-game.
Shifts aren’t for tricking coaches—they’re for confusing 15-year-olds playing linebacker, which in all honesty is way more fun. Let’s face it, kids are dumb sometimes, and they overthink everything. So if a Corner aligns inside shade of a receiver when the offense breaks the huddle, then all of a sudden there’s 4 receivers to his side, he’s gonna start freaking out a little bit inside.
Running Simple RPOs with Simple Reads
RPOs sound complicated, but they don’t have to be. At the JV level, they can be a huge weapon if simplified to one read and one quick answer.
The Pros:
- Punishes aggressive box defenders.
- Gives QBs more control and confidence.
- Helps in numbers-down situations by giving you extra leverage in the game.
How to Install:
- Start with a base run (e.g., Inside Zone) and pair with a quick route (e.g., Slant). We always start off RPO install by using a simple slant route, because it keeps the QB’s eyes in the same window.
- Teach one read (e.g., “Read the Backside LB – throw if he flows, hand if he sits”). Another simple read your can teach your QB’s: If there’s 6 or less in the box, hand it off. If there’s 7 in the box, make the read. If there’s 8 or more in the box, throw the ball.
- Script daily RPO periods where QBs get 10-15 decision reps. Get them used to being able to make these reads.
Simplify the Teaching:
- One read, one route, one rule. If you start adding in routes for them to read, we’re making them do more thinking, which at the JV level is never a good thing. QB’s with the ability to think about more than 2 things make mistakes.
- Use cones or coaches as defenders in install.
- Run routes on air with decision calls from the coach. It helps the QB get used to the timing and helps him make better decisions.
Why It Works at JV:
- Trains decision-making in real time.
- Forces the defense to stay honest.
- Mirrors what they’ll see and do at the Varsity level.
You don’t need a full RPO menu. Not every play needs to be an RPO (unless you Run Power Often, then it does). All you need is two or three looks with clear rules and lots of reps to make a JV defense miserable as all get out.
JV Has More Leeway Than You Think
Here’s the truth that a lot of JV coaches don’t realize: you have more flexibility than the Varsity staff does. Varsity has to keep things tight, consistent, and repeatable. You, on the other hand, can be a little creative—as long as it supports the big picture.
What You Can Get Away With:
- Using motion on almost every play.
- Creating formation wrinkles every week.
- Using shifts and tempo changes to disguise intentions.
What You Can’t Do:
- Break language continuity with Varsity.
- Run schemes that don’t align with the core system.
- Install 20 different plays that have no long-term value.
Communicate With Varsity:
- Use the same terminology.
- Let the Varsity OC or HC know your weekly install. Hell, maybe they’ll like the idea and put it into their own system.
- Ask what they want emphasized—then find creative ways to teach it. As long as you’re adding dressing to their system rather than changing their system, most varsity coaches are very willing to allow you to do what you need to do. Just communicate!
You’re not just trying to win JV games—you’re building Varsity players. Use that freedom to make your version of the offense efficient, smart, and well-disguised.
The best JV offenses aren’t built on volume. They’re built on mastery. But mastery doesn’t have to be boring. Dress up your core plays with movement, looks, and pace, and suddenly you’ve got an offense that looks way more advanced than it is.
Here’s the cheat code:
- Use formations to find space.
- Use motion to force communication.
- Use shifts to adjust leverage.
- Use RPOs to punish overcommitment.
All while running the same 6 to 7 plays the Varsity team uses.
That’s how you develop players who understand football—not just memorize assignments. That’s how you win at the JV level—not just on the scoreboard, but in the film room, the practice field, and eventually, under the Friday night lights when your players make the jump to Varsity ready to contribute.
Less is more. Just make it look like more.
Next week, we’re going into one of my favorite ideas: Blocking at the JV level. How do you develop your younger, smaller kids to be dominate blockers in your schemes?
In the meantime, reach out with any ideas you might have for future posts, or if you want to collaborate on any future weekly topics.
Check out my Twitter or message me @Coacheaston268
Check out the new video series “One Play the JV Way” on Youtube, same handle as the Twitter.
Go join the “JV Community” group on Facebook. Where sub-varsity coaches can help each other out and share ideas on how to make each other and our players better.
As always, check out the rest of Coachingshare.com for a ton of great coaching products.
And remember; Teach it, Build it, Rep it. That’s the JV Way.
See you next week.
