The Role of the Running Back in the Spread Offense

The spread offense has revolutionized the game of football from the high school level to the college ranks to the pros. To be successful, the spread offense takes a good quarterback and skilled running backs.

In the years prior to the spread offense, the running back would simply line up in the backfield with a fullback positioned in front of him as a lead blocker.  The play was simple – the running back would just follow the fullback through the hole to gain yardage.  However, in the spread offense, it is important to have a strong running back that possesses a versatile skill set. A running back in the spread offense needs to have the hands of a receiver, the blocking technique of a tight end, and still be able to run like the ‘old school’ running backs. He must be able to read the defense like the quarterback, so that he can recognize to the defensive scheme and try to catch the defenders off balance so that the offense can get the most out each.  For example:  if the running back is lined up in the pistol formation or right beside the quarterback in the shot gun formation, the quarterback may put the ball in the running back’s hands and then pull it back. When the quarterback does this, he is trying to read if the end player on defense is going to take the running back or take him.

The spread offense requires the running back to be ready to execute the play – physically and mentally. The days of the power running back are gone … the modern running back of today needs the strong, multi-purpose skill set to survive on the gridiron.