Customer Reviews

The Bunch Attack: Using Compressed, Clustered Formations in the Passing Game (Art & Science of Coaching)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ran the wing t offense for 10 years with great effectiveness forcing teams to play eight man fronts. I always felt I could not pass because you need talent thrower and speedy receivers to pass. So I forced my teams to continue running the football even with eight man fronts. Kind of chopping down a tree with a sledge hammer. Then I read this book. Not only do you not need a good thrower or speedy receivers, but if you want something that is going to confuse the defense. Then do not look any further. This book will completely change your offensive attitude towards the pass. I no longer pass with fear. The book is easy to understand and is a great reference for both offensive and defensive coordinators. It goes with any offensive philosophy. Mine is wing T and I have not change my philosophy it just enhance it. If you pass this book by you are making a big mistake. I now have defense playing 6 and 7 men fronts which is a lot easier to run on. No matter how much of committment you choose to use in your passing game: a lot or once in a while, this book will give that edge over today's defenses.

Every decade, some humble coach or in this case coaches take the time to write about a revolutionary idea that they have tinkered with, and they do it with such amazing clarity and detail that even those who may not agree with such madness owe it to themselves and their profession to study such a masterwork.

This is one of those books.

Coverdale and Robinson do not claim to have invented the bunch formation. They simply explain it in such vivid detail that this is probably one of the greatest football books written for coaches in this century. I AM NOT KIDDING!

The diagrams are splendidly detail, the authors explain all of their techniques and methods thoroughly, and then they give you the hows and whens to use this tremendous idea. Furthermore they give you ideas to build on that will only stimulate your own creative thinking.

Any formation or system can easily adapt this idea, you don't have to be a run and shooteer, a west coaster, or a wing t guy. Any system at any level can use the ideas presented. What you won't get from these two authors however is a lot of blowhard stories meant to soothe their own egos or a bunch of clinic talk that leaves you the reader feeling cheated. This is a football book meant for people who are serious about football.

I bought the book two years ago, I still pull it out and review it every few weeks, I've read and reread it countless times. Folks you aren't going to find a better football book that is so readily available and easily easily readable that is this important. I just ordered my second copy because the binding on the one I bought two years ago is worn out.

This is perhaps one of the best technical football books I have read. Great diagrams and detailed explanation in a simple form make for a good read and easy installation instructions. A must for any offensive coordinator.

Coverdale and Robinson explain the "Bunch" attack so effectively you feel you could have a pop warner team run it and run it well. It is X's and O's, so if someone doesn't understand the game, it won't make any sense, but why would anyone buy this book if that were so? Once they get down to the nitty gritty of the attack, which seems to take a while, they give detailed descriptions of how they can break down nearly any defense with the concepts. If you coach, and you want a better passing game, get it. You won't be sorry.

I found it to be the best technical coaching book I've ever read (and believe me I've read almost all of the recent ones in the last 10 years).It amazes me just how much of this stuff is used in the pro's now that I recognize what theyre doing. The Eagles absolutely live off the "Mesh"package on 3rd and medium.

I really like this book. I have been a football coach for over twenty years, mostly on the defensive side of the football. I have faced many teams that employ bunch formations in their offensive attacks. I bought the book to learn more about the theory of attacking different defensive coverages using bunch formations to better defend these offensive sets and discovered some good formations and plays that could easily transfer to the offense our High School team currently uses; in both our passing as well as rushing attacks. This book contains a lot of information and is not a quick read and will require time and patience on the part of the reader. It explains the running and passing plays well and contains good diagrams. If you are interested in using bunch or "cluster" formations to diversify your offense than this is a good book to buy. I have yet to come across another book on this topic.

This book is an excellent resource. It is not, however, a casual read. The concepts in this book get very in depth and specific.

In order to understand all the adjustments and "tags" added to route packages, you must have a sound understanding of coverage schemes. For each route package the author goes into detail on what modifications (routes, formations, motions) can be used to exploit almost any coverage. This includes not only basic cover 0,1,2,3,4, but also 2 man free, cover 3 sky and cloud, banjo/triangle man coverage etc. As you can see, much of this will be hard to decipher if you do not have a fundamental understanding of these coverage schemes.

Another challenge that his book presents is how to incorporate these ideas into a pre-existing system. It may seem like a true "bunch" system is nothing but 4 WR's and a lone back in the backfield. This would not fit a lot of offensive systems, let alone personnel. Fortunately, this book dispels the single back myth, and includes many alternative ways to line up, both formation wise and personnel wise. For example, you could set X and Z to the left, Y in the tight end spot on the right, and an offset "I" backfield with the fullback offset to the right (strong). This does not sound like a bunch formation, but by simply motioning Z across the Y, you now have Z as #1, Y as #2, and F as #3 all frontside. This formation and motion would be achieved by the call: Larry Strong, Z 6. As you can see, this is pretty concise and simple.

My favorite part of the book is not the routes or adjustments, but rather the author's system for formations and motion. He uses a very flexible and consistent system that gives you a lot of freedom as a play caller. I have been searching for a formation/motion system that is numerical, short, simple, and intuitive and I believe the one presented in this book is one of the best I have come across. I highly recommend this book.

This book was well written with different rountes that can be run from the set. If the book has contain any run game it would be a complete offense.

Just buy it. There are so many good ideas in here everyone who reads it will benefit.

Coach Andrew Coverdale and Dan Robinson have written a good book. It is full of diagrams and it is easy to follow. I am sure it will help a lot of coaches improve their passing game.

I recommend this book be used by high school coaches and above.


If you want to read a five stars book on passing read;

"THE EXPLOSIVE DOUBLE SLOT OFFENSE"

By Coach Tom F. Smythe