In this modern age of RPOs, shotgun formations, and no huddle offenses, it's becoming increasingly rare to see the flexbone offense in major college football. This offense is sometimes mistakenly viewed as boring, predictable, and too basic to work at the higher levels of football.
After all, many people ask, why run the flexbone when you can just spread your opponents out and attack them in space?
Well, it might surprise you to learn that's exactly what the flexbone is designed to do.
Keep reading and learn more about the *original* spread offense.
What is the Flexbone Offense?
The Flexbone Offense is a run-heavy offensive system that evolved from the Wishbone offense, and is known for lots of option plays and misdirection.
In the original wishbone, there were typically three backs in the backfield, with a fullback and two deeper running backs. The flexbone moved those two extra running backs, sometimes called "A Backs" closer to the line of scrimmage to present more of a pass threat.
This offense is known for lots of option plays, and is sometimes referred to interchangeably as "The Triple Option Offense".
What Kind of Personnel Is Needed to Run the Flexbone?
The flexbone offense has some flexibility (no pun intended) depending on the different skillsets of the players on the roster, but there are still some non-negotiables for each position.
At the quarterback position, the team needs a decisive runner with good decision-making abilities. The flexbone quarterback does not need to be the most talented passer, but he has to be able to hit open receivers on play action passes and be able to threaten the defense with the chance of a pass so that they cannot simply load the box and commit everyone to the run game.
The fullback, or B-back, should be a strong, powerful runner who excels at inside running and blocking to complement the option game. The fullback in the flexbone should be more athletic than your typical fullback in many other schemes, since he'll be expected to find space in between the tackles more often than not.
The slotbacks, or A-backs, need to be quick, agile athletes capable of blocking, running, and catching the ball out of the backfield, and should be good enough in space that they can be lined up at receiver from time to time.
Wide receivers in the flexbone must be strong blockers who can also threaten the defense deep when needed.
Finally, the offensive line should be composed of athletic, aggressive blockers who excel at cut blocking and combo blocks to create holes for the running game. These offensive linemen also need to be smart and understanding their rules on each play based on where defenders line up in each defensive front.
What are the Strengths of the Flexbone?
The biggest strength of the flexbone offense is that it is so unique in the modern area of football, that many defenses struggle to stop it.
Football coaches only have so much time during the week with their players to prepare them for the games. Since most defenses may not see the flexbone offense more than once a year on their schedule, it forces coaches and players to spend time learning and re-learning the basics of how to defend the offense and what flexbone teams like to do. This is something they would not have to spend as much time on when playing a more "modern" spread team.
Fundamentally, the flexbone excels at maintaining excellent ball control and long time of possession, as it presents multiple dangerous running threats on every play. This makes it challenging for defenses to assign responsibilities and account for all the potential ball carriers, creating significant assignment confusion.
Beyond the schematic advantages, the flexbone's option-based run game also physically wears down opponents over the course of a game, and takes advantage of teams who are not good tacklers.
What are the Weaknesses of the Flexbone?
The biggest weakness of the flexbone offense is the lack of a high volume pass game. Because this offense is built around running the football, it can be difficult to come back from a deficit late in the game, or move the ball quickly in a 2 minute drill situation.
The flexbone also requires a large amount of practice time to get the basics of the different option plays correct. This is also why flexbone teams have the (not always accurate) stereotype of being bad at throwing the football. To truly be great at running the flexbone and the option plays involved, there is a lot of time involved, which often leaves little extra time in practice for working on the pass game.
Flexbone offenses also have a history of struggling in bad weather, since the many different mesh reads and pitches rely on precise timing and air tight ball security, and playing in the elements can make it tougher to pitch the football or carry out true read plays where the quarterback and running back need to be in sync.
Common Flexbone Formations
Now let's take a look at some formations you're very likely to see if you're watching a flexbone team.
Flexbone Double Slot Formation
Standard alignment with two A-backs positioned 2x4 yards outside and behind tackles.
When a flexbone offense lines up in this formation, it is a safe bet that one of the A-backs will go in motion just before the snap to give the offense an advantage and an extra run threat to one side or the other.
Flexbone Trips Formation
This formation takes one of the A backs from one side, and moves him to the opposite side lined up in space as a receiver off the line of scrimmage.
Coaches like this formation to see how the defense will adjust, and who if anyone will come to the trips side and play across from the A-Back in the slot.
Flexbone Receivers Over Formation
This is designed to look similar to the trips formation, only this time the outside receiver moves over to the opposite side but still lines up on the line of scrimmage, which makes him ineligible to catch a pass but he still is an extra body to block for the run game.
Offenses like this formation because they want to see how the defense will adjust to the "over" side of the formation with both receivers, and if they do, there may be more space to the opposite of the formation to run the football.
Common Flexbone Running Plays
Now let's look at some of the most common run plays from your typical flexbone offense.
Triple Option
This is the bread and butter play featuring three potential ball carriers: fullback dive, quarterback keeper, or pitch to trailing A-back.
On this play, the quarterback's is reading the defensive end for the "dive" read. If the defensive end opens up and leaves a lot of space inside of him for the fullback to run the dive, the quarterback will simply hand it off and let the fullback get what he can. If the defensive end plays tight and takes away the dive, the quarterback will keep it and go to his next read, usually a linebacker or safety rolled down over the slot. This guy is called the "pitch" read.
Midline Option
The midline option is so named because it is designed to literally attack the middle of the line. The QB opens up at 45 degrees and puts the ball out in front of him to “mesh” with the fullback running straight up the crack of the center.
The quarterback’s eyes should be locked on the 3 technique defensive tackle, who is unblocked. If the defensive tackle “closes” and attacks the give to the fullback, the quarterback should keep the football and “replace the read” or run to where the defensive tackle was originally standing before he committed to take away the fullback. 
If the defensive tackle runs straight up the field and leaves a lot of space inside of his original alignment, the quarterback should give the football straight up the gut to the fullback, who should be able to find room, and usually needs only one mis-step from an inside linebacker to turn this play into a big gain.
Unlike the triple option play we just talked about, there is no pitch option on this play, so the blocking scheme is designed to create space for the quarterback to keep the ball up the middle if that’s what’s necessary.
Rocket Toss
The rocket toss is a quick-hitting outside run with a pitch to the A-back in motion who is trying to get the ball to the edge in a hurry. Usually the offensive line is blocking some kind of outside zone, and the quarterback will open up away from the play and "spin out" to toss the ball out wide.
Common Flexbone Pass Plays
Yes, believe it or not Flexbone offenses do throw the football! Let's look at a few examples of some common pass plays out of the flexbone playbook.
Play Action Wheel Route
Like a lot of pass plays in this offense, the play action post wheel is designed to look exactly the same as the run with the backfield action.
The quarterback will send one of the A-back’s in motion, then open up as if he’s carrying out the triple option path. He will fake to the B-back and then look downfield for the post route, then to the wheel from the opposite A-back.
If neither of those options are open, there is always the 3rd option as a checkdown to the right, or if the quarterback sees the opposite receiver sitting wide open in the middle of the field on the deep sit route, he can take that pass as well.
Toss Boot
This is the play we mentioned above, with the backfield action of the toss and the B-back slipping out in the opposite direction running to the flat.
The quarterback will send the A-back in motion, take the snap, reverse out and fake the toss to the motion man, and then boot away while gaining depth in the backfield. The backside defensive end is unblocked, but if he’s disciplined he should be chasing down the line first to stop the toss and then impact the B-back coming out of the backfield. The quarterback gets deeper into the backfield just in case the defensive end doesn’t respect the threat of the toss or the fullback, so that he has space to maneuver and find someone open, or take off with the football.
If the flat route is covered, the quarterback should look to the backside crossing route coming open behind him at 10-12 yards. If neither of those routes are open, usually the quarterback is coached to take off and run.
The post route is there on the backside but most teams only try to throw it in special situations when they feel that the safeties are cheating too hard to the side of the bootleg.
4 Verts
Four Verticals or “4 Verts” for short, seems like a pretty simple concept (and sometimes it is!)
But depending on how much time a coach wants to spend time on it in practice, it can be extremely complex with lots of options for the receivers based on how the defense aligns, rotates after the snap, or even how individual defenders cover a route.
In one of the most common versions of four verticals, you have four routes straight down the field, with the outside routes having the option to run a comeback at 10-12 yards if the corner is playing soft over the top, or to go deep if the corner is even with them or if they’ve beaten them.
Flexbone offenses like this play because of how many defenses leave outside receivers in one-on-one situations, as well as how many teams play a one-high defense with a single safety sitting in the deep middle of the field.
What Coaches/Teams Use/Have Used the Flexbone?
Traditionally, the service academies of Navy, Army, and Air Force have all run some form of the flexbone triple option offense, and still do to this day.
Paul Johnson ran the flexbone offense at his many different stops at Georgia Southern, Navy and finally Georgia Tech before he retired in 2018. Johnson's 2009 ACC Championship Georgia Tech team was the last team to win a Power 4 conference title at the FBS level.
At the lower levels of college football, many schools run different versions of the flexbone, and Harding University won the Division 2 National Championship as recently as the 2023 season.
The flexbone remains a huge part of the game at the high school level where it is still alive and well in many parts of the country, especially at smaller high schools where it can be difficult to find a quarterback with a great arm for passing.
Want more?
Check out our collection of Flexbone Offense Videos HERE.