Misconception of turn and burn...

[Michigan Joe]

In my opinion there is a misconception of the turn and burn passing game and I believe it is because this offensive rule needs to be combined with a very critical defensive rule...the "stationary pass defense substitution" (see Mid Ohio rules).

I have found the turn and burn reciever COMBINED with the "stationary pass defense" rule as my favorite way to play. It creates completely new opportunities for schemes for pass defense schemes and adds an element of strategy to the passing game that I just don't see with the traditional rule sets. Traditional pass defense requires your defense lining up with 9 man lines and good pass defense requires blowing up the recievers at the line. Defending turn and burn requires depth on defense (don't get beat deep) not seen in most traditional rule sets. Turn and burn is great for designing screen passes (both to recievers and RBs), draws (and shovel passes), and pass plays designed to beat zone defenses.

Let me clarify the "stationary pass defense" rule. This rule allows the defense to substitue up to three players with stationary bases (after the pre snap audibles) IF the offense calls pass. Mid Ohio league uses this by allowing up to three safties to be placed on stationary bases (only if they are 12 yards deep), however I have persnally found that the "stationary pas defense rule" is even better if you lift the yardage restriction and allow any defender to be able to substitute with a stationary base because it allows you to play LBs in the flats, middle, which allows the defense to create even better zones being able to cover short and long zones and passing lanes. You see what this simple rule does is that it creates the opportuninty for the defense to play with some depth and allows these defenders to defend both the pass AND the run! Lets face it, without this rule one would get killed in the run game if they tried to run 4 man zone pass defenses (defenders on stationary bases or spinning on TTCs). With this "stationary pass defense" rule, you can scheme zone pass defenses by lining up defenders with various depth levels, and if the play is called run the defenders can stay on their "forward running" bases to defend the run and if the offense calls pass they can be substituted to stationary to stay in their pass zone. Bottom line, this simple rule allows defenders to play both zone pass coverage and run to the ball to tackle in the running game. To come full circle to the turn and burn passing game, defending with depth (ie the stationary pass defense rule) is critical to defending the turn and burn passing game.

In closing, the addition of "turn and burn" and "stationary pass defense" can be added to ANY traditional rule set to spice up the strategy of the passing game as I have described above.
Regards,
Joe