Pro and College Passing Systems- Air Raid vs the Pederson Model

Hal Mumme and Doug Pederson are architects of the 2 major passing systems you will see in college football. Both are excellent systems just a little different in a few ways. 

You have the Eagles tree, the artists which include Frank Reich, Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni, Parks Frazier and Shane Steichen.    

The Air raid coaches include Hal Mumme,  Mike Leach "God rest his soul", Zach Kittley, Sonny Dykes, Graham Harrell and Tony Franklin to name a few.  

There are plenty of excellent coaches who utilize both systems. Many coaches out there try to emulate these two systems. They do have some concepts that are similar but how they are taught vary which makes each one a little different. The reads are different as well as some of the routes you will see. I will try to go over each system with you and show how each route  concept is taught differently.

When studying the 2 most successful major passing systems you will see some major differences in them.

Let's start with y cross.

Y CROSS vs Deep Over

Y cross is a play that is run in both the Pederson system and in the NFL as well as the air raid coaches. The major difference is explained below as the Pederson system calls it Deep Over.

Air Raid

In the air raid system, you will get a curl with the #1 wr on the backside. This is the route you will see. The other parts are primarily the same except the route by #1 to the side of the crosser. Crosser and rb route is primarly the same in both systems but the air raid will run #1 on a curl. In air raid, they can hit the hole 2 shot (#1 on the left below) first at times and the x will sometimes convert to a speed out against other coverages other than cover 2. These are a few differences because they will look for the hole shot first vs cover 2 on the left.  

Air Raid Clips of the play Leach runs with y cross.

Coach Kittley is another air raid system coach. Here is Air Raid Kittley Y Cross(they run it with a #2 wr) when he was at Western Kentucky below.

Here are some clips of the concept 3x1 as well

Kittley's concepts

In Pederson's model you will have the #1 wr on the side of the deep over run a dig. This is the major difference in what you will see vs man coverage. Vs zone you get the high low read with the crosser and the rb. If it's man you will have the dig on the backside. The air raid purists will run a curl with #1. 

The concept below the Lions (Johnson) way.

Pederson  wuth the dig concept as well.

Some deep over film from the Eagles:

Mesh

The next play that is different is the mesh concept. The mesh is primarily the same except for 1 major coaching point. 

Vs Man coverage, it is primarily the same play but vs zone is where it differs. The Pederson system will have the wr run no matter what. The route concept doesn't change. In the Air raid system, the wr will shuffle down and try to sit down their routes vs zone coverage. That is the major difference. 

Pederson system- nothing changes based on coverage.

Progressions:

1. The running back

2. Crosser coming to the side of the back

3. Sit route (very popular vs zone coverage)

4. 2nd crosser 

5. The dig route.

5 examples below

Air Raid explained.

The crossers are told to sit down in any zone window which is the major difference in the teaching. Pederson doesn't have the mesh runners sit down at all. They run! Also, the #1 wr can run a go vs cover 2 or has an out cut in the air raid system to the side of the  running back. 

Lincoln Riley's air raid route concept below. Just another variation. 

Here are some clips of the air raid model.

You'll see some out cuts by #1 and also some sit downs by the mesh runners below. 

These are just 2 concepts:
Check back soon as I will update it with 4 verticals and the differences with those.