Coach -

When an offense puts the Formation Into the Boundary (FIB), they are trying to stress your rules.

They want to isolate your field corner, outflank you in the run game, or force you to communicate on the fly.

The temptation is to grab a marker and draw up a specific "FIB Check" for that week. You see a new problem, so you invent a new solution.

Pete Golding wants you to put the marker down.

Coach Golding (Ole Miss’s New Fearless Leader) has a strict rule for game planning against alternative formations: "Put nothing new in your system at all." 

If you invent a new call for every formation quirk, you paralyze your players. Instead, Golding uses the "tags" and "checks" already built into his day-one installation to solve the problem. 

The "Get Out Of Trouble" Philosophy

 Formation into the Boundary

Golding isn't always trying to guess the perfect call. He is trying to ensure his defense can "get out of a bad call." 

Here is how he handles FIB without adding mental clutter:

Check Coverage to Coverage: If the offense is in a stationary 2x2 into the boundary, Golding knows they might be 82% run. If the original call was a split-safety concept that leaves the corner light in the fit, he simply checks to a single-high structure that he already runs. 

The Star is the Trigger: If the Star (Nickel) goes into the boundary, that movement triggers the adjustment. It might trigger a boundary pressure or a specific coverage check.

Leverage the Field: If the offense goes FIB to isolate the field corner in a 3x1, Golding checks to a split-safety look to double the field "X" receiver. He stays 2-on-1 on the dangerous side and locks up the boundary corner. 

The key takeaway?

He identifies what the offense does (e.g., "They are 82% run in this look") and asks, "What tool do I already have that takes that away?" 

This wisdom is taken from Coach Golding's clinic below, where he breaks down his complete game planning process for formations, checks, and pressures in this clinic: Pete Golding - Game Planning Alternative Formations

Why this matters now: Offenses are becoming more multiple to force you to communicate. As Coach Golding demonstrates, if your answers require new learning every Tuesday, you will play slow on Friday.

Use the tools you have. Play fast.

Always be growing!

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