At it’s core, the name suggests it all. A run-pass option is a play where the offense has the ability to either run or pass depending on certain factors. That decision is left up to the quarterback and can be made either pre- or post-snap. Because of this, there are two obvious schematic factors occurring that are dead giveaways of an RPO:
1. The offensive line run blocks
2. Some, or all receivers, run pass routes
The first means that almost all of the time, offensive linemen will be moving forward at the snap and not backwards (although that’s not the case with draw RPOs which are more popular at the college level). The latter means that certain split receivers aren’t run-blocking, even though they may still be screen-blocking. If both of those two aspects are present, you’ve got an RPO.
Now that we know what they are, let’s take a look at exactly why they work.
