The Option

I have taught and used option plays with kids as young as 5th grade.  I like the outside run option and the play action bootleg with a run/ pass option.  The key to effectively running the option is to reduce the number of decisions to one.  On the outside run option we teach our Q to find the D-end on the play side, pre-snap.  Once the play goes all he needs to see is if the D-end comes across the line of scrimmage or stays flat.  If he comes across, the Q keeps and cuts it up inside him.  If he stay flat it's a pitch and the RB beats him to the corner.  One the run/ pass option, it's just if the safety comes forward throw it.  If not run it.  We don't ask our Q's to make too many decisions.  We want them to see one key and make a fast decision.  Even at the older levels, it's read one player and go.  If a player gets too tied up in trying to figure things out during the play you get no decision and no gain.  In fact, it becomes a prime situation for a turn over.

We teach this, make a decision.  We don't care if it's wrong, just make the decision.  Wrong is easily corrected.  Making no decision, now that's tough to fix. 

The same is true for your marketing.  When you roll something out, particularly when you aren't sure what the market is going to do, leave room to read a key factor and change on the fly.  This does not mean roll it out and let your people ignore the play.  It means let them read a key and go to a specific option you have already built in.  I knew a great general contractor who would bring 3 separate envelopes to a bid opening.  When he got there and saw who else was there, he knew which envelope to turn in.  Specific options for specific keys.  Remember we call it the option, not the indecision.