Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Dive out of Slot Far lines up in 21 personnel with two wide receivers running vertical routes up the numbers to hold the corners and safeties deep, while the fullback leads through the hole and the offensive line blocks straight ahead for a north-south interior run. The HB takes the handoff and follows the fullback's lead block through the middle of the line for a quick-hitting gap run. This is a pure run play designed to attack light boxes and gain positive yardage before the defense can react, with the primary read being the fullback's block point and whichever gap opens up between the guards.
Defensive Reads
Watch for stacked boxes with eight or more defenders near the line, this immediately signals the defense expects the dive and will blow it up before the fullback can seal the hole. Man coverage on the two vertical receivers with no extra flow to the run fit usually means the alley is open for the fullback to get a clean lead block. If the middle linebacker is reading the mesh point and shooting the same gap as the fullback pre-snap, expect a quick negative play since the lead blocker gets beaten to the point of attack. Cover 2 or Cover 3 shells with linebackers sitting at normal depth are vulnerable here because the defense is honoring the vertical routes over rallying to stop the interior run. User-controlled defenders spying the fullback's block angle can cut this off entirely, so watch for a defender crashing down early instead of playing his zone or man assignment.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you see a light box with six or fewer defenders in the run fit, since the fullback lead block only holds up against limited numbers inside.
Check safety depth before the snap, if both safeties are sitting deep in a two-high shell that usually means fewer run defenders crammed into the box.
Use this in short yardage and second or third and short situations where a quick gain up the middle keeps the offense ahead of schedule.
Pair this with FB Dive from the same set to keep defenses guessing on which back gets the ball, since both plays show the same run action look.
Mix in Double Slant or Curl Drag off this same formation to punish linebackers who start creeping up expecting the dive every snap.
