Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Power O out of Full House Normal Wide is a downhill gap scheme run play designed to pull a blocker across the formation and create a double team at the point of attack. The diagram shows the fullback and lead blockers stepping toward the play side to seal the edge while the halfback takes a slight lead angle before following the pulling guard through the hole. This is a run play, not a man or zone beater in the passing sense, and the primary read progression for the ball carrier is to press the initial B gap track, read the puller's block, and cut off the fullback's kickout or bounce it outside if the defensive end squeezes down hard.
Defensive Reads
Key the play side defensive tackle and end first, since a hard crash down forces the ball carrier to bounce outside behind the fullback's kickout block. Watch the middle linebacker's depth at the snap, since a linebacker sitting too far off the line gets washed by the pulling guard and opens the interior lane. Identify run blitzes from the weak side linebacker or safety, since Power O struggles when an extra defender fills the backside gap unblocked before the puller arrives. Look for stacked defensive tackles or a 3-4 look with two inside linebackers reading run, since that alignment can beat Power O by filling both gaps simultaneously. Track user defenders flowing hard downhill immediately after the snap, since a disciplined user linebacker who stays patient can blow up the pulling guard's angle and kill the play at the mesh point.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a formation check to see if the defense shifts a linebacker toward the pulling side, since that tells you whether the alley is clogged before the snap. Attack base 4-3 and 3-4 fronts where the defensive tackle is not stacked over the guard, since Power O thrives when you get a clean double team on the play side. Bring the fullback's block into your read early rather than committing to a lane, since the game engine often creates a natural cutback if the linebacker flows too fast. Pair this play with HB Slam or Counter Lead earlier in a series to condition the defense to crash down on gap runs, then hit Power O again once the linebackers start over pursuing. Save this call for early down and manageable distance situations like first and ten or second and short, since it loses value in obvious passing situations against nickel or dime packages.
