Playbooks
Tush Push is a pure short yardage power run play designed to convert a QB sneak into a mass push up the middle. The offensive line fires off the ball into double team surge blocks while the fullback and any lead blockers get hands on the quarterback to drive the pile forward for one or two yards. There is no route progression or passing option here since this is a straight power run, so the only read is whether the interior gap the line collapses toward is actually sealed at the snap.
Pre-snap, count the box and look for a heavy nose tackle plus two plugging linebackers stacked directly over the center, that alignment kills the push before it starts. Watch for a five man or six man interior surge from the defensive line, if they get lower than your offensive line at the snap the pile stalls immediately. User controlled defenders flying downhill from depth are the biggest threat, a linebacker who diagnoses instantly and dives low at the mesh point can blow this up for a loss. Look at safety depth, if both safeties crash down pre-snap into the box on short yardage that signals the defense expects the push and will stack extra hats inside. If the defense shows a goal line 6-2 or 7-1 front with no gaps soft, expect this play to get gang tackled at the line, consider audibling to an outside run or naked bootleg instead.
Only call this on third or fourth and one, or any goal line snap inside the one yard line where you need a single yard.
Check the defensive front pre-snap for a stacked nine or ten man box, if the defense loads every gap with extra defenders this play loses value fast.
Snap the ball as fast as possible after the play call to prevent the defense from diagnosing and shifting extra bodies into the exact push lane.
Pair this with a play action shot or naked bootleg from the same Goal Line personnel later in the drive so the defense respects the push and bites on the fake.
Use manual push by holding the sprint button behind the center if your version supports it, timing the burst of the RB or FB into the QB matters more than pre-snap motion here.