Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 20 playbooks
Breakdown
FB Fake HB Toss is a play-action fake built off the I Form Wing HB Toss action, showing the same backfield flow to the strong side before the play breaks off downfield. The offensive line shows toss blocking flow, pulling and stepping laterally to sell the perimeter run while the fullback fakes taking the pitch, and a single receiver runs a deep vertical route up the numbers off the fake. This is a play-action shot play designed to freeze run-fit linebackers and force safeties to bite on run action, with the primary read being the deep vertical route on the isolated receiver, taking the top off the coverage once the safety commits downhill.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment, if both safeties are shallow or one is stacked in the box expecting run support, this play has a high probability of hitting the vertical route for a big gain. Post-snap, watch linebacker run fits, if the linebackers flow hard to the fake side and vacate their deep zone drops, the vertical route wins immediately behind them. This concept struggles against a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell with disciplined safeties who read the quarterback's eyes and stay deep, since the single vertical route lacks a second read to work to. User controlled defenders sitting deep as a lurking safety or robber will erase this play, since there is no secondary route concept to manipulate a spy or rat defender. Blitz packages that bring extra defenders off the edge can beat this play before the fake fully develops, so check for overloaded fronts or shown pressure pre-snap and consider an audible if you see a hot blitz alert.
Usage Tips
Call this play only after you have run actual HB Toss or Mtn Power Weak at least once or twice to condition the defense to fly downhill on outside run flow.
Look for linebackers and safeties keying run gaps pre-snap, if the defense is showing an aggressive run fit with safeties creeping to 8-9 yards, this is your shot call.
Hot route the single vertical route into a comeback or post against zone shells if the safety does not bite, since a true zone defense may sit and read the quarterback instead of the run fake.
Use this on early downs like first or second and short to medium, when defenses are most likely to sell out against the run based on down and distance tendencies.
Pair this in a play-action sequence with HB Zone Toss or HB Sweep to keep the toss action fresh in the defense's memory before dialing up this shot play.
