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Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
HB Toss out of Maryland I Close is a pure run play with 12 personnel that shows the tailback lined up deep behind the fullback, tossing the ball wide to the strong side edge instead of taking a handoff. The diagram shows the offensive line and both tight ends flowing laterally to seal the edge while the fullback leads out in front of the ball carrier to pick off the first threat outside the tackle box. This is not a man or zone beater since it is a designed perimeter run, and the primary read progression is bounce, bang, or bend: get to the edge if the alignment is light, cut inside the fullback's block if a defender squeezes it, or cut back if the edge is overloaded.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth and flow at the snap: fast flowing linebackers who key the backfield quickly are the biggest threat to blow this play up before it develops. Look for user controlled defenders shooting the strong side C gap or spying the fullback lead block since that is the primary path this toss relies on. Overloaded fronts with an extra defender on the toss side or a run blitz called into that edge will shut this play down immediately, so check the box count before the snap. Cover 3 or Cover 1 with an aggressive strong safety crashing down is dangerous for this play since it adds an extra run defender to the edge without sacrificing coverage integrity. If the defense shows a light box with the safety rotated away from the toss side, or if linebackers are sitting deep reading run-pass instead of flowing hard, this play has room to hit for explosive yardage.
Usage Tips
Use this play against defenses that show light boxes with only five or six defenders since the toss needs numbers advantage on the perimeter.
Check the strong side edge defender pre-snap: if he is crashing hard inside or lined up too tight, this play has a great chance to bounce outside for a big gain.
Motion is not built in here, so identify overhang defenders and slot corners before the snap to know if you have a blocker advantage or a numbers disadvantage on the toss side.
Pair this with Power O and Duo from the same set to keep the defense honest on inside versus outside run reads, then mix in HB Lead Dive to punish teams that start overplaying the edge.
Best used on early downs or short yardage when you have shown enough play-action out of Maryland I Close to keep linebackers from flowing too fast to the toss side.
