Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Dive out of Pistol Bunch is a downhill inside run that sends the HB straight through the A-gap behind the pistol alignment quarterback. The offensive line executes a straight-ahead man/gap blocking scheme up front, with the center and guards climbing to the second level to seal off the linebackers while the bunch receivers to the left occupy their defenders with vertical releases to clear the box. This is a pure run play designed to attack a light front, with the primary read being the A-gap first and a quick bounce to either B-gap if the interior blockers get movement.
Defensive Reads
As the defense, key the pistol alignment and bunch formation immediately, this tips a designed run more often than a pass. Read the offensive line's initial surge, if the center and guards fire out low and fast off the snap rather than sitting back, that confirms dive or another inside run scheme. Fill the A-gap with your Mike linebacker pre-snap by having him shade toward the strength of the bunch, this takes away the primary read and forces a bounce. Spy the play side guard's block angle, if he pulls or climbs quickly to the second level, get your user-controlled linebacker downhill immediately to meet the HB before he reaches the second level. This play struggles against stacked fronts with a linebacker already sitting in the A-gap or against a defensive line slanting hard into the play side gap, so aggressive gap-shooting fronts and A-gap blitzes are the best counters.
Usage Tips
Call HB Dive when you see a light box with six or fewer defenders, especially against nickel or dime personnel that has substituted out a linebacker. Check the pre-snap alignment of the Mike linebacker, if he is stacked directly over the center or shaded away from the play side gap you have a clean lane. Use this play on early downs, first and second and short, to keep the defense honest and set up your play-action shots from the same Pistol Bunch formation. Pair HB Dive with HB Slam and HB Counter from this set so the defense cannot key on a single blocking scheme, then hit them with Dbl Mtn PA Stretch or PA Boot Slide once they start creeping the safeties down. Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages with the Mike showing green dot pressure straight through the A-gap since there is no lead blocker to pick him up.
