Playbooks

Hop Zone Wk

Pistol·Bunch·11

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

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Breakdown

Hop Zone Wk is an outside zone run out of the Pistol Bunch 11 personnel set, using the "Wk" (weak side) designation to send the play away from the bunch alignment for a cleaner backside cutback lane. The offensive line executes zone steps to the weak side, with the fullback or attached blockers reaching the edge defender and sealing the play side while the bunch receivers occupy defenders in space to widen run fits. The primary read progression for the ball carrier is pressing the weak side edge first, reading the flow of the play side linebacker and defensive end, then working to the natural cutback lane if the frontside gets clogged.

Defensive Reads

Check the strong safety and weak side linebacker depth before the snap, if they are shaded toward the bunch formation the cutback lane weak side is wide open Watch for a nine technique defensive end crashing hard down the line since this can blow up the zone track before the back reaches the mesh point Look for a Mike linebacker keying the fullback or lead blocker, a slow read from the Mike creates the cutback window this play is designed to hit This run gets shut down by disciplined gap exchange defenses that keep the weak side end at home and force the back to bounce into pursuit Beware of overload run blitzes to the weak side, if the defense stacks extra bodies away from the bunch call an RPO or play-action counter from this set instead

Usage Tips

Use pre-snap motion or check the box count before the snap since Hop Zone Wk thrives against light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the run fit

Attack defenses that flow hard to the bunch side since the weak side aiming point exploits linebackers who overcommit to trips or bunch formations

Pair this run with Hop PA Boot Slide or Mtn RPO Read Y Slide from the same set so defenses cannot sit on run tendencies out of Pistol Bunch

Best called on early downs like first and ten or second and short to stay ahead of the chains and set up play-action shots later in the series

User the fullback or lead blocker manually if a linebacker is scraping fast to the cutback lane, this manual assignment can seal the alley and turn a stuffed run into a home run cutback

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