Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Read Option Wk is a pure run play out of Pistol Full House with 30 personnel, showing the QB reading the weakside defensive end off the mesh point with the HB. The offensive line steps in a zone blocking scheme to the play side while the fullback and second back lead through the front to seal linebackers, giving the QB a keep or give decision. This is a straight run concept with no route combos or play-action window dressing, designed to attack the weakside edge and gash light boxes before defenders can flow.
Defensive Reads
Watch the weakside defensive end pre snap since his depth and hand placement telegraph whether the offense will get a clean keep lane. Stacked linebackers showing run blitz on the play side can blow this up before the mesh point develops, so key their first step. Safeties rotating down into the box pre snap indicate the defense expects the run and will crash the edge, which favors an unblocked backside contain defender. Man coverage on the perimeter with no extra run support in the box is the weakest defensive shell against this concept. User the weakside defensive end or a linebacker on the edge to force an early give read and take away the QB keep option.
Usage Tips
Check the box count pre snap and only run this into six or fewer defenders in the box for a clean numbers advantage.
Identify the weakside defensive end alignment before the snap since he is the read key that decides whether you keep or give.
Pair this with Zone Read and Triple Option in the same personnel set so the defense cannot key on formation tendencies.
Use this on early downs in run-heavy sequences to set up PA Boot or PA X Post later once linebackers start creeping up to stop the run.
If the defense shows a heavy blitz look pre snap, consider hot routing the fullback into a quick chip to buy the QB extra time on the keep read.
