Playbooks

RPO Alert Dive Out

Pistol·Spread·10

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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

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Quick Reference

FormationPistol

SetSpread

Personnel

101 RB · 0 TE · 4 WR

In 1 playbook

Spread Classic

Breakdown

RPO Alert Dive Out is a run pass option out of Pistol 10 personnel that pairs an HB Dive interior run with an out route alert tag on the perimeter. The quarterback reads the alert defender (usually the flat or overhang defender) to decide between handing off the dive and pulling to fire the quick out. This is a run first RPO built to punish light boxes and off man coverage, with the primary read progression being box count first, then the alert key on the out route before defaulting to the dive if neither is clean.

Defensive Reads

Watch the second level defender assigned to the alert key, if he crashes down on run action the out route window opens instantly. Man coverage on the perimeter with no help over the top is a green light to throw the out since the route breaks away from man leverage. Zone shells with a hard flat defender sitting on the out route should send you to the dive, since the throwing window collapses. Blitz packages that bring extra defenders into the box favor the pass option, since the quarterback can get the ball out before pressure arrives. Watch for a user-controlled defender lurking near the alert route, if he sits and reads the quarterback's eyes, take the dive and let the numbers advantage up front do the work.

Usage Tips

Check the box count pre-snap and count defenders inside the tackles, if it is six or fewer hand it off immediately.

Identify the alert defender before the snap, this is typically the slot corner or overhang linebacker responsible for the out route.

Against off coverage or soft cushions, pull and throw the out route quickly since the RPO tag exploits inside leverage defenders who crash the run fit.

Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to bait linebackers into shifting their run fit, which clarifies the alert read faster.

Pair this play with Quick Slants or RPO Alert Dive Hitches in your play-calling sequence so the defense cannot sit on the out route tendency, and mix in HB Dive on standard downs to keep linebackers honest against the run action.