Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Tr Opt Switch is a triple option run play out of Pistol Strong 21 personnel, showing the QB reading a mesh point with the HB before deciding whether to keep, hand off, or pitch to the trailing back. The diagram shows the QB stepping up into the line with a switch exchange with the dive back, then a pitch man releasing outside on the yellow arrow for the option toss. There is no route tree since this is a pure ground scheme, and the primary read progression goes dive back first, then QB keep, then pitch man on the edge based on how the defensive end and outside contain flow.
Defensive Reads
Watch the defensive end assigned to the QB, if he crashes down on the dive back you pitch, if he sits and waits you keep. Check linebacker depth pre-snap, stacked linebackers who fly downhill fast get exploited by the pitch phase on the edge. Man coverage on the perimeter is largely irrelevant here since this is a run design with no route combo, so focus on box count instead of coverage shell. User controlled defenders who jump the dive fake leave the pitch lane wide open, so track any manual spy or blitzer flying toward the mesh point. Disciplined edge defenders who stay square and force a pitch read every time tend to shut this down, so if you see contain defenders staying home snap after snap look for a different concept.
Usage Tips
Attack fronts with light boxes and slow reacting defensive ends since the whole play lives and dies on the option key at the line of scrimmage.
Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to bait linebackers into flowing hard, which opens up the pitch lane on the edge.
Pair this with HB Power or Ravens Power earlier in a series so the defense keys inside run first, then hit them with the option look off the same personnel.
If you see edge defenders squeezing hard down the line, pull the ball and cut upfield yourself instead of forcing the pitch.
Save this for early down situations, first and ten or second and short, where defenses are more likely to play base run fits instead of dime packages.
