Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Triple Option out of Pistol Strong 21 personnel is a true option run play built around a mesh point read between the QB, dive back and pitch back. The diagram shows the dive back running straight ahead through the line on the red path while the QB rides the mesh, and the pitch back releases wide behind the line on the yellow path as the trail option. There are no receiver routes on this diagram, so this is a pure ground scheme relying on the offensive line blocking down at the point of attack while the QB reads the first unblocked defender to decide between handing off, keeping, or pitching outside. The primary read progression is dive key first (give or pull), then edge defender second (keep or pitch to the trailing back).
Defensive Reads
Watch the strongside alley defender pre-snap, if he is walked up tight to the line he is likely reading run fits and will crash the dive or QB keep. Post-snap, key the first unblocked defender outside the tackle box, his leverage tells the offense whether to keep or pitch on the option. This concept beats light boxes and aggressive linebacker fills, since overcommitting to the dive opens the edge for the QB or pitch man. Spread formations with two deep safeties and soft edge contain tend to shut this down, since disciplined edge defenders can string the play out and force a pitch into traffic. Defenses using scrape exchange technique on the backside linebacker are the toughest matchup, since it accounts for both the dive and the QB keep simultaneously.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs or short yardage when the defense is showing a light box, since the triple option punishes defenses that stack extra bodies inside without accounting for the edge.
Pre-snap, count defenders in the box and check for a walked-up alley defender to the strongside, that defender is your key for the pitch phase of the option.
If the CPU or user defender crashes down hard on the dive, pull the ball and attack the edge with the QB or pitch to the trailing back before the alley defender can recover.
Pair this with HB Dive Wk or Read Option from the same set so the defense has to respect multiple mesh point run threats and cannot sell out on one specific option read.
Avoid calling this into heavy blitz looks with an unblocked overhang defender crashing fast, since the timing of the pitch can get disrupted before the back is ready to catch it.
