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Breakdown
Wide Zone out of Pistol Trips Open is an outside zone run play with the HB taking a lateral zone read handoff, shown by the red arrow flowing toward the play side. The offensive line executes a zone blocking scheme, stepping in unison toward the call side to seal edges and create cutback lanes rather than firing straight ahead like gap schemes. This is a pure run play with no pass option, and the primary read progression is the HB reading the play side edge defender first, then working through the natural cutback lane if the frontside gets clogged.
Defensive Reads
Key the play side defensive end and outside linebacker pre-snap, since heavy zone run defenses will widen these players to force the cutback into a scraping linebacker. Watch for a Mike linebacker flowing hard to the play side call, since disciplined defenses will fast flow to string the run out and force it back inside to help. This play struggles against gap control fronts and defenses that stack a run defender in every gap, especially odd fronts with a true nose tackle two gapping the center. User the play side flat defender or alley player as the primary run fit, since that man forces the HB to make an early cutback decision before the line finishes its zone steps. Look for safeties rotating down into the box post-snap, since an eighth defender in the run fit is the biggest indicator this concept will get stopped for minimal gain.
Usage Tips
Run this play against defenses showing light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the box, since zone blocking loses leverage against heavy fronts.
Attack the play side A gap or B gap with the right stick if you see the frontside linebacker flow hard, since that opens the cutback lane immediately.
Use this out of Pistol Trips Open on early downs like first and ten to keep defenses honest against your pass heavy trips concepts in the same set.
Pair this with HB Dive or HB Slam from the same formation to condition the defense to bite on interior run fits before hitting them with the outside zone bounce.
Avoid calling this into stacked fronts or when the defense shows a run blitz with linebackers creeping to the line pre-snap, since the zone scheme cannot handle extra gap penetration.
Sequence this with PA Deep In or PA Pin Deep later in the drive since both plays share the same run action and will freeze linebackers who over pursue the zone run fits.
