Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Wide Zone is an outside zone run out of Pistol Y Off Trips with 11 personnel, featuring pre-snap motion into the backfield to create a lead blocker or influence the defensive front. The offensive line flows laterally in a zone blocking scheme, working combo blocks to seal the edge and give the HB a track to press the line and cut based on defender leverage. This is a pure run play with no route concept attached, and the primary read is the HB's playside read: press the edge, identify the first threat off the block of the playside tackle or TE, and cut back inside if the defense overplays outside zone flow.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a stacked box with eight or more defenders pre-snap, which signals the defense is selling out to stop the run. Key the playside linebacker's initial step: if he flows hard outside with the zone action, that opens a cutback lane for the HB. Identify the edge defender's technique, since a hard crash inside means the HB should bounce it outside off the TE or motion blocker. Look for a safety cheating down into the box before the snap, which usually means Cover 1 or Cover 3 run support and tighter cutback windows. Beware of a 3-4 under front or nano blitz off the edge that can beat outside zone before the blocks set up, killing the play before it develops.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense shifts linebackers or the safety rotates down, since that tells you if they are keying run.
Attack light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the box, and avoid this call into heavy fronts with extra defenders stacked over the tackles.
Hot route the TE into a lead block if you see an unblocked edge defender crashing hard, or bring the fullback motion man across to seal a force player.
Pair this with Mtn PA Boot Slide or Mtn PA Boot RT out of the same formation and personnel so the defense cannot sit on run keys after seeing the zone action.
Best used on early downs (first and ten, second and short) to stay ahead of the chains and set up outside zone-based play action later in the drive.
