Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
HB Slam is a downhill dive run out of Pistol Y Trips with 11 personnel, designed to hit the interior gap fast off play action mesh with the HB. The offensive line shows a straight-ahead blocking scheme with double team looks at the point of attack while the trips receivers to the boundary run off coverage vertically to hold defenders. This is a pure run play with no route progression, the primary read is the HB reading his blockers at the mesh point and hitting the first crease that opens between the guards.
Defensive Reads
Watch the linebacker depth pre-snap, if the Mike and Will are sitting shallow and stacked tight this play will get stopped quickly. Look for safety rotation into the box, a single high safety cheating down signals run support and makes this a low value call. This play beats light boxes and defenses that show blitz but rotate late, since the interior gap opens before edge pressure arrives. It gets shut down by A gap blitzes or nano blitz packages that shoot the guard gaps immediately at the snap. Post snap key the defensive tackles, if they are two gapping and holding ground the HB has to bounce outside rather than trust the initial crease.
Usage Tips
Use HB Slam on short yardage and goal line situations where you need a fast hitting gap play, second and short or third and one are ideal spots. Check the box count pre-snap, if the defense has six or more in the box audible out or motion a receiver to force a defender out. Identify if the defense is in a run stuffing front like 46 or 4-3 Under, this play struggles against heavy fronts so pair it with HB Slip Screen or Read Option to punish overpursuit. Sequence this play after establishing HB Dive or HB Counter so linebackers start flowing hard, then hit them with the quicker hitting Slam to catch them out of position. Do not rely on this play on early downs against stacked boxes, save it for when you have already set up run tendencies with outside zone or stretch concepts.
