Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Lead Toss is a Shotgun run play out of Bunch Str Offset that uses pre-snap motion to shift the backfield look before the toss action hits. The offensive line and TE fan out to create a wall to the play side while the HB takes the toss and reads the lead blocker through the alley, pressing outside before deciding whether to bounce or cut inside off the block. This is a gap and bounce run scheme, not a man or zone beater in the passing sense, and the primary read progression is the HB keying the lead blocker's path off the edge to decide between the bounce lane outside or a cutback if the edge is sealed.
Defensive Reads
Watch for defensive ends and outside linebackers crashing hard down the line, which signals the defense is selling out to stop the edge and opens a cutback lane. Key the play side cornerback and safety alignment before the snap, since a hard edge defender or an extra man in the box from an offset alignment can blow up the toss before the lead blocker gets outside. If the linebackers stay square and flow slowly, this run hits fast to the perimeter, but if they diagnose the toss quickly and pursue with speed to the edge, the play gets strung out for a loss. User-controlled defenders flying downhill from depth are the biggest threat to this concept, so watch for a safety crashing the alley immediately after the snap. Nano blitzes or edge pressure from a 4-3 look with a heavy front can disrupt the timing of the lead blocker before the HB even gets to the mesh point.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense shifts a linebacker or safety, which tells you if they are keying run flow. Run this play against light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the box since the toss action needs numbers to the edge to be effective. Pair this with Mtn Inside Zone or Mtn WR Outside Zone earlier in a drive so the defense has to respect both inside and perimeter run threats from the same bunch look. Attack the play side edge on early downs like first and ten or second and short to keep defenses honest before dialing up Mtn PA Wheel Cross or Mtn PA Flood Y-Delay off the same formation to punish overaggressive run fits. Avoid calling this into a stacked box on third and short since the lack of a gap-specific double team makes it vulnerable to fast flow defenders.
