Playbooks

Inside Zone

Shotgun·Bunch Wide·11

Inside Zone Run Play Zone Run

Play diagram for Inside Zone from Shotgun Bunch Wide in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch Wide

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

Inside Zone out of Shotgun Bunch Wide is a true zone run play, not a play-action or RPO look. The diagram shows a bunch alignment to the right with three tight receivers stacked and a lone receiver split wide left, while the offensive line executes a standard zone blocking scheme up front with the HB taking a lateral aiming point behind the QB. The primary read is the frontside gap combo block at the point of attack, with the running back reading the first down lineman covered to the play side and bouncing outside or cutting back based on how the defensive front flows.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify the linebacker depth and alignment since stacked or crashing linebackers signal a run blitz that can blow up the frontside gap. Watch the defensive line technique, if the front is shaded to the bunch side the cutback lane away from the trips formation opens up. Post-snap, key the play side defensive tackle or defensive end reaction, if they get sealed inside the ball should bounce outside for a bigger gain. User controlled defenders flowing hard downhill from the bunch side can be exploited with a cutback if the backside linebacker overruns the play. This run struggles against stacked eight man fronts or aggressive gap blitzes from a 4-3 under front, since those alignments fill running lanes before the zone blocks can develop.

Usage Tips

Check the box count before the snap and only run this into light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the tackle box.

Use the bunch alignment to bait linebackers into shifting toward the trips side, then let the zone run hit away from that flow.

Hot route the backside receiver on a quick out or slant if you see man coverage to hold a defender and prevent backside pursuit.

Pair this with Cross Screen and Y Trail from the same Bunch Wide set to keep defenses honest and slow down linebacker downhill triggers.

Best called on early downs or short yardage situations where defenses are more likely to sit in base fronts rather than nickel or dime packages.