Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 14 playbooks
Breakdown
Outside Zone out of Shotgun Deuce Close is a 12 personnel zone run play with the offensive line flowing laterally toward the play side to stretch the defense before working upfield. The diagram shows the running back taking a lateral aiming point behind the line and pressing the edge, reading his blockers' hats to decide between bouncing outside or cutting inside based on the flow of the defensive front. This is a pure run play, not a play-action or RPO look, and the primary read progression for the ball carrier is backside to frontside: identify the first natural cutback lane, then press the alley if backside pursuit overruns the play.
Defensive Reads
Watch for stacked fronts or six man boxes with the safety rotated down, since that alignment signals the defense is selling out to stop the run and will clog the cutback lane shown in the diagram. Key the play side defensive end and outside linebacker's first step, if they crash hard inside on the snap the cutback lane opens immediately behind the zone flow. Look for a user controlled linebacker flowing fast to the play side edge, this is the primary defender that determines whether the back should bounce outside or cut back against the grain. Nano blitz packages that send extra defenders off the edge before the line can set its zone combo blocks are the biggest threat to this play, since the back has no time to read the diagram's blocking flow. Two-high safety shells with linebackers sitting at depth rather than crashing tend to shut down Outside Zone by keeping numbers in the alley, forcing the offense to check into a pass concept instead.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a quick glance at the linebacker depth to confirm whether the defense is playing gap-sound run fits or selling out to stop the pass, since light boxes with only six or seven in the box are prime Outside Zone situations.
Identify one-high shells before the snap because Outside Zone thrives against single-high safety looks with less numbers in the run fit, while two-high shells with safeties creeping down can clog the cutback lane.
Hot route the tight ends into a chip release if you anticipate an edge blitz off the diagram's play side, giving your tackle extra help before the tight end climbs to the second level.
Pair this play with Inside Zone and PA Slide from the same Deuce Close set to keep linebackers honest, since both plays share the same initial line movement and force defenders to respect multiple gaps.
Run this on early downs like first and second and short to medium yardage situations, and use it in two minute drill situations to control tempo when the defense is in a passive zone shell.
