Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Lead Read Option lines up in Shotgun Deuce with 12 personnel, showing a lead blocker and the QB reading the mesh point on a zone read look. The diagram shows the RB and lead blocker crossing behind the QB with the yellow route indicating the QB keep path and the red arrow showing the RB dive/pitch path off the read. This is a pure run play built on the zone read scheme, with the offensive line blocking down and the lead blocker climbing to the play side to seal the alley defender for the QB or RB, whichever way the read breaks.
Defensive Reads
Watch the defensive end or read player at the snap, since a crashing end forces the QB keep read while a contain end forces the give to the RB. Identify if the defense is running a 4-3 or 3-4 front with a true edge setter, since undisciplined edge play gets gashed by this read option design. Look for linebackers cheating downhill immediately after snap, which signals a run blitz that can be countered by pulling this play and going to a play action concept from the same set. Check safety depth pre snap, since a single high safety cheating into the box leaves the perimeter thin against the QB keep lane. Man coverage on the backside receivers with no extra run support flows favors this play heavily, while zone shells with disciplined linebackers staying square tend to clog the mesh point.
Usage Tips
Check the defensive end or edge player pre snap to decide which side the read will naturally flow before the snap even happens, since the play design keys off that player.
Use this in short yardage and second or third and short situations where defenses commit extra bodies to stop inside zone runs.
Pair this with Inside Zone and Inside Zone Split from the same set so defenders cannot sit on one run scheme and get overloaded guessing gap fits.
If the defense shows a heavy box pre snap, consider bailing into a play action shot like PA Y Leak or Bounce PA TE Cross off the same formation to keep them honest.
Manually pull the lead blocker with user control to make sure he engages the correct second level defender instead of letting the CPU logic whiff on the block.
