Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn HB Base is a downhill run play out of Shotgun Doubles HB Wk with 11 personnel, built around HB motion into a dive concept. The diagram shows the HB motioning across the backfield before the snap, with the interior line holding a standard run blocking scheme to open a gap between the tackles. This is a pure run play designed to attack the middle of the defense before the front seven can flow, with the primary read being the play side gap based on how the defensive line and linebackers react to the HB motion.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker depth and gap alignment before the snap, since a two-high safety shell with linebackers sitting back often leaves the interior gap soft for the dive. Watch for defenders shadowing the HB motion, which signals man coverage and a defender pulled out of the box, weakening run support. This play struggles against stacked fronts or run blitzes where extra defenders crash the interior gaps immediately after the snap. User a linebacker downhill to fill the dive lane before the HB reaches the second level, since the biggest risk is a gap shooter cutting off the run before blocks develop. Look for defensive tackles that are one gapping versus two gapping, since a gap-sound interior front can shut down this dive completely if blockers do not win their leverage battles.
Usage Tips
Use the HB motion to identify if the defense is in man or zone, since a defender following the HB across the formation confirms man coverage and opens up your perimeter passing plays as a counter. Run this on early downs in normal run/pass splits to keep the defense honest and set up your RPO tags like RPO Zone Read Bubble or RPO Peek Slant from the same formation. Watch linebacker depth before the snap, if they are sitting shallow expecting a quick pass, this dive hits fast before they can fill the gap. Pair this with Mtn PA Cross or PA Read later in a series so the defense respects the run action off similar motion and formation. Avoid calling this against heavy blitz fronts with stacked defensive tackles, since the interior blocking scheme can get overwhelmed with extra rushers.
