Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Read Option out of Shotgun Doubles HB Wk is a zone read run play built off 11 personnel, with the HB aligned next to the QB for the mesh point exchange shown in the diagram. The offensive line blocks down for inside zone while the QB reads the backside edge defender, keeping if that defender crashes down on the HB or handing it off if he stays wide. This is a pure run play with no route concepts attached, and it functions as a gap scheme beater against defenses that overcommit their edge defenders to the run flow.
Defensive Reads
Watch the backside defensive end or outside linebacker, he is the primary read the QB is keying so slow playing him disrupts the entire mesh point decision Spy the play with a linebacker if your defense allows it since Read Option has no pass option to punish a spy underneath Stack the edge with an extra defender when you diagnose shotgun run looks with the HB aligned next to the QB Blitz off the read side edge on a delay to confuse the option key and force a bad handoff decision Squeeze the interior gaps with your defensive line to eliminate the inside zone lane before the QB even gets to his keep or give read
Usage Tips
Check the box count before the snap and only call this against light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the run fit
Look at the backside defensive end alignment presnap, if he is crashing hard on run plays all game the keep read will be there all day
Motion the HB slightly if the playbook allows to force the defense to declare their edge assignment before the snap
Pair this with RPO Zone Read Bubble and RPO Zone Peek from the same set so the defense cannot key on run action alone
Use this on early downs in normal run support looks, avoid it against heavy dime or nickel packages that stack the edge
