Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
0 1 Trap is a gap scheme run play out of Shotgun Normal Off Close Wk with 11 personnel. The diagram shows the interior linemen pulling and blocking down to create a trap lane, with the HB taking a quick lateral handoff and pressing the point of attack before cutting off the trap block. This is a power run design meant to attack an over aggressive interior defensive line by letting them crash inside while a puller traps them out of the hole. The primary read for the HB is the trap block up front: press the mesh point, read the block on the first down lineman inside, and cut off whichever way that trap defender gets kicked out.
Defensive Reads
Watch the defensive tackle alignment pre-snap, since a 3 technique or 1 technique that consistently shoots gaps is the exact matchup this trap block is designed to exploit. Key the middle linebacker depth, if he is playing downhill and fast flowing to contact he is vulnerable to the trap scheme cutting back against his pursuit. As the defense, spy or user control an interior defensive lineman and have him play read and react rather than crashing hard to shut down the trap lane entirely. Look for a defense stacking the box with 8 men, which forces the trap play to win on a tight, contested lane rather than an open cutback lane. On the offensive side, if the linebacker filling downhill is being blocked by the puller instead of getting trapped, check the run pre-snap to Inside Zone or Counter Y for a cleaner track.
Usage Tips
Use 0 1 Trap when the defense shows a 4 down front with aggressive interior linemen crashing hard upfield, since the trap block feeds off that penetration.
Run this early in a series to bait the defensive tackles into shooting gaps, then come back to Inside Zone or Counter Y later to punish overcorrection.
Check pre-snap for stacked or heavy boxes with 7 or 8 defenders near the line, since Trap works best when the defense is not respecting outside run threats.
Pair this play with RPO Zone Alert or RPO Peek Slant in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect both the interior run and quick pass options from the same personnel.
Avoid calling this against read and react linebackers who sit and diagnose, since Trap depends on defensive linemen selling out to one gap.
