Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Option out of Shotgun Split Close is a five man route concept with an option route out of the backfield as the built in man beater. The HB releases from the backfield and works an option route (breaking either in or up based on leverage) while both outside receivers run deep verticals up the sidelines to stretch the field. The two inside slot receivers work a crossing shallow drag and a corner breaking route respectively, giving you a natural high low read against zone drops. Primary progression starts with the HB option read against man coverage, then works to the crossing drag underneath before checking the vertical shots on the outside.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a linebacker or nickel defender walked up over the HB presnap, this signals man coverage and tells you the option route will be live all game. If you see two deep safeties with corners playing outside leverage, that is a shell built to take away the verticals, so expect the drag and option to be your only clean throws. A hard closing linebacker or spy on the HB immediately after the snap is the biggest threat to this play since it eliminates the option route before it develops. Zone blitzes that bring five rushers while dropping a defensive lineman into the shallow drag lane will clog the easy underneath read and force you to hold the ball longer than you want. Cover 3 with a sky safety rotating down can jump the drag route, so if you see late safety rotation post snap be ready to reset to the option route instead.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify man versus zone by watching if a linebacker or safety shades over the HB before the snap, since the option route is designed to eat man coverage alive. Against man, let the HB option break away from his defender and hit him in stride for a guaranteed chunk gain. Against zone, look immediately to the shallow drag crossing underneath since it settles into soft spots created by the two vertical routes clearing out the deep zones. Use this on early downs to set up Read Option or Triple Option Lt later in the drive since defenders will start keying run action out of this personnel. Pair this with Close HB Wheel in your play calling sequence so defenders who sit on the HB option get burned by the wheel route out of the same backfield alignment.
