Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 11 playbooks
Breakdown
Triple Option Lt out of Shotgun Split Close is a pure run play that reads left to right off the diagram, showing the QB working a mesh point with the HB before the pitch man releases wide to the left flank. The offensive line down blocks toward the play side, sealing gaps to create a run lane while the QB keys the first unblocked defender to decide whether to keep, hand off, or pitch. This is a triple option scheme designed to attack unblocked defenders and gap discipline rather than beat coverage, so it functions as a run-first constraint against aggressive fronts. Primary read progression: dive read on the first level defender, then pitch read on the second level defender flowing to the edge.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they are sitting shallow and flowing hard to the mesh point they are vulnerable to the pitch read getting outside them. Key the edge defender or defensive end assigned to the QB, if he sits and waits for the pitch the QB should keep it inside on the dive. This play struggles against disciplined scrape exchange linebackers who stay square and force the QB to make a decision under pressure. User controlled defenders flying downhill to jump the dive are the biggest threat, so watch for manual crashes from the defensive line pre-snap alignment. Overloaded fronts with extra second level defenders shut this down quickly since the numbers on the perimeter disappear, favor calling this against base 4-3 or 3-4 looks instead.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs when you have a numbers advantage on the edge, since the pitch phase depends on getting a defender to overcommit inside.
Before the snap identify if the defense is showing an odd or even front, because a crashing 3-technique or edge defender who squeezes hard is your cue to pull and pitch immediately.
Pair Triple Option Lt with Read Option and HB Option from this set to keep defenders guessing on the mesh point, forcing linebackers to hesitate on run fits.
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages with extra defenders in the box, since the numbers disadvantage removes the pitch read entirely.
Sequence this with FB Inside or HB Gut earlier in a series so linebackers start cheating downhill, opening up the perimeter pitch lane on this call.
