Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Inside Zone out of Shotgun Tackle Over Trips is a true zone blocking run play with the HB taking a lateral track behind the QB before hitting his gap based on the line's double teams and zone flow. The Tackle Over adds an extra blocker to the strong side, giving the play a heavy run surface with three receivers bunched to the trips side to pull defenders out of the box. This is a zone run designed to beat light boxes and stacked fronts, with the primary read being the playside combo blocks: the HB presses the frontside gap and reads the double team at the point of attack, bouncing outside if the backside cutback lane closes off first.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is in a light box (6 or fewer) versus a stacked front (7 plus) since this play struggles against loaded boxes with no numbers advantage. Watch linebacker depth and shade, if they are sitting flat and reading run keys instead of flowing, expect a quick fill on the inside zone track. Post-snap, key the playside defensive tackle and linebacker reaction to the double team, if they get moved off the line the cutback lane opens for a big gain. Beware defenses that stay disciplined with gap integrity or use a spy/lurk defender on the backside cutback lane, this shuts down the cutback read entirely. Cover 1 or man-heavy fronts with an extra run support defender in the box are the toughest matchup for this play since it removes the space advantage created by the trips bunch.
Usage Tips
Check the box count before the snap and only run this into 6 or fewer defenders in the box since the Tackle Over gives you a numbers advantage on the play side.
Use the trips bunch look to bait the defense into rotating a safety or nickel out of the box, then attack the vacated gap with the zone track.
Hot route the trips receivers into quick screens or bubble concepts on obvious run downs to keep defenses honest and set up the RPO Read Bubble and RPO Bubble Y Pop calls from the same formation.
Best used on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and short) when defenses are still guessing between run and RPO looks out of this personnel.
Pair this with Outside Zone and HB Power O in the same set to keep linebackers flowing hard and open up cutback lanes later in the game plan.
