Playbooks

Same Side Zone

Shotgun·Trips HB Wk·10

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

Same Side Zone is an outside zone run play out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk with 10 personnel, sending the offensive line flowing in unison toward the side the HB is aligned to. The trips receiver formation pulls extra defenders away from the box, creating natural cutback lanes if the defense flows too hard with the zone stretch. This is a run play designed to attack overpursuit, with the primary read being the playside alley: press the mesh point, read the first down lineman past the tackle box, and decide between the bounce outside, the bend in the B gap, or the cutback based on how the defensive front flows.

Defensive Reads

Watch for linebacker depth at the snap, since linebackers sitting too far off the line or flowing hard playside open up the cutback lane. Identify if the defense is in a base 4-3 or 4-2-5 look, since lighter fronts with only five in the box are the easiest to gash with this zone stretch. Key the playside defensive end and outside linebacker, since a fast crash off the edge forces the HB to bend inside rather than bounce. Beware of user-controlled defenders spying the backfield or crashing down hard on zone reads, since a disciplined user defender at the second level can blow up the cutback before it develops. This play struggles against stacked eight-man boxes or run blitzes that overload the playside gap, so audibling out or checking to a pass concept is smart if you see safeties creeping down pre-snap.

Usage Tips

Check the box count pre-snap since 10 personnel means you are running with only five blockers, so avoid this call against six or seven man fronts unless you plan to use it as a changeup.

Look for light boxes with two high safeties that signal zone coverage behind, since those shells often leave only five or six defenders to fit the run.

Use manual control on the HB and patiently press the line of scrimmage before deciding to bounce, bend, or cutback, since the trips side removes defenders from the alley.

Pair this with Same Side Zone's pass-heavy neighbors like Trips Cross or Curls to keep the defense honest, since the same shotgun trips look disguises run and pass identically.

This works best on early downs (first and ten, second and short) when defenses are not yet in pass-heavy sub packages, and it becomes a great changeup after showing several passing plays from the same Trips HB Wk formation.

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk