Playbooks

Mid Zone

Shotgun·Trips X Nasty·11

Quick Reference

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Breakdown

Mid Zone out of Shotgun Trips X Nasty is a zone run play that hands the ball off to the HB with the offensive line executing a zone blocking scheme, flowing playside and sealing gaps for a downhill cutback lane. The line steps in unison to the play side, with the HB reading the frontside double team and backside cutback lane before committing to a hole. This is a run play designed to punish light boxes and overpursuing linebackers, with the primary read progression being frontside gap first, then bounce or cutback based on how the defensive line and second level flow.

Defensive Reads

Watch linebacker depth and shade pre-snap, since stacked or crashing linebackers signal a blitz that zone blocking can wash out of gaps if you cut correctly. Identify single high versus two high safety shells, because single high alignments often mean an extra run defender in the box while two high shells create more natural cutback room. User the frontside linebacker if you control a defender, since Mid Zone lives on second level flow and a disciplined LB who stays home kills the cutback. Look for overpursuing defensive ends and 3 techniques crashing hard playside, as this opens the backdoor cutback lane the HB should be coached to find. Cover 3 and cover 1 with aggressive edge defenders get gashed by this play, while disciplined 4-3 under fronts with a two gapping nose tackle tend to shut it down.

Usage Tips

Check the box count before the snap and only run Mid Zone into 6 or fewer defenders in the box to avoid free hitters. Use the trips side to bait safeties into rotating away from the run fit, then attack the vacated cutback lane. Motion the slot receiver pre-snap to identify if the defense is in man or zone, since a man defender following the motion confirms man coverage and softer run support. Pair this play with Inside Zone and HB Off Tackle from the same set so linebackers cannot key run direction based on formation tendencies. Mid Zone works best on 1st and 2nd down in normal down and distance situations, and it sets up HB Mid Draw later in a drive once defenders start flowing hard to the edges.

Other Plays in Trips X Nasty