Playbooks

HB Counter

Shotgun·Trips·10

Counter Run Play Power Run

Play diagram for HB Counter from Shotgun Trips in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTrips

Personnel

101 RB · 0 TE · 4 WR

In 1 playbook

Run And Shoot OffenseOffense

Breakdown

HB Counter out of Shotgun Trips 10 personnel is a power run play that pulls the backside guard and uses the fullback (if kept in) or offensive line combo blocks to lead the HB through the counter hole. The diagram shows the QB handing off to the HB who takes a counter step before following the pulling lineman through the gap created by down blocks, with the three trips receivers releasing vertically to occupy defenders and clear the box. The primary read is the pulling guard, hit the hole hard once he turns up and seals the edge defender or force player.

Defensive Reads

Watch for linebacker flow, if the defense reads counter quickly and the linebackers flow hard opposite the play direction before the pulling guard arrives, this play gets stuffed. Identify the force defender on the play side edge, if he stays home and squeezes the pulling guard, the HB has no lane and should cut back. Check safety depth pre-snap, single high safeties that crash down on run support kill this play faster than two high shells that respect the trips releases. Look for a defensive tackle penetrating quickly into the backside gap, since counter relies on the double team holding long enough for the puller to get through. User-controlled defenders sitting in the counter gap or spying the backfield shut this down immediately, so save this call for base defensive personnel without a dedicated run spy.

Usage Tips

Run this out of Trips to bait defenses into thinking pass first, since three receivers releasing vertically often draws off-coverage shells and lighter boxes.

Check the defensive front pre-snap, this play is most effective against base 4-3 or 3-4 looks without extra defenders stacked in the box.

Use motion or a hot route on one of the trips receivers to slow down flow defenders and disguise the run direction.

Pair this play with RPO Alert Bubble or RPO Base Alert Bubble in your play-calling sequence, since both use the same Trips shotgun look and force linebackers to respect the perimeter before committing downhill.

Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages that stack extra bodies inside, since the misdirection timing gets blown up by fast interior penetration.