Playbooks
HB Off Tackle out of Shotgun Wide Trips HB WK is a designed run play that attacks the edge with a lead blocker working through the B gap to the tackle box. The scheme pulls the playside guard or uses the fullback surrogate (in this case the trips formation spacing) to create a natural crease off tackle while the offensive line combo blocks down to seal the front. The primary read progression for the ball carrier is to press the hole hard, read the down blocks of the tackle and tight end (if aligned in a 10 personnel look, read the tackle and slot receiver's block), and decide between bouncing outside if the edge defender is sealed or cutting up inside if the linebacker flows too far outside.
Pre-snap, identify the safety alignment: a two high shell often signals a lighter box and favors the offense, while a rotated single high safety can mean an extra run defender crashing down. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, since linebackers sitting too deep in zone drops will be slow to fill the alley, giving the ball carrier a clean bounce outside. Key the defensive end and outside linebacker leverage off the edge, if they crash hard inside the cutback lane opens, if they stay wide the play should stay tight to the tackle's block. User-controlled defenders flying downhill from a nickel or dime look can blow up this run, so avoid calling it into stacked fronts with extra defensive backs near the line. Blitz packages that bring an extra rusher off the edge or a linebacker on a run blitz can beat this play if the offensive line fails to identify the extra gap threat, so check protection or motion to confirm numbers before the snap.
Run this play when the defense shows light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the box, since the trips formation naturally pulls a safety or corner out wide to defend the pass threat.
Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to bait linebackers into showing blitz or shifting gaps, then check the play call at the line if you see a heavy box.
Pair this with HB Slip Screen and HB Angle Screen in the same set so defenses cannot key on run action out of trips look, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their run fits.
Attack single high safety shells (Cover 1 or Cover 3) since the extra defender in the box is often occupied by the trips receivers, opening running lanes off tackle.
On third and short or first and ten, call this play early in a series to set up later play-action rollouts like Air Raid Under or RPO looks off the same formation.