Playbooks
HB Power G out of Shotgun Wide Y Off Trips is a gap scheme run play that pulls the backside guard through the hole to seal the edge for the running back. This is a base run play, not a pass concept, so there is no route progression to worry about, but the trips side does hold defenders honest with a stacked receiver look. The primary read is the pulling guard's kick out block on the play side defensive end, with the running back keying whether to press the A gap or bounce outside off the puller's block.
Watch for a light box pre-snap with only five or six defenders in the tackle box, since this is the ideal alignment for the power scheme to create a numbers advantage at the point of attack. Key the play side defensive end and outside linebacker, since a scraping end who reads the pulling guard fast can blow up the kick out block and force a negative play. If the defense is in a stacked 4-3 or 46 front with extra linebackers crashing downhill, this play will struggle to find room, so audible to a bubble screen or quick pass instead. User the middle linebacker or a safety and key their eyes on the pulling guard, since fast flow defenders reading the pull can beat the blocking scheme to the hole and stop the play behind the line. Watch for defenses selling out on run with eight in the box against 11 personnel, which signals it is time to switch to a play-action or RPO from this same set instead of forcing the run.
Run this out of 11 personnel on early downs when the defense shows a light box with six or fewer defenders to prevent overloaded run fits from blowing up the pulling guard's path.
Check the middle linebacker's alignment pre-snap and if he is stacked in the A gap, consider hot routing the trips receivers or motioning the running back to shift the box count before the snap.
Pair this play with RPO Power Alert Bubble in the same set since both share the power blocking scheme, forcing linebackers to respect the run fit while the bubble screen punishes overaggressive flow to the line.
Use HB Power G on second and short or third and short to keep defenses guessing after setting up play-action shots like PA Y Cross or PA Walk Deep Choice from the same formation.
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages that stack extra defenders on the play side since the pulling guard cannot account for numbers advantages in tight spaces.