Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Inside Zone Split lines up out of Shotgun Wing Flex Offset Wk with 12 personnel, showing the HB offset behind the QB with two TEs stacked to the same side and no receivers split out in the diagram. The red arrow shows the HB running a downhill zone track through the B gap, with the offensive line executing a standard inside zone blocking scheme that flows laterally before climbing to the second level. This is a pure run play designed to hit inside quickly, with the primary read being the frontside combo block and the first alerted linebacker, so the ball carrier reads the double team at the point of attack and presses the crease before bending backside if the frontside gap gets clogged.
Defensive Reads
Key the frontside linebacker depth at the snap, if he is sitting tight to the line he is reading run fast and will fill the crease before the back can press it. Watch for a crashing defensive end or 3 technique shooting the frontside gap, which signals a run blitz look that this play can struggle against without a cutback lane. Identify two high safeties pre-snap, since a light box behind a two high shell usually means the backside cutback lane stays open longer. User linebacker flow is the biggest tell, if the user immediately flies downhill to fill the frontside gap, look to bounce the run backside off the zone track. Stacked fronts or heavy run blitz packages with safeties creeping into the box will shut this down, so respect those looks and lean on the RPO or play-action calls in this set instead.
Usage Tips
Run this out of 12 personnel on early downs to keep defenses honest against your play-action shots from the same set.
Check the box count pre-snap, if the defense has six or more in the box, consider audibling to a perimeter run or a quick game concept instead.
Use the TE alignment to identify whether the defense is showing run fits with an extra man near the line, since a light box favors this play heavily.
Pair this with RPO Zone Peek and RPO Power Peek from the same set so the defense has to respect both the zone run action and the peek route off the same look.
On third and short, this play works well after setting up the defense with PA Jailbreak Screen or Mtn RPO Buck Peek Slant to slow down linebacker aggression.
