Playbooks

Mtn Outside Zone

Shotgun·Wing Stack Wk·12

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

Mtn Outside Zone is a run play out of Shotgun 12 personnel that stretches the defense laterally before the back plants and gets vertical. The offensive line flows in unison toward the play side, reach blocking defenders to create a wall while the fullback or extra tight end kicks out the edge defender to seal the alley. The primary read progression for the ball carrier starts at the play side edge, checking whether the defensive end and outside linebacker get reached, then working inside to the first cutback lane if the frontside gets clogged, and finally bouncing outside if the backside pursuit overruns the play.

Defensive Reads

Watch for safeties creeping into the box pre-snap, that signals run support and a lurking defender ready to fill the cutback lane. Identify Mike linebacker depth, if he is stacked tight behind the defensive line expect quick downhill pursuit that eliminates cutback windows. Beware of edge defenders crashing hard inside on snap recognition, that is a sign of a scraping exchange designed to blow up zone runs at the mesh point. This play struggles against odd fronts with a nose tackle in a zero technique since he can occupy double team blocks and clog every gap. User the backside linebacker if the defense shows a heavy shade toward the play call, that defender is often left unblocked and becomes the primary tackler on cutback attempts.

Usage Tips

Check the box count pre-snap and only call this against light boxes of six or fewer defenders since zone runs die against stacked fronts.

Look for defensive tackles shading toward the play call, if they slant hard into the zone flow, user your back to cut it back against the grain immediately.

Use the strafe move with your ball carrier at the mesh point to read the double team blocks up front before committing to a lane.

Pair this with Mtn Inside Zone and RPO Zone Alert Bubble to keep linebackers honest, alternating the zone run direction forces defenders to flow the wrong way on tendency breaks.

This play works best on early downs (first and second) in normal or light box situations, avoid calling it into known run blitz looks or heavy nickel and dime packages stacked in the box.

Sell the fake with Mtn PA Verticals off this same look later in a series to punish safeties who crash down on zone action.

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