Playbooks
GT Counter Bash is a run play out of Shotgun Wing Trips WK that combines a gap scheme counter with a bash style backfield action, meaning the H back or fullback motion piece kicks out the edge while the offensive line pulls the guard and tackle to seal the point of attack. This is a designed run, not a play action or RPO, and the blocking scheme relies on the pulling guard leading through the hole while the play side down blocks create a natural rebound lane for the ball carrier. The primary read for the runner is the pulling guard's block on the edge defender: press the initial hole hard enough to influence flow, then read the kick out block to decide between bouncing outside or cutting back inside the counter trap.
Check the strong safety alignment before the snap, if he is stacked in the box or cheating toward the trips side it signals a run blitz or extra gap defender that can beat the counter action before the pullers get set. Look at defensive line technique, a shaded three technique or five technique upfield can blow up the counter timing if he reads pulling linemen quickly and crashes the backside gap. Man coverage with a single high safety usually leaves light boxes and favors the runner getting to the second level clean, so attack downhill once the guard's kick out block is secured. Zone coverage shells with two deep safeties often bring an extra run defender into the box from depth, so respect a scraping linebacker or safety filling the alley and be ready to cut it back against the grain. Heavy blitz packages or nano blitz looks that send extra defenders off the edge can beat this play outright since the pulling linemen may not get to the point of attack in time, so have a quick game answer ready if you see max pressure alignments pre-snap.
Use pre-snap motion or a shift to identify if the defense is playing base run fits or shifting toward Wing Trips overload, since a defense that slides linebackers away from the trips side often leaves the counter run lane wide open on the backside. Call this in early down situations like first and ten or second and short where defenses are more likely to be in base personnel and run friendly fronts rather than dime or nickel sub packages built to stop the pass. Watch for overaggressive user linebackers keying the pulling guard, if you see a defender flowing hard to the point of attack pre-snap or crashing down at the snap, be ready to bounce the run outside using the manual cutback stick input. Pair this play with Power Read and PA Inverted Veer from the same set so the defense has to respect multiple gap schemes and misdirection concepts out of the same Wing Trips look, which slows down linebacker trigger time. Mix in Buck Sweep from this set as a changeup since both plays attack similar landmarks but with different blocking angles, keeping second level defenders honest and unable to sit on one gap.