Playbooks
5 6 Trap is a trap run out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Pats designed to attack interior gaps by letting a defender crash upfield before pulling a blocker across the formation to seal him. The offensive line sells a passive set to bait aggressive linebackers and defensive tackles into penetrating, then the trapping guard or tackle kicks that defender out to spring the HB through the alley. This is a power run concept, not a man or zone beater in the passing sense, and the primary read progression for the ball carrier is to key the trap block first, then work to the natural cutback lane if the interior gets clogged.
Watch for a defensive tackle or nose lined up in a 2i or 3-technique who likes to shoot gaps aggressively, since this play is built to exploit that penetration with the trap block. Check linebacker depth before the snap. Linebackers sitting tight to the line at 3 to 4 yards deep can beat the trap block flow and blow it up before the puller arrives. If the defense shows an inside blitz or a nano blitz look with both A-gaps stacked, this run can get stuffed unless the trap block wins immediately, so be ready to bail to a quick pass audible. Post-snap, key whether the user-controlled linebacker flows hard downhill to fill the trap gap. If he sits back or reads the pulling blocker, the cutback lane behind the trap block becomes the better rushing lane. Defenses that play a lot of zone or slanting fronts to the trips side can neutralize this concept, so recognize that pre-snap and consider switching to Inside Zone against slant-heavy fronts.
Call this out of obvious run downs or on second and short to keep defenses honest against your trips formation tendencies.
Check the defensive tackle alignment pre-snap. If you see an aggressive 3-technique or a shaded nose crashing hard off the snap, this play is designed to make him pay.
Use your hot route menu sparingly here since the trap concept relies on the natural blocking assignments, but you can motion the trips receivers to confirm man versus zone coverage before the snap.
Pair 5 6 Trap with Inside Zone and HB Power in the same drive to keep linebackers guessing on gap versus zone flow, since all three hit downhill but with different blocking rules.
On the stick, one cut and go. Do not dance behind the line, trust the trap block to open the crease and get vertical immediately once you see the puller engage.