Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Base is a straightforward dive run out of the Shotgun Y Trips Wk set, with the HB taking the handoff and hitting the hole between the guard and center as shown by the red arrow on the diagram. The offensive line blocks straight ahead at the point of attack, relying on the interior blockers to win their gaps rather than any pulling scheme. This is a base run play designed to attack light boxes and gap integrity rather than beat a specific coverage shell, with the primary read being the initial A gap before bouncing outside if it is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Watch the linebacker depth pre-snap, if they are sitting shallow and stacked over the center this dive has nowhere to go and gets stuffed quickly. Identify whether the defense is in a 6 or 7 man box, since anything heavier makes this a low value call against disciplined gap defense. Post-snap, key the defensive tackles for any user-controlled shade toward the A gap, which signals a jump on the dive read. This run gets shut down hard by any blitz package that sends extra numbers through the interior gaps, since there is no lead blocker to account for a free hitter. Against base fronts with linebackers reading run late or biting on the Trips pass action, this play can pick up consistent yardage before the second level defenders can fill.
Usage Tips
Check the box count pre-snap and only run this into 6 or fewer defenders in the box to avoid a negative play against stacked fronts.
Use this as a tempo-control play on early downs to keep defenses honest against your Trips passing concepts like Curls X Go or Four Verticals out of the same formation.
Send the HB through the frontside A gap first, then read the fill of the linebackers before committing to a bounce outside if the interior is clogged.
Mix this in after running RPO Peek Slant or RPO Zone Peek from the same set so defenses cannot sit on the run key without opening up your RPO reads.
Avoid calling this on short yardage third downs against defenses showing heavy blitz looks, since the lack of a pulling blocker leaves little answer for an unblocked defender in the box.
