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Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
HB Misdirection out of Singleback Ace Slot is a run play built to attack aggressive run fits by selling flow one direction before the ball carrier cuts back against the grain. The offensive line and lead blockers set up zone or gap steps toward the initial flow, drawing linebackers out of position, while the HB plants and works back through the vacated inside lane. This is a pure run play, not a play-action or RPO, and the primary read progression starts with the backside cutback lane before checking the frontside bounce if the defense over-pursues in the opposite direction.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth and flow pre-snap, if they are stacked tight to the line and aggressive against inside runs, this play will gash them once they overrun their gaps. Identify defenses in a 4-3 or 3-4 with fast flowing linebackers, this play beats those fronts hardest because misdirection exploits their downhill pursuit tendencies. Look for user-controlled defenders spying the backfield, if the user takes the linebacker and stays home instead of flowing, the cutback lane disappears and this play gets shut down. Check for defensive line games or contain blitzes off the edge, since a well timed edge blitz can beat the misdirection before the cutback develops. Disciplined defenses that play read and react rather than crashing hard on run flow will negate the misdirection, so avoid calling this against teams sitting in a two high shell with linebackers staying square.
Usage Tips
Call this play against defenses that show fast flow linebackers or aggressive run fits, since their pursuit angles create the cutback lane this play is designed to exploit.
Use manual motion with the HB pre-snap to bait linebackers into flowing hard one direction before the snap, then trust the cutback read instead of forcing the play to the play side.
Mix this in after a couple reps of HB Zone Alert Bubble or HB Stretch Alert Bubble so the defense keys hard flow toward the sideline, making the misdirection cutback even more effective.
Best used on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and short) when defenses are more willing to sell out on run fits rather than sitting back in pass shells.
Pair with HB Counter and HB Power O in the same drive to condition the defense to flow hard, then hit this play when linebackers start flying downhill without reading their gaps.
