Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 11 playbooks
Breakdown
HB Dive out of Singleback Ace with 12 personnel is a straight downhill run play with the HB taking a quick handoff and hitting the A gap immediately behind the center. The diagram shows both TEs and the offensive line blocking straight ahead at the point of attack with no pulling linemen, indicating a north south power scheme designed to win with double teams and a fast, decisive one cut read. This is a pure run play, not a play-action or RPO, and the primary read progression is backside A gap to frontside A gap, with the HB reading the initial double team push before bouncing off if the gap is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, count the box defenders and check safety depth, a single high safety with both linebackers stacked on the line signals run support that can clog this dive immediately. Watch for a Mike linebacker cheating downhill before the snap, which tips a run blitz or A gap fill designed to stuff this play for a loss. Post-snap, user controlled defenders flying downhill to fill the dive gap early are the biggest threat, so the HB needs to be ready to bounce to the backside cutback lane. This play struggles against interior nano blitzes and 3-4 fronts with two inside linebackers sitting in the A gaps pre-snap. It beats light boxes out of nickel and dime sub packages where the defense has removed a linebacker for extra coverage, leaving natural creases for the HB to exploit.
Usage Tips
Call HB Dive on short yardage and goal line situations where the defense is likely to sub in a nickel or dime package that lacks gap integrity at the second level.
Check the pre-snap box count before the snap, if the defense has six or fewer defenders in the box this play should hit for consistent positive yardage.
Pair HB Dive with HB Stretch and HB Counter Str from this same set to keep linebackers honest and prevent them from crashing down on the dive read every snap.
Use this play as a tempo changer after a string of PA Sprint HB Flat or PA Post Dig calls to slow down aggressive user blitzers who are keying on pass drops.
Avoid calling this against stacked 4-3 or 46 fronts with linebackers sitting tight to the line, since the lack of a lead blocker or pulling guard leaves little margin against gap plugging defenses.
