Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Inside Zone Split lines up out of Singleback Bunch TE with 11 personnel, showing a stripped down run look with only the offensive line and HB drawn into the diagram. The HB takes a downhill path behind the zone blocking scheme, reading the double team combos up front and pressing the crease created by the play side double team before working backside if the front is stacked. This is a pure zone run play designed to attack gaps created by the line's zone steps rather than a specific man beater or coverage beater against pass shells.
Defensive Reads
Watch the defensive tackle alignment pre-snap, a 3-technique shaded to the play side makes the backside cutback tougher to hit. Key the middle linebacker depth, if he is sitting shallow expecting run he will fill the crease fast and force a quicker HB decision. Look for edge defenders crashing hard inside on the snap, that flow often opens the perimeter for a bounce outside if user control drops a backside defender into the box. This run gets shut down by gap sound run fits with a slanting front, especially defensive tackles crashing the play side gap before the double team can climb to the linebacker level. Overloaded fronts and heavy blitz packages that stack extra defenders inside the tackles will win this play unless the OL wins its double team reps immediately.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap to check the box count, if the defense has six or fewer defenders in the box this is a green light run every time. Send a receiver in motion from the Bunch TE look pre-snap to help identify man versus zone coverage without tipping the run action. Let the HB press the line of scrimmage and read the play side double team first, then bounce backside if the defensive tackle is getting movement inside. Pair this with Zone Fake Jet and PA Jet Sweep from the same set so defenses cannot sit on the inside zone run key once they see Bunch TE personnel. Best called on early downs and short yardage or goal line situations where defenses are likely to play base fronts instead of nickel or dime sub packages.
