Playbooks
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Breakdown
End Around out of Singleback Bunch is a run play designed to get a receiver moving laterally in space with the ball via handoff motion across the formation. The diagram shows the ball carrier taking a path from the backfield across to the opposite side, crossing the play side flow before cutting upfield, while the frontside blockers set an edge to seal off pursuit. This is a pure gap speed run play meant to exploit overaggressive linebacker flow and outside contain, not a man or zone beater in the passing sense since there are no route concepts shown, just the counter action run design.
Defensive Reads
Key the backside defensive end and outside linebacker pre-snap since they are the primary unblocked run stoppers on the reverse path. If the defense shows a fast flow linebacker crew that keys the quarterback's first move, this play punishes that tendency badly. User the backside contain defender manually and have him stay home rather than crashing down, since that single assignment is what shuts this run down. Watch for a defensive lineman playing hard contain on the edge, as that alignment forces the ball carrier to cut inside into a crowded box. Post-snap, track linebacker depth and flow direction immediately after the snap, since delayed pursuit reads are what allow this play to hit for explosive gains.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs like first and ten or second and short when the defense has shown aggressive downhill run fits on previous snaps.
Watch pre-snap for linebackers cheating toward the strength of the Bunch set, since the End Around hits away from that flow and exploits overpursuit.
Mix this in after calling HB Slam or HB Dive from the same Singleback Bunch set so the defense keys inside zone action and bites on the initial flow.
Avoid calling this against defenses that keep a spy or contain defender on the backside edge, since those defenders are unblocked and can blow up the reverse path before it develops.
Use in a sequence with Pitch WR Reverse or Crack Toss to condition the defense to fly to the strong side, then hit them with End Around when they overcommit.
