Playbooks
Mtn Zone Toss is the toss run variant out of Singleback Deuce Close Tilt, using the 21 personnel two-back look with an attached H-back/TE to seal the edge. The blocking scheme flows toward the toss side with the fullback (or extra TE) kicking out the force defender while the offensive line reach blocks to establish outside zone lanes, giving the HB a designed bounce or cutback read. This is a run play, not a pass concept, so the primary read progression is pressing the toss aiming point, reading the edge defender's leverage, and deciding to bounce outside, bend into the alley, or cut back inside against flow.
Key the edge defender or defensive end assigned to the toss side, if he crashes down hard the cutback lane opens behind the puller Watch the Sam or strong side linebacker's depth and flow, a linebacker who overruns the toss creates a natural bend read for the HB Identify whether the defense is in a run heavy front like 46 Bear or a 3-4 odd stack, both of these fronts can outnumber the toss side and require a quick cutback decision Look for a user controlled defender spying the backfield or flying downhill immediately at the snap, this indicates the human is jumping the toss and favors a cutback or counter call Check safety depth before the snap, a safety cheating down into the box signals run support that can beat this play unless you set up misdirection first with Mtn Zone Fake Jet
Run this on early downs like first and ten or second and short to keep defenses honest against your play-action shots in this set like PA Boot Slide and Mtn PA Flood
Check the defensive front pre-snap for a 4-3 under or 3-4 with the strong safety cheated into the box, since heavy fronts can clog the toss lane and force an early cutback
Use motion or a hard count to bait linebackers into flowing hard toward the toss side, then counter later in the series with Mtn HB Misdirection Lt to punish overaggressive pursuit
If the defense shows a fast flowing Sam linebacker or an edge defender that consistently crashes down, hot route the H-back to a lead block through the alley instead of a kickout to seal the extra defender
Pair this play in a sequence with Mtn Zone Fake Jet and Mtn Jet Sweep so defenders cannot key run direction based on backfield action alone
Avoid calling this into known run blitz situations like third and short against a stacked box unless you have already set up the cutback with previous zone runs