Playbooks
Breakdown
HB Dive out of Singleback Deuce Close is a straight downhill run play with the halfback taking the handoff and hitting the A gap immediately behind the center. The blocking scheme is a standard inside dive block with the offensive line firing off the ball to seal gaps, while both tight ends stay in tight to the formation for extra run support and no route concept is shown in the diagram. This is a pure run play designed to attack light boxes and win with a quick vertical burst, with the primary read being the A gap first and a bounce to either B gap if the middle is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth before the snap since HB Dive is a losing proposition against defenses that walk both inside linebackers up to the line in a 4-3 under or 46 front. Key on safety rotation, if both safeties are deep in a two high shell that usually signals a lighter box which favors this run. User controlled defenders sitting in the A gap or B gap pre-snap are the biggest threat since this play has no built in counter or cutback lane against a jumped gap. Check for run blitzes or nano blitzes from the middle linebacker, since a well timed A gap blitz can blow this play up before the back gets vertical. Look at defensive tackle alignment, if the interior line is shaded to one side with a 3-technique, the dive is more likely to bounce toward the weak side A gap.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you see a light box with six or fewer defenders in the run fit since the quick hitting nature of the dive punishes teams that stack the secondary against play-action.
Use pre-snap motion sparingly here since the play hits fast, but if you spot a defender crashing hard off the edge before the snap, be ready to bounce outside immediately after the handoff.
Mix HB Dive with PA Boot Corner Post and PA Deep Cross from the same Deuce Close set so the defense has to respect the run fake before committing to coverage.
Best used on short yardage or early down situations like first and ten or third and short where defenses may be in a nickel or dime package that lightens the box.
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages with stacked linebackers since there is no cutback or misdirection built in, only a hard downhill hit.
