Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
HB Misdirection out of Singleback Doubles is a run play built to punish overaggressive linebackers and edge defenders who flow hard with initial backfield action. The offensive line sells a zone or gap look one direction while the ballcarrier counters back against the grain, using a puller or lead blocker to seal the alley on the misdirection side. This is a run play, not a play-action or RPO, so the primary read progression is simply patience: let the misdirection develop, key your lead blocker, and identify the first crease created by overpursuit before planting and accelerating upfield.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check linebacker depth and alignment, if they are creeping toward the play action side before the snap they are primed to overpursue. Watch for a Mike linebacker or Sam linebacker flowing hard with the initial fake, since that opening is exactly what the misdirection is designed to exploit. Defenses that stay disciplined and slow-play their run fits, like a controlled 3-4 with linebackers reading through the line, take away the cutback lane entirely. User-controlled defenders spying the backfield or sitting in the B-gap on the backside can blow this play up before the cut develops, so scout for defenders manually flowing away from the fake. Interior blitzes and A-gap pressure defeat this play quickly since the misdirection needs time to develop, so heavy blitz packages with fast interior penetration are the biggest threat.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to bait linebackers into shifting their run fits before the snap, since misdirection only works if the defense is already flowing wrong.
Call this on early downs when the defense is stacked in run-heavy fronts like 4-3 or 46, since those fronts have more aggressive downhill linebackers that overrun the play.
Pair HB Misdirection with HB Power O and HB Counter earlier in a series so defenders start keying hard flow, then hit this play to gash them when they overcommit.
If you are user-controlling the ballcarrier, resist the urge to attack the line immediately, glide behind the misdirection action and trust the cutback lane to open.
Avoid calling this against disciplined defenses that stay home in their gaps, such as controlled 3-4 Odd fronts, since those defenses rarely bite on the initial flow.
