Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Slam is a straight downhill dive run out of Singleback U Off Trips with 12 personnel. The diagram shows the two backside receivers and the trips side all staying in as inline or stationary blockers with no routes released, while the HB takes a direct inside handoff and slams north to south behind the interior line. This is a pure run play designed to attack the A or B gap with a hard-nosed dive blocking scheme, not a play-action look or RPO. The primary read is the HB following his blocking surface, reading the initial double team or down block up front and picking the first crease that opens between the guards and center.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, count the box defenders and check linebacker depth, a light box with linebackers playing off the ball is the green light to run this play. Watch for run blitzes from the middle linebacker or safety rotating down into the box, since a stacked front with an extra hat can blow up the dive before the crease develops. Post-snap, key the defensive tackles and nose, if they get immediate penetration or win the double team, the play has no answer and the HB has to bounce late. This play struggles against gap-sound fronts and defenses that key run first with linebackers flowing hard downhill, so if the CPU or opponent is stacking the box on early downs, expect this dive to get stuffed. It beats defenses that are soft up front or vacate the middle to defend perimeter run or pass concepts, since the interior blocking numbers advantage created by the trips alignment overloads the point of attack.
Usage Tips
Call this on short yardage and third or fourth and one situations where you need a guaranteed push north to south. Check the defensive front pre-snap, this play wins against light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the box, so if you see an extra defender crowd the line, consider a check to Motion Power instead. Use HB Slam early in a drive to set up defenders keying on inside run, then pair it later with Inside Zone or Inside Zone Split to keep linebackers hesitant on their run fits. Avoid this play against overload fronts stacked with linebackers at depth, since the lack of misdirection makes it easy to diagnose. Sequence it with HB Misdirection and HB Counter Str in the same drive so defenders start biting on the initial dive action and open lanes for the counter action later.
