Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Power out of Singleback Wing Tight Left is a gap scheme run play that pulls the backside guard to lead through the hole while the offensive line blocks down and seals inside. The diagram shows the wing tight end and attached blockers creating a wall to the play side with the HB taking a downhill angle behind the pulling guard, no receivers run routes since this is a designated run concept. It beats base fronts and light boxes, and the primary read progression is patience behind the pulling guard, then find daylight off his block, cutting outside if the edge is sealed or bending back inside if the linebacker overpursues.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, count the box defenders and check safety depth, a single high safety with a stacked box signals an aggressive run blitz look that can beat this play if you do not identify the extra rusher. Watch the backside defensive end and outside linebacker, if they crash down hard on the pulling guard, the cutback lane opens up for the HB. Look at linebacker depth at the snap, linebackers sitting too far off the line struggle to fill the power gap in time, while linebackers stacked tight to the line can blow up the pulling guard's kick out block. Man coverage on the outside receivers and tight end usually means extra bodies are freed up to stack the box, so respect blitz packages designed to attack gap schemes with a extra run blitzer off the edge. Cover 2 or Cover 3 zone shells with light boxes are where this play hits hardest since the second level defenders are occupied with zone drops and slower to fill run gaps.
Usage Tips
Check the box count pre-snap and only run this into 6 or fewer defenders in the box to avoid a stacked run fit.
Watch for the Mike linebacker cheating downhill early since that tells you the defense is reading run and you should key the pulling guard's block to cut off his path.
Use this play on early downs like first or second and short to medium yardage when defenses are more likely to play base personnel instead of nickel or dime packages.
Pair HB Power with HB Dive and Inside Zone from the same Singleback Wing Tight Left set to keep the defense honest on downhill run fits while setting up PA Boot Slide or PA Sprint HB Flat off the same run action later in the series.
Motion or shift the wing tight end pre-snap to test if the defense adjusts its edge support, then attack the side that stays static.
