Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
H Misdirection Wk is a run play out of Singleback Wing Tight Z that uses misdirection to attack the weak side of the formation. The diagram shows the offensive line flowing laterally to the play side while the ball carrier takes a hard counter step away from the initial flow before cutting back downhill through the vacated weak side gap. This is a pure run play designed to freeze linebackers and second level defenders who bite on the initial line flow, and the read progression starts with the fullback or lead blocker kicking out the edge before the runner presses the hole and reads the first wave of blocks off the weak side tackle and guard.
Defensive Reads
Key the linebackers pre-snap, if they are shaded hard to the play side flow with no eyes on the backside gap this run hits big. Watch the defensive line stunts, if the weak side defensive end or tackle crashes down instead of staying disciplined the cutback lane opens immediately. User a linebacker and stay put instead of flowing with the initial line movement, disciplined backside pursuit is the primary counter to this misdirection. Look for safeties cheating toward run flow post snap, since a fast trigger safety filling the cutback lane can blow this play up for a loss. Beat this play with gap control fronts and disciplined zone run fits, aggressive man blitzes and fast flow linebackers get exploited by the backside cut.
Usage Tips
Call this play when the defense has shown aggressive linebacker flow or fast-flow run fits on previous snaps since the misdirection punishes overpursuit.
Use it in run heavy down and distance situations like second and short or first and ten to keep the defense honest after establishing HB Inside Zone or HB Power O.
Watch pre-snap for stacked boxes or linebackers cheating toward the strength of the formation, that alignment tells you the cutback lane will be wide open.
Pair this play with HB Counter Wk and Wide Zone Wk in the same game plan so the defense cannot key on line flow direction, forcing linebackers to hesitate on every handoff look.
Avoid calling this against disciplined gap sound defenses that stay home on backside cutback lanes, since the misdirection loses value if defenders do not chase the initial flow.
