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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
End Around Lead out of Singleback Wing (12 personnel) is a designed misdirection run play, not a man or zone beater in the passing sense since it has no route combos to read. The diagram shows the receiver split out wide running an end around path across the formation, taking the handoff and cutting upfield behind a lead blocker who kicks out in front to seal the edge. The offensive line executes a down block scheme away from the flow to hold the frontside and let the ball carrier bend the run to the perimeter. The primary read progression is simple: identify which way the flow defenders overpursue with the initial fake, then follow the lead blocker's kick out block and press the edge before cutting upfield off his block.
Defensive Reads
Watch the defensive end and outside linebacker on the play side edge before the snap, if they crash hard down the line on flow they are vulnerable to the kick out block. Key the safety rotation, single high shells with aggressive run support corners get exposed on the perimeter since they have no help containing the edge. Post-snap, identify any scrape exchange technique from the linebackers, this defeats the lead blocker's kick out and forces the ball carrier back inside into traffic. Look for a user-controlled defender spying the backfield or sitting outside the tackle box, this is the main threat that can blow up the edge before the block develops. Defenses in Cover 3 or Cover 4 with disciplined edge setters and force players tend to shut this down, while aggressive man coverage with linebackers flowing hard to the fake gives up explosive yardage.
Usage Tips
Call this play after establishing inside zone or gap runs like HB Power O or HB Slash Fk End Arnd so the defense is already keying on interior run fits.
Watch pre-snap linebacker depth: if they are stacked tight to the box and flowing hard to the initial action, this play hits big because the edge defender gets sealed before he can scrape.
Use it on early downs (first or second and medium) when defenses are more likely to sell out on stopping the primary ball carrier and bite on the fake.
Avoid calling this against defenses showing outside contain or scrape exchange linebackers since they are coached to sit on end around action.
Pair it in a sequence with HB Counter WK or Counter U to condition the defense to flow hard, then hit them with the End Around Lead when they overcommit to the strong side.
