Playbooks
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
HB Toss Mtn is a pure run play out of Strong I Pro with 21 personnel, using a wide receiver motion (the vertical white motion path on the left) to adjust the edge numbers before the snap. The offensive line and TE fire out to the play side to seal the edge while the fullback and lead blocker climb outside ahead of the HB toss action, with the light blue route showing the flat runner clearing the perimeter. This is a strictly a run play designed to attack the outside edge with numbers and gets the HB moving downhill in space fast, and the primary read is the edge defender's leverage and whether the alley defender fills or stays wide.
Defensive Reads
Watch strong safety depth and alignment pre-snap, since a safety cheating into the box signals run support that can blow up the edge before the toss develops. Key the play side outside linebacker or defensive end, as a fast-flowing edge defender who beats the seal block will force the HB to cut back into traffic. Identify if the defense is in a 4-3 or 3-4 base front, since extra bodies on the line of scrimmage clog the toss lane and make this play far less effective. Look for user-controlled linebackers flowing hard to the play side pre-snap, which indicates the defense is anticipating the toss and will fill the alley quickly. This play struggles against aggressive gap-shooting fronts and edge blitzes, so avoid calling it when the defense shows an overload blitz look to the play side.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense adjusts with a linebacker or defensive back, since that reveals whether you are getting a true numbers advantage on the edge.
Run this on early downs, first and second and short to medium yardage, when defenses are more likely to sit in base run fronts rather than nickel or dime sub packages.
If the defense shows a heavy box with the strong safety crashing down pre-snap, consider audibling to a play-action shot off this same formation to punish the aggression.
Pair this with Mtn Stretch and Mtn Inside Zone Split in your call sheet so defenses cannot key on one blocking scheme, keeping linebackers honest on run fits.
User the fullback or lead blocker manually if you have the skill to pick off the first defender in the alley, since that block often decides whether the toss breaks for a big gain.
