Objective
Install one gap-flexible run with simple line rules, a clear running back aiming point and a three-way read, so the offense has a base play that works against any front.
Setup
Area
Half field, working from the 35-yard line going in
Players
5 offensive linemen, QB, running back, tight end; add a scout front of 6–7 defenders
Equipment
1 ball, Hand shields for the scout front, Cones or a hose to mark the line of scrimmage
Duration
15–20 minutes per install period
How it works
- 1
Covered or uncovered
Each lineman checks whether a defender is aligned on him or in his playside gap. Covered means he blocks that man. Uncovered means he takes a short, flat playside step and helps his covered playside teammate, with his eyes on the linebacker behind them.
- 2
Combo to the second level
The covered lineman and the uncovered helper hit the down lineman together, hip to hip, and move him off the ball. Both keep their eyes on the linebacker. Whichever side the linebacker fills, that lineman comes off the combo to block him and the other stays on the down man, usually within the first two seconds.
- 3
Running back aiming point
From about 6–7 yards deep behind the QB (or offset in the shotgun), the back presses toward the outside hip of the playside guard; some staffs teach the guard-center gap, so set your own landmark. He takes the handoff, stays on that track for two or three steps, and keeps his shoulders square so linebackers cannot tell where he will cut.
- 4
Bang, bend or bounce
The back reads the first down lineman playside of the center, working inside out. If that defender is washed out, he bangs straight up the aiming point. If the defender crosses the lineman's face, he bends back behind him. If the edge is soft and everything stacks inside, he bounces one gap outside.
- 5
Backside cutoff
Backside linemen step playside and cut off the defenders in their backside gap, keeping them from chasing down the line. The backside end is often left unblocked on purpose: a tight end or H-back handles him, or he becomes the zone-read key.
| Player | If covered | If uncovered | Eyes / landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playside tackle | Drive the man on or outside him | Help the tight end or climb to the linebacker | Playside linebacker |
| Playside guard | Block the man on or in his playside gap | Combo with the tackle, climb when the linebacker fills | Playside linebacker |
| Center | Block the nose or shade playside | Combo with the playside guard's defender | Middle linebacker |
| Backside guard | Block the man in his playside gap | Combo with the center, then climb | Backside linebacker |
| Backside tackle | Cut off the man in his playside gap | Step flat, cut off or climb | Backside linebacker |
| Running back | Not applicable | Not applicable | Playside guard's outside hip, read the first down lineman playside of the center |
Coaching points
The first step is flat and short, around six inches; a lineman who lunges forward loses the combo and opens a gap behind him.
On the double team, the two blockers' near hands land on the same defender, so the down lineman feels one wall, not two separate blocks.
Tell backs to be patient to the line and violent through it: press the aiming point, make one cut, and get vertical.
Linemen climb only when the linebacker declares; leaving the combo early is the most common way inside zone gets stopped for no gain.
Rep the combo as a two-on-two drill (covered and uncovered linemen against a down lineman and a linebacker) before it ever goes to team.
Variations
Zone-read tag
From the shotgun, the QB leaves the backside end unblocked and reads him. If the end crashes down the line to chase the back, the QB pulls the ball and runs where the end just left. If the end stays wide, the QB gives.
Split zone
A tight end or H-back comes across the formation behind the line to kick out the backside end. The line blocks inside zone as normal, and the back gets a cutback lane protected by a lead blocker.
Build it in Coach Board
Your linemen stop guessing when to climb once they watch it happen. In Coach Board, draw the line, back and a scout front on an American football field, then animate the combo blocks moving as a unit before one lineman peels to the linebacker. Duplicate the board for bang, bend and bounce so the back sees the same first two seconds each time and only the cut changes, and slow playback down on the combo.