offense / gap run
A downhill gap run that uses a pulling guard to create an extra blocker at the point of attack.
Animated assignment view
The quarterback confirms the play-side linebacker and the tight end identifies the force defender.
Ball: center
How it works
Play-side blockers collapse defenders inward while the backside guard pulls across the formation. The puller handles the force player and the back follows his leverage into a deliberately created gap.
Outnumber the defense at one chosen gap and give the runner a clear physical entry point.
Stay tight to the puller's block and get vertical.
One guard runs behind the line and leads the runner through a new opening while the other blockers push defenders away from that spot.
The puller's kick-versus-log decision changes the runner's path; spacing between the down blocks and puller must not create a run-through lane.
Decision point
The puller's leverage determines whether the runner stays inside, follows around, or bends away from congestion.
Hit the crease inside when the guard logs the force defender outward.
low riskStay on the puller's outside hip when he kicks the defender inward.
medium riskCut behind the down blocks if the front overfills the designed gap.
high riskTake this concept into the film room for a direct explanation. Ask Coach Grant about this concept
{
"schema": "openplay-football",
"schemaVersion": "0.1",
"id": "power",
"slug": "power",
"name": "Power",
"side": "offense",
"category": "gap-run",
"personnel": {
"id": "twelve-personnel",
"name": "12 Personnel",
"grouping": "1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR",
"positionCounts": {
"QB": 1,
"RB": 1,
"WR": 2,
"TE": 2,
"OL": 5
}
},
"formation": {
"id": "pistol-strong",
"name": "Pistol Strong",
"family": "pistol",
"strength": "right",
"description": "The back is directly behind the quarterback with a tight end and wing defining the strong side."
},
"situationTags": [
"short-yardage",
"goal-line",
"downhill"
],
"players": [
{
"id": "qb",
"position": "QB",
"label": "QB",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 26.67,
"y": -4
},
"alignment": "Pistol",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "quarterback"
},
{
"id": "rb",
"position": "RB",
"label": "RB",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 26.67,
"y": -8
},
"alignment": "Deep pistol",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runningBack"
},
{
"id": "x",
"position": "WR",
"label": "X",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 6,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Wide left",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "receivers"
},
{
"id": "u",
"position": "TE",
"label": "U",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 18.5,
"y": -2
},
"alignment": "Left wing",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "tightEnds"
},
{
"id": "y",
"position": "TE",
"label": "Y",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 35.5,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Attached right",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "tightEnds"
},
{
"id": "z",
"position": "WR",
"label": "Z",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 48,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Wide right",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "receivers"
},
{
"id": "lt",
"position": "LT",
"label": "LT",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 21,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runBlocking"
},
{
"id": "lg",
"position": "LG",
"label": "LG",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 24,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runBlocking"
},
{
"id": "c",
"position": "C",
"label": "C",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 26.67,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runBlocking"
},
{
"id": "rg",
"position": "RG",
"label": "RG",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 29.4,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runBlocking"
},
{
"id": "rt",
"position": "RT",
"label": "RT",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 32.4,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runBlocking"
}
],
"preSnap": {
"description": "The quarterback confirms the play-side linebacker and the tight end identifies the force defender.",
"shifts": []
},
"assignments": [
{
"id": "rb-power-track",
"playerId": "rb",
"startsAtMs": 650,
"endsAtMs": 3200,
"coachingPoint": "Stay tight to the puller's block and get vertical.",
"type": "run-path",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 28.5,
"y": 1
}
},
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 31,
"y": 12
}
}
],
"aimingPoint": "Inside hip of the play-side double team"
},
{
"id": "left-guard-pull",
"playerId": "lg",
"startsAtMs": 500,
"endsAtMs": 2000,
"type": "pull-block",
"path": [
{
"type": "curve",
"control": {
"x": 24,
"y": -3
},
"to": {
"x": 31,
"y": 1
}
}
],
"responsibility": "Pull through the created gap and kick or log the first second-level threat."
},
{
"id": "right-double",
"playerId": "rg",
"type": "double-team",
"teammatePlayerId": "rt",
"responsibility": "Displace the play-side tackle before one blocker climbs."
},
{
"id": "tight-end-down",
"playerId": "y",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Block down and secure the inside edge of the gap."
},
{
"id": "center-back",
"playerId": "c",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Protect the puller's vacated gap from backside penetration."
},
{
"id": "wing-lead",
"playerId": "u",
"type": "lead-block",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 30,
"y": 4
}
}
],
"responsibility": "Insert on the first linebacker inside the puller."
}
],
"decisionPoint": {
"id": "follow-power-blocks",
"triggerTimeMs": 1750,
"prompt": "How should the runner use the puller?",
"explanation": "The puller's leverage determines whether the runner stays inside, follows around, or bends away from congestion.",
"options": [
{
"id": "cut-inside-puller",
"label": "Cut inside the pulling guard",
"description": "Hit the crease inside when the guard logs the force defender outward.",
"intendedRead": "The puller turns the defender toward the sideline.",
"riskLevel": "low"
},
{
"id": "follow-puller-outside",
"label": "Follow the guard outside",
"description": "Stay on the puller's outside hip when he kicks the defender inward.",
"intendedRead": "The force defender squeezes inside.",
"riskLevel": "medium"
},
{
"id": "bend-backside",
"label": "Bend behind the double team",
"description": "Cut behind the down blocks if the front overfills the designed gap.",
"intendedRead": "Backside defenders have lost gap integrity.",
"riskLevel": "high"
}
]
},
"timeline": [
{
"type": "pre-snap",
"atMs": 0
},
{
"type": "snap",
"atMs": 500
},
{
"type": "assignment-start",
"atMs": 650,
"playerId": "lg"
},
{
"type": "decision-pause",
"atMs": 1750,
"decisionPointId": "follow-power-blocks"
},
{
"type": "contact",
"atMs": 3200,
"playerIds": [
"rb",
"lg"
]
},
{
"type": "play-end",
"atMs": 4000
}
],
"narrative": {
"summary": "A downhill gap run that uses a pulling guard to create an extra blocker at the point of attack.",
"fullExplanation": "Play-side blockers collapse defenders inward while the backside guard pulls across the formation. The puller handles the force player and the back follows his leverage into a deliberately created gap.",
"strategicPurpose": "Outnumber the defense at one chosen gap and give the runner a clear physical entry point.",
"idealSituations": [
"Third and short",
"Goal line",
"Against a light box"
],
"strengths": [
"Creates an extra play-side blocker",
"Defines the runner's read",
"Punishes passive fronts"
],
"weaknesses": [
"Backside penetration can disrupt the pull",
"Immediate edge pressure can spill the run"
],
"keyRead": "Read whether the pulling guard kicks the force defender inward or logs him toward the sideline.",
"watchFor": [
"The guard crossing behind the center",
"The play-side double team",
"The runner staying tight to the puller"
],
"beginnerExplanation": "One guard runs behind the line and leads the runner through a new opening while the other blockers push defenders away from that spot.",
"advancedNote": "The puller's kick-versus-log decision changes the runner's path; spacing between the down blocks and puller must not create a run-through lane."
},
"simulation": {
"difficulty": "intermediate",
"conceptTags": [
"run",
"power",
"gap-scheme"
],
"baseSuccessRate": 0.59,
"yardRange": {
"min": -6,
"max": 28
},
"turnoverRisk": 0.015
}
}
Downhill run game
What I Want From Power
There is nothing mysterious about Power. We are going to create a gap, bring a blocker to the point of attack, and make the defense stop a downhill run. Simple does not mean easy.
The play-side blockers use down blocks and combination blocks to create the interior wall. The backside guard pulls across the formation and becomes the extra blocker at the point of attack. The running back stays tight to that puller and gets vertical. If everybody does his job, the offense has numbers and angles where it has chosen to run.
I like Power in short yardage, near the goal line, and anytime a defense is sitting in a light box or playing pass-first football. It is also useful when I want to make a physical statement without asking the back to make three reads behind the line.
The best Power teams usually have a guard who can pull with balance, a tight end or edge blocker who can handle force, and a back who understands that the play is built to hit downhill. A runner who keeps bouncing Power outside defeats the purpose.
There are two things that can ruin it quickly. First, backside penetration can collide with the pulling guard before he ever reaches the point of attack. Second, an edge defender who wrong-arms or spills the puller can force the ball wider than the offense wants. If a defense is winning those exchanges consistently, we need an adjustment—not another lecture about “wanting it more.”
What kind of opponent do I want? Give me a front that is passive, undersized, or trying to play with fewer defenders in the box. What kind do I respect? A penetrating front with disruptive interior linemen and disciplined edge players who understand how to attack pull schemes.
Power is one of the clearest examples of gap-scheme football. The offense is not waiting to discover where the hole might appear. It is choosing the point of attack and bringing resources there. When the line is connected and the back trusts the design, Power can be a reliable answer even when everybody in the stadium knows a run is possible.