Outside Zone
The whole line reaches toward the sideline and the back runs with it, stretching the defense sideways until somebody over-runs his gap. Then the back cuts up through the space that defender left.
- The offense1 / 3
The look
Every lineman takes a lateral step and tries to get his helmet outside the defender playside of him. The back aims wide, at the tight end's outside hip or further, and the defense has to run sideways to keep up.
- vs Squeeze2 / 3
The conflict
The edge defender stays tight and lets himself be reached. Nobody is left outside him, so the back keeps going to the edge. The play becomes a sweep with blockers in front of it.
- vs Squeeze3 / 3
The crease
The stretch itself gains little. The yards come once the defense has run far enough to leave a seam, and the back plants and goes straight through it.
Why it works
Defenders have to run sideways
A defender running sideways cannot fill a gap. The stretch turns the whole front into pursuit, and pursuit over-runs.
One rule for every lineman
Step playside and reach the man in front of you. Simple to teach, and it works against any front.
It sets up the bootleg
A defense that has to flow hard to stop outside zone is exactly the defense the bootleg and the counter punish.
How it gets run badly
The back turns up too soon
Cutting before the defense has been stretched sends him into gaps that are still full. Press wide first.
Linemen climbing too early
The reach has to be made before anybody leaves for a linebacker. A lineman who climbs early leaves a defender free in the backfield.
Running it without the speed
Outside zone needs a line that can move sideways and a back patient enough to wait. Without both it is a slow sweep.
Who can run it
Tackle only: 11v11 as drawn, 9v9 as an imitation with three linemen. Outside zone is the horizontal stretch of a line reaching together; with one centre or none, it is a sweep with a longer name. Flag coaches: that is exactly what the sweep and toss pages are.
- 9v9Its offense
- 11v11The 11v11 page
Take it to your team
Draw your plays in the free flag football play designer, collect them in the flag football playbook builder, and print printable play cards so every player knows them come Saturday.
Put Outside Zone in your playbook
Draw it in the designer, change the assignments, and save it to your playbook.
Open the designer