Trap
One defender is left unblocked on purpose and allowed into the backfield. Then a pulling guard hits him from the side he is not watching, and the ball goes through the spot he just left.
- The offense1 / 3
The look
The lineman over the trapped defender releases past him to a linebacker, which feels to the defender like he has been left free. The backside guard pulls flat down the line toward him.
- vs Charge2 / 3
The conflict
The defender sees daylight and charges into the backfield. The pulling guard hits him from the side and drives him past the play. The hole is exactly where he used to be, and nobody is in it.
- vs Charge3 / 3
The hole
The trap turns a defender's aggression into the hole. The harder he charges, the more room the kick-out leaves behind him, and the back is through before he has turned round.
Why it works
It uses the defender's instincts against him
A defensive lineman who is not blocked is taught to get into the backfield. The trap is built for exactly that.
The block comes from where he cannot see
He is watching the man in front of him. The guard arrives from the side, which is the easiest block in football.
It slows down an aggressive front
After one trap, penetrating linemen start sitting on every snap, and a front that sits is a front your other runs can move.
How it gets run badly
Pulling too deep
The guard pulls flat along the line. A deep pull lets the defender see him coming and play it.
A slow back
The trap hole is open for a count. The back hits it immediately, with no hesitation and no cut.
Trapping a defender who does not charge
Against a lineman who reads rather than penetrates, the trap is a slow play into a waiting man. Watch the front before you call it.
Who can run it
Tackle only: 11v11 as drawn, and 9v9 with three linemen. Both halves of the trap need blockers: somebody to release past the defender and somebody to hit him. Without the block that follows it, the deception is just an unblocked defender in your backfield.
- 9v9Its offense
- 11v11The 11v11 page
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