Blocking Inside Zone

    The inside zone play is one of the most basic of plays in an offensive run game scheme, but at the same time it requires discipline, physicality, and believe it or not basic math skills. If you can count to 2 from 0 and then move meat and fit up on the right leverage. Running inside zone can be a very successful play.With a relatively small collection of tags, an offensive coordinator can turn inside zone into half a dozen or more plays.1 For the offensive line inside zone is based off of a man-zone scheme meaning that the center block 0, gaurds block 1 and tackles block 2, Blocking the five most dangerous at the point of attack.

Versatility of Inside Zone Play2

• Great play against defenses running a 5-man box
• Built in QB run option
• Can tag short routes in for QB to throw to if he doesn’t like pre-snap read
• Can put a tight end on either side as an extra blocker
• Versatile play against any defensive formation
• Can be ran from any offensive formation
• Natural cutback running lanes

     In the play drawn up above. To our offensive it would be called 23 inside zone because it is a 2 back formation and the point of attack is to the left. The center is going to give a mike left call to let the offensive line know that the count starts at zero with the left inside linebacker. From there the 1st inside defensive lineman is 1, the defensive end is 2. On the backside the nose guard is 1 and the right inside linebacker is 2 and finally the defensive end is 3, he will be blocked by the full back. The left tackle, left guard, and center will block with inside out leverage while the backside blocks down the middle of the nose guard and linebacker

1Inside Zone Blocking Scheme. (2015). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2015/7/19/8936423/lets-talk-tags

2Buckingham, A. T. (2016, April 4). Running Inside zone [Personal interview].