Football Library · Plays
Buck Sweep· 11v11 Tackle
The play the whole Wing-T is built on. The QB reverse-pivots and puts a deep fake in the fullback's belly as the fullback dives into the playside A/B gap — that is the 'buck'. The ball goes instead to the HALFBACK, who has taken a deep path behind the line toward strength. Playside tight end and wingback block DOWN, sealing the interior. BOTH GUARDS PULL: the playside guard pulls first and kicks out the first defender outside the wing's block, the backside guard pulls second, stays tight, and turns up through the hole to lead on the linebacker. Center and backside tackle cut off pursuit. The ball-carrier presses the edge, reads the kick-out, and bounces outside a clean kick or cuts up if the end spills. Patient-then-fast: young halfbacks turn up too early and run into their own down blocks.
Coaching breakdown
Buck Sweep Right: the play the offense is built on. @QB reverse-pivots and puts a deep fake in 's belly as dives the playside A/B gap — that fake is the play, run it full speed. The ball goes to on a deep track behind the line. and BLOCK DOWN to seal the inside. BOTH GUARDS PULL: playside guard kicks out the first defender outside 's block, backside guard stays tight behind him and turns UP through the hole to lead on the linebacker. presses the edge, reads the kick-out, and bounces outside a clean kick or cuts up if the end spills. Patient-then-fast — turning up early runs him into his own down blocks. Install this both directions before anything else in the series; the trap and the waggle are sold off this picture.
When to call it
Your base call. Run it both directions early to make the defense declare how it fits the edge — everything else in the series is sold off this picture, so it needs to be on film before the trap and the waggle mean anything.
Common mistakes
- Fullback fakes the dive at half speed; no linebacker moves and the whole series dies.
- Guards pull deep and wide instead of flat and tight — they arrive late and the back loses the race to the edge.
- Halfback turns up before the contain defender commits, running into his own down blocks.
- Wing treats his down block as a shove; that block is the wall the play runs behind.