off-tackle run

{{Short description|American football play}}

{{For|the cold war era war plan|Off Tackle (war plan)}}

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An off-tackle run in American football is a play in which the running back carries the ball through a running lane off of the tackle's block. The lead block kicks out the end man on the line of scrimmage, and another offensive player usually blocks the linebacker. It can be useful in short yardage situations,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N1JSk1GjlEEC|title=Football's Best Offensive Playbook|first=Dwight|last=Hawkes|date=1 January 1995|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=9780873225748|via=Google Books}} and with large backs.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KI3ZgdWCT_cC|title=A Football All-Pro|first=Scott|last=Ingram|date=1 June 2004|publisher=Heinemann-Raintree Library|isbn=9781403453648|via=Google Books}}

The most simple form of this play has the strong side offensive lineman step towards the ball and block any defender inside of him.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pbduM8Jyc34C|title=Football For Dummies|first1=Howie|last1=Long|first2=John|last2=Czarnecki|date=8 March 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781118051610|via=Google Books}} The fullback will kick out the end man to create the running lane for the ball carrier. The Maryland I used the 2nd back to lead through the hole and block the linebacker. More complicated versions of the play have pulling guards block the linebacker or combination blocks by a tight-end and tackle to create the hole and block the linebacker.