Counter Run Scheme
Counter pulls a guard and tackle the wrong way to fool the defense. The classic misdirection run that's defined modern football.
Counter is power with misdirection. The OL flow steps playside (selling power or zone), then the backside guard and tackle pull around to lead the back the other direction. The defense reacts to the flow; the back hits the cutback.
The blocking: playside OL down-block their gap (just like power), backside guard pulls and leads through the C-gap, backside tackle pulls behind the guard and kicks out the playside edge. The back takes a counter step (one step playside) before reversing field to follow the pulling guard.
The counter step is the magic. That single step makes the LBs flow playside; by the time they recognize the misdirection, the back is through the C-gap with two pullers in front of him.
Where counter beats power: against a defense that's over-flowing to the playside. Defenses that are well-coached on power will fast-flow with the down-block and overrun the play. Counter punishes that fast flow by hitting in the now-vacated backside gap.
The defense's answer is gap discipline (every defender plays his gap regardless of flow) plus a backside fitter who reads the QB's hips, not the OL's flow. If the QB pivots to hand off to a counter back, the fitter has to be there before the back arrives.
Vaults that go deep on counter run scheme
Vaults whose cuts are tagged with: counter, pulling-guard, misdirection, run-game.