Outside Zone (Wide Zone) Scheme

Outside zone (also called wide zone or stretch) is the cornerstone of the Shanahan/McVay offense. The OL flows playside in unison; the back has a one-step read at the line of scrimmage and either presses the edge or cuts back.

The blocking: every lineman steps playside, reaches the defender on his shoulder, and works to the second level. The whole front is moving at the same angle; the defense looks like it's drifting on the screen.

The back's read is the playside tackle's block. If the tackle reaches and pins, run wide (press the edge). If the tackle gets beat outside, cut back inside through the natural seam. If the tackle's combo is split by a backside flow, hit the cutback lane all the way back across the formation.

The RPO tag is usually a slant or glance from the slot WR. Outside zone is hard to throw out of because the QB's footwork pulls him away from the LOS. Most teams use OZ as a pure run play with simple play-action shots tagged.

The defense's answer is the wide-9 front and gap discipline. A wide-9 takes away the edge cleanly; a gap-disciplined LB takes away the cutback. If you can do both, outside zone is just a 2-3 yard run.