Counter
What it is
A gap run that starts one way and finishes the other, with two pullers — a guard to kick and a tackle or back to wrap.
Why it matters
Counter buys its crease with a lie: the back's first step and the line's initial movement sell one direction long enough to move linebackers a step the wrong way, which is all the second puller needs. It arrives slightly later than power and hits slightly wider, and it is the standard answer to a fast-flowing linebacker corps that has started to beat inside zone to the spot.
Both sides of it
Running it
Playside blocks down as in power. The backside guard pulls to kick out the end man; the backside tackle (or an H-back) pulls behind him and wraps up into the hole. The back takes a false step away before following the second puller. The lie is the play — if the back's first step does not move the linebackers, counter is just a slower power.
Stopping it
Do not chase the first step. Linebackers key the guards, not the backfield: a guard pulling away from you means the ball is coming back, and a defense that reads backfield flow is exactly what counter was designed to beat. The end man handles the kickout the same way as on power. The second puller is the giveaway — the moment a tackle shows in the backfield, the playside linebacker must fill downhill rather than flow.
Also called
Programs call this counter, counter trey, GT counter or two pullers. The Coach answers to any of them.
Related
This entry is authored, not generated. It is one of 205 in the index that the AI-ssistant Coach retrieves from, and that Film Study tags clips against.