NFL and College Football Playbook:3x1 Bunch Plays out of 12 personnel

One of the best formations to use in football is 3x1 bunch out of 12 personnel.

The best part about it is you can run 2 plays and have them checked at the line of scrimmage. If a team rotates more defenders to the 3 wr side, you can run the other way. If teams stay two high, they can run to the trips side. You also have some pass game options with play action and boot out of it.

Here’s what the set looks like.

You have 3x1 with two tight ends near the right tackle and 1 wr outside of him. The beauty that comes with it is it gives you options. This is a great check with me scenario where you give your qb a run play strong or a run play weak depending on how the defense adjusts.

Run Game

Strong side runs to the 3x1 side are one way to attack.

Pin and Pull

A very popular play from this set is pin and pull. You often see the TE pin the DE and the tackle pull with either the guard or center depending on the look. Vs. this look with the 2i they pull the center. This is an excellent play to get the ball on the edge.

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Duo

Duo is another great play with the 2 TE in the game because you get 3 double teams. It is an excellent scheme out of 3x1 and really can be packaged with Pin and Pull depending on how the defense will align.

Duo is a reliable play and if run correctly can give you 4-5 consistent yards in the run game. Below are 4-5 clips of Oregon running it fron this formation. Below they double with the Tackle and guard, center and right guard with the RT on his own. The y makes a nice block.

Another example of Georgia running duo from this 3x1 set.

Jet Sweep

I love jet sweep to the 2 tight end side. Kentucky does a nice job motioning the #1 wr away and then back to the same side on jet sweep.

Plays away from 3x1 side

Counter and wide zone are 2 popular plays if you get a 3 man surface on the other side.

Counter

When the defense overcompensates, teams will often run back the other way. An effective play is counter.

Here are 3 more clips of Alabama using the formation. This includes Alabama with their unbalanced look.

Unbalanced run game

At the college level, you will often see end over 12 personnel. This puts 4 players on the same side. This is great to further exploit defenses in the run game.

See below as Alabama runs counter vs Ole Miss who gives them 3 man surface to the split end side. The safety is at 10 and out of the run fit so they run counter with the light box.

Pass Game

Boot

Here are 4 bootlegs that were run from the formation.

Ball State, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia are below. The point man on the drag is a very good play in boot as shown below.

Play Action Pass

Easy to incorporate some easy y pop or vertical play action schemes into the formation.

Here’s a few including a nice one in the red zone by Georgia when Monken was there.

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Notre Dame runs boot off toss action. Gets the defense moving and hits the outside wr on the crossing route as the defense over reacts to the toss fake.