---
slug: power
title: Power
depth_tier: entry
side: OFFENSE
category: Run Game
source_id: "OFF-0034"
created: 2026-04-06
updated: 2026-04-19
canonical: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/power
---
# Power

## Short Definition

A gap-scheme run where a backside guard pulls to kick out the edge defender while the playside blocks down, creating a designed hole at the point of attack.

## Definition

Power is the foundational gap scheme in football. The playside blockers—center, guards, and tackle—block down at an angle toward the center of the formation, sealing the interior. The backside guard pulls around the formation and kicks out the end man on the line of scrimmage. The fullback or H-back leads through the hole and blocks the first linebacker. The running back follows the pull and hits the crease.

The mechanics are precise. The pulling guard's path determines everything—if he takes too tight an angle, he's blocked inside; if he goes too wide, he loses leverage. His job is to kick the end man out and give the back a defined lane. The down-blockers have to secure their blocks long enough for the pull to arrive.

Power is an attack play, not a read play. The quarterback hands the ball off. The back follows the pulling guard's path and hits the A or B gap on the playside—wherever the pull creates the crease. The scheme is designed to put two blockers at the point of attack: the puller and the lead back.

The run is most effective against defenses that slant away from strength or that don't account for the pulling guard. When an end man maintains his gap assignment rather than squeezing, the puller has a clear path to kick him out.

## Example

"Watch the backside guard—he pulls immediately at the snap and kicks the end man out to the sideline. The back hits the B-gap right behind him. That's textbook Power."

## Common Confusion

Power and Counter both use pulling linemen but attack differently. Power pulls one guard to the playside and attacks immediately. Counter pulls linemen to the playside after initially showing the run in the opposite direction—the misdirection is the point. Power is a downhill attack; Counter is a misdirection play.

## Related

- Counter
- Inside Zone
- Outside Zone
- RPO
- Run Game
- run-concept

---
Source: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/power