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Gap Schemes 201: Mastering the Counter—Football’s Ultimate Misdirection Play

On3 imageby:Ian Boyd•05/10/25•

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Quintrevion Wisner
Quintrevion Wisner (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Learn the art of the counter run — a deceptive, downhill scheme built to punish overaggressive defenses. We break down how linemen set the trap, how backs time their cut, and why this classic play still dominates modern football.

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Counter is described as the ultimate misdirection play and “the running scheme Texas majors in at the beginning of the season.” Counter, in essence, is a counter to power. Counter uses a pulling guard to kick out the EDGE player and a tight end to run through the hole to block the line blacker. The running back then fakes a step one direction before running to the gap that’s being opened. Shotgun snaps mess up the idea of counter steps at time, but the blocking is the main crux.

Texas’ DJ Campbell is identified as a player that fits well into a gap scheme like counter. Pullers have to be physical and block nearly equally physical defensive ends or else the play is ruined.

Counter has implications on the passing game as it’s used in RPOs. The pulling guard often fools defenders into thinking it’s a run play but teams use that tendency against defenses.

Within Steve Sarkisian’s offense motion can help blockers get a running start on blocks and it also moves over defenders into a new assignment. That can lead to confusion that helps blockers either identify an easier blocking target or move to the next level because of the defensive confusion.

The video shows diagrams of a “standard spread counter play,” which includes a guard and tight end pulling.

Examples from ULM show GH counter, using a guard and a tight end.

The two get into GT counter, which uses two offensive linemen as pulling blockers. Lincoln Riley made use of this at Oklahoma to devastating effect, and added a variety of plays including options, RPOs, and more that made the Sooners hard to defend. Sarkisian will look to do the same in 2025, and with more bite than the Sooners.

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