Power and Counter are so effective because their very designs are forged from aggression. While many think the term “power football” describes an attitude or perhaps even a formation, coaches actually use it to refer to something more technical: the Power-O and Counter Trey 1 run plays, which most coaches simply call Power and Counter, and which are foundational running plays in the NFL and college football. Welcome to Football 101, a series intended to help you, the fan, better understand some common NFL and college tactics so when you see a long run or a pick-six, you’ll have a better grasp of how and why it happened.