Playbooks
Breakdown
PA Scissors is a play-action shot play out of I Form Pro with 21 personnel that sells the run fake before crossing the two outside receivers to create a scissors effect over the middle of the field. The play design shows two vertical routes crossing at the seam, a deep out breaking to the boundary sideline, and an underneath crosser working from the backside to the flat as a checkdown/zone beater. It is tagged as a Cover 2 and Cover 4 beater, meaning the crossing verticals are designed to split the safeties and attack the seams before the defense can rotate. Primary read progression starts with the crossing route that clears into the void left by the safety rotation, then works to the deep out breaking outside, and finally checks down to the underneath crosser if the coverage holds deep.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, identify two high safeties since this play is specifically schemed to exploit Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells by overloading the seams with crossing verticals. Key the linebackers immediately after the snap, since a hard run blitz or aggressive run fits will open even more space for the crossing routes behind them. Watch the safety on the side of the deep out route, since a late break on that route can bait an inexperienced user defender into jumping the wrong crosser. This play struggles against man coverage with a deep safety over the top (Cover 1 or Cover 3 with a rangy free safety), since the crossers do not create natural rub or separation against tight man technique. If the user controls a linebacker and sits in the shallow zone reading the quarterback's eyes, they can jump the underneath crosser and force a tighter throwing window on the deeper routes.
Usage Tips
Use PA Scissors on early downs (1st and 10 or 2nd and medium) when you have already established the run game with HB Stretch or Inside Zone from this same personnel group, since the play action fake needs defenders biting on run keys to open the seams.
Check pre snap for two deep safeties or quarters shells since this concept is built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 4 by forcing the safeties to choose which crossing route to help on.
If the defense shows man coverage pre snap, consider hot routing the underneath crosser into a quicker option or motioning the FB to check leverage before the snap.
Pair this play in your call sheet with HB Stretch Alert X Lookie and PA Power O so the defense has to respect both the outside zone run and the play action shot off similar formation looks.
On third and long, look immediately to the deep crossing route working away from the safety rotation instead of working through the full progression, since the pocket may collapse quickly with only max protect blocking.
