Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
PA FL Hitch is a play-action shot play out of the I Form Y Off set with 21 personnel that sells the run fake before attacking downfield. Off the play-action mesh point, both the flanker and the Y off receiver push vertical up the seams while the TE and fullback stay in to pick up blitzers, and the outside receiver runs a quick hitch at the sticks as the checkdown. The primary read progression starts with the two vertical routes attacking the deep middle and safety rotation, and if both are covered you come down to the hitch on the boundary as the built-in safety valve against a hard pass rush.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, look for linebackers cheating up toward the line of scrimmage, that tells you they are biting on the run fake and the seams will open up behind them. Identify single-high versus two-high safety alignment before the snap, single-high leaves a bigger throwing window on the vertical seam routes. Post-snap, watch for a user-controlled safety sitting in a deep lurk over the seam, if he stays put on the fake this play gets shut down and you should reset to the hitch. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with aggressive box defenders are the shells this beats hardest since the play-action manipulates the underneath defenders out of position. Watch for a delayed blitz off the edge from a linebacker or slot corner, since the fullback and TE are locked into protection, an unaccounted rusher can collapse the pocket before the verticals develop.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs when the defense is selling run support with linebackers creeping into the box, since the play-action fake will hold them for a beat.
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two deep safeties sitting at 10-12 yards this is a tougher throw and you may want to check to Quick Slants or Double Dig instead.
Against single-high looks, target the seam runner away from the free safety's leverage, that vertical will split the coverage if the corner is playing outside shade.
Hot route the hitch receiver into a quick out if you are getting immediate pressure off the edge, this keeps the timing intact against nano blitzes.
Pair this with Inside Zone and HB Stretch earlier in a drive so the play-action fake actually freezes second-level defenders, then mix in PA X Dig or PA Cross from the same look to keep the defense guessing on shell rotation.
