Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 17 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Boot Y Leak is a play-action bootleg out of the Pistol Deuce Close formation that pulls the QB out of the pocket to the right on a naked boot after a play fake. The Y (in-line TE) leaks across the formation from the backside and works vertically up the field as the leak route while the other TE releases into a deep corner route from the same side of the boot. A third receiver from the backfield or slot runs the underneath flat route to give the QB a checkdown, while the offensive line slides to protect the boot side. This is a play-action man beater designed to hold linebackers with the run fake and attack the flat-to-deep combination on the boot side, with the primary read being flat to corner and the leaking Y as the crossing answer versus zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch for linebackers stepping up hard on the play fake, since that opens the leak route and the underneath flat route immediately. Identify the flat defender pre-snap. If it is a linebacker in a zone drop rather than a corner in man, the flat route is a high-percentage answer. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the boot side is where the corner route wins deep, so check for single-high or Cover 1 shells before the snap. Watch for a user-controlled defender spying the QB on the boot side, as a disciplined edge defender or scraping linebacker can blow up the naked bootleg and force a scramble. Cover 3 zone drops can clog the flat and leak route window, so if the diagram shows a corner squatting hard underneath, look to reset and take off with the QB instead of forcing the throw.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs like first or second and medium to sell the play-action fake off inside zone or HB dive tendencies already established in this set.
Check the flat defender before the snap. If the corner or flat defender bites hard on run action, hit the flat route immediately for a quick gain.
Use the leaking Y as your man beater answer against man coverage since he crosses the formation away from most underneath defenders.
Pair this call with HB Dive or Inside Zone Split earlier in a series so the linebackers respect the run fake and vacate their zone drops.
If you see two deep safeties pre-snap, prioritize the corner route since single-high shells will have more trouble matching the leak route in the flat to intermediate area.
