Playbooks
At a Glance
In 12 playbooks
Overview
Doubles Y Off is the option and RPO engine of the Pistol formation. You get two receivers split to each side with the tight end detached off the line, usually stacked behind or just inside the numbers, and the back sitting in the shortened pistol depth behind the quarterback. That off ball tight end is the whole point of the set: he is eligible to motion, he releases clean without having to beat a jam or chip a defensive end, and he functions as an extra slot body rather than a true blocker. Compared to standard Pistol sets that keep the tight end attached for gap scheme runs, Doubles Y Off trades run fits for pre-snap flexibility.
The playcall sheet reflects that. You have a full option tree (Read Option, Gt Read Option, Counter Read Option, Y Lead Read Option, Orbit Triple Option and Orbit Triple Option WK), a real zone and gap run package (HB Zone, HB Stretch Alert Bubble, Zone Split, Pin Pull Sweep, Counter Y, Escort HB Wide Zone Wk), and a deep play action shell that sells all of it (PA Cross, PA Deep In, PA Post Shot, PA Slot Cross, Orbit PA Y Corner, Escort PA Slide). Jet Touch Pass, Zone Fake Jet and Jet Pass Fk Zone add the gadget layer, which is why the set carries the Gadget tag. RPO Read Flat Wheel and HB Stretch Alert Bubble give you post snap decisions built into run plays, which is the fastest way to punish an opponent who leaves a flat defender committed to the box.
The matchup value comes from where the Y lines up. Detached, he is almost always covered by a linebacker or a third safety in nickel, and against man coverage that is a direct win on any cross, corner or deep in route. Because both outside receivers are isolated on the numbers with no help inside, you can identify press man immediately and hot route your best boundary target into a fade or slant while the Y works the middle. The SLWR tag matters here too: your slot weapon is the primary target on the cross and choice concepts, so put your quickest separator, not just your second best receiver, in that spot.
Strengths
- Four Verticals out of a two by two alignment splits Cover 3 and Cover 4 cleanly, and the off ball Y gets a free release straight up the seam without a linebacker able to reroute him at the line.
- PA Cross, Escort PA Cross, Jet PA Cross and Orbit PA Cross give you the same crossing concept off four different run fakes, so you can hammer man coverage repeatedly while showing a different backfield picture each snap.
- The option package (Read Option, Gt Read Option, Counter Read Option, Y Lead Read Option, Orbit Triple Option) forces the user defender to declare, and once he starts sitting on the quarterback you flip to HB Dive, HB Zone and Zone Split from an identical pre-snap look.
- Slants and Fade Smash attack opposite coverage families from the same formation: Slants shreds inside leverage man and Cover 1, while Fade Smash puts a two level read on the corner against Cover 2 and Cover 4 flat defenders.
- RPO Read Flat Wheel and HB Stretch Alert Bubble punish overloaded boxes without needing a full audible, since the read is built into the play art and the answer is a first read throw.
Weaknesses
- Only one back and a detached tight end means five real blockers plus a pistol back, so A gap and mug nano pressure gets home before the deeper play action concepts (PA Deep In, PA Post Shot) can develop.
- The off ball Y is a poor edge blocker, so gap runs like Pin Pull Sweep and Counter Y stall against defensive ends set at wide nine or crashing hard from the SAM side.
- The two by two spacing puts no receiver in a true condensed alignment, which lets a user controlled safety split the difference and read the quarterback's eyes on the crossers and deep in routes.
- Heavy jet and orbit motion tips your hand: opponents who chart it will start committing the flat defender to the motion man and rob Jet Touch Pass, Zone Fake Jet and Jet Pass Fk Zone before the snap.
- Press man on both isolated outside receivers with an inside blitz forces you into contested one on one throws with no in structure checkdown outside of HB Slip Screen.
Usage Tips
Read the box count before every snap. Six or more in the box means live with the RPO Read Flat Wheel or HB Stretch Alert Bubble bubble throw. Five or fewer means run Read Option or Zone Split and make the edge defender wrong.
Use the option game on first and second down to bait the user into hovering the edge, then call Escort PA Slide or PA Post Shot on the same drive when he commits downhill again.
Against single high man, hot route the Y on a drag or run PA Slot Cross and let the linebacker matchup lose in space. Against two high zone, go to Fade Smash or Tech Out and attack the void outside the numbers.
Motion the Y or a slot with orbit action to identify coverage. If a defender travels across the formation it is man, so check to Slants or a crossing concept. If nobody follows, work Four Verticals or the smash side.
Keep HB Slip Screen and HB Draw in the rotation on third and medium. They punish aggressive user blitzers and reset the pass rush honesty you need for the deeper play action shots.
