Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
60 Slide out of Pistol Trips Open sends both isolated receivers on the backside and the inside trips receiver straight up the field on vertical routes to clear out the defense, while the outside trips receiver runs a slide route underneath, sliding flat before angling upfield outside the flat defender. The X receiver stays in as a blocker, giving this the look of a play-action or protection-heavy pass concept rather than a pure dropback. The primary read is the slide route working outside to inside against man or zone underneath, and the verticals serve as a clear out and second read if a defender jumps the slide.
Defensive Reads
Watch the cornerback aligned over the outside trips receiver pre-snap, since soft coverage or a shaded inside alignment signals he is keying the slide route. Post-snap, track underneath linebackers and nickel defenders for lurk behavior, since a defender sitting flat footed on the slide route will jump the route and bait the quarterback into a turnover. Man coverage with no safety help over the top of the verticals will get beat by the two isolated vertical routes on the backside if the cornerbacks do not get a clean release jam. Zone coverage that rotates a safety down into the box to help on the run action can be exploited by the vertical routes stretching the remaining deep defenders. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge are slowed by the X receiver staying in to block, so if the pass rush wins quickly anyway, expect the quarterback to check down to the slide route immediately.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, check for a single high safety look since the three verticals stress deep coverage and can bait a rotation that opens the slide route underneath.
Use the slide route as your first hot read versus blitz looks because it develops quickly and the X receiver staying in to block gives extra protection.
If the defense shows two high safeties, work the verticals against zone drops since deep zone defenders will have to choose between multiple threats.
Pair 60 Slide with 60 Go in your play calling sequence, since the vertical routes look identical pre-snap and force the defense to guess between the slide breakoff and the pure vertical shot.
Best called on second or third and medium when you want a quick underneath answer with a built in vertical shot if the coverage bites on the slide route.
