Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Return X Choice Special is a Pistol Trips Open 10 personnel pass play built around an option route from the X receiver at the bottom of the trips bunch and a vertical shot from the isolated backside X on the far left. Post snap, the outside trips receiver runs a vertical seam clearing space while the choice route defender reads the underneath defender and breaks in or out, and the middle receiver runs a shallow crosser underneath to hold linebackers. This is a zone beater first thanks to the choice route settling in soft spots, but the backside iso vertical gives you a built-in man beater shot play if the defense leaves a corner isolated without help.
Defensive Reads
Key the flat and hook defenders after the snap, since their depth and width dictate whether the choice route breaks in or out. Watch for user controlled defenders sitting on the shallow crosser, this is the most common lurk spot that jumps the underneath route. Identify press man on the isolated X receiver pre-snap, since this play is designed to win over the top if that corner has no safety help. Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone shells with underneath linebackers sinking hard can shut down the choice route by taking away both breakpoints. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can disrupt this play quickly since the choice route takes time to develop, so a fast interior pass rush negates the concept.
Usage Tips
Check pre-snap for single high versus two high safety shells, since a two high shell tells you the choice route will likely sit down for an easy completion against zone drops.
If you see man coverage on the isolated X to the left with no safety help over the top, take the shot on the vertical route immediately off the snap instead of working the choice concept.
Use motion pre-snap to identify if the defense shifts to man or stays in zone, this confirms whether to prioritize the choice route or the deep shot.
Hot route the shallow crosser into a deeper option against teams that sit their linebackers low in zone to take away the underneath choice window.
Pair this play with 61 X Choice or Z Spot in the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick option concepts and traditional spot combinations.
