Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
This Bubble Screen out of Pistol Trips is a quick-hitting screen pass designed to get the ball to the slot receiver in space. The outside trips receiver arcs back to block the widest defender while the middle trips receiver bubbles out behind the line of scrimmage to receive the pass, with the point man releasing vertically to occupy the corner. This is a zone beater at its core, attacking soft cushions and off-man coverage by getting the ball out fast before the underneath defenders can close, with the primary read being an immediate throw to the bubbling slot receiver as soon as the blocks set up.
Defensive Reads
Key the flat defender's initial depth and leverage the moment the ball is snapped, if he sits back in zone drops this play hits for consistent yardage. Watch for a user-controlled defender flying downhill on the slot receiver's bubble motion, that is the biggest threat to blow this play up for a loss. Identify press man coverage on the outside receiver pre-snap, since a jam at the line disrupts the blocking angle and slows down the entire concept. Look for overload blitzes or nano blitz packages from that trips side, as a fast edge rusher can beat the block before the ball is even out. Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells with linebackers sitting shallow tend to shut this down quickly since they can read the screen and swarm before the blockers get set.
Usage Tips
Fire this out quickly against soft zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 where the corner and slot defender are lined up with a deep cushion pre snap. Check the flat defender depth before the snap, if he is sitting at 5 yards or deeper this play has a huge alley to work with. Use the outside receiver's block as your leverage point and let the bubble receiver work behind it rather than trying to outrun the defense to the sideline. Pair this with RPO Alert Bubble or RPO Zone Alert Bubble in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect the run and the screen equally, freezing linebackers on run reads. Best used on early downs or short yardage third downs when defenses back off and play soft to prevent the big play, since aggressive man coverage or blitz-heavy calls can blow this up before the blocks develop.
