Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Inside Smash out of Pistol Trips is a classic smash concept flipped to the inside of the formation. The trips side outside receiver runs a deep corner route while the inside slot receiver sits down on a hitch/curl underneath, creating a high low read on the same side of the field. On the backside, the single receiver runs a deep dig that crosses the field, giving the quarterback a third option away from the smash combo, while the running back releases out of the backfield on a wheel or flat route to the trips side to stretch the underneath defenders horizontally. This is a pass play designed to attack Cover 2 and other zone shells by forcing the cornerback and safety to choose between the corner route and the flat/hitch route.
Defensive Reads
Read the corner and safety on the trips side before the snap. If they are stacked with a deep safety showing two high, this is a strong indicator of Cover 2 and the smash combo will win. Post snap, watch the flat defender and curl/hitch defender. If they widen with the flat route, the corner route window opens behind them for the deep shot. Man coverage with no help over the top shuts this play down quickly unless the quarterback hot routes the hitch into a quicker breaking route or the offense checks to the backside dig. User controlled safeties who bail hard to double the corner route leave the underneath hitch and running back release wide open, so check for a defender sprinting to the deep third immediately after the snap. Watch for a lurking linebacker sitting in the throwing lane of the backside dig route, since this is the counter read defenses use to bait quarterbacks into a turnover on the crossing route.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high look, since this concept is purpose built to punish Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells that leave the corner-flat area conflicted.
If the cornerback is playing hard outside leverage on the trips side, hot route the running back into the flat earlier or check the deep dig on the backside for an easy completion against soft zone.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium situations where the defense is likely to sit in zone coverage, since the smash concept loses value against aggressive man coverage without a hot route adjustment.
Pair this call with Slants or Stick from the same personnel group to keep the defense guessing between quick game and the vertical smash shot, forcing linebackers to respect both underneath and deep zones equally.
Against a single high safety look, prioritize the backside dig read immediately since the trips side smash combo will likely be outnumbered by defenders shifted toward the strength.
