Playbooks

Breakdown

Orbit PA Cross is a play-action pass out of Pistol U Off Trips with 12 personnel that uses orbit motion across the backfield to sell run action before the QB works the crossing concept. The diagram shows the yellow route running a deep dig or corner break to the boundary, a red route crossing over the middle from the opposite side into a shallow dig, and a blue crosser sitting underneath while the checkrelease back releases on a swing or flat route to the far side. This is a man beater built to exploit chasing linebackers and creates natural traffic against man coverage, with the primary read starting on the shallow blue crosser underneath, then working up to the red dig, and finally to the yellow deep breaker if the defense sinks its underneath zones.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check for man coverage indicators like the cornerback shading inside the trips receivers, which signals the crossers will have room Watch the middle linebacker depth, if he sits shallow he can undercut the blue crosser and force you to progress to red Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets exposed by the yellow route once it clears the linebacker level Zone defenses that sink two deep and rob the middle can shut down both crossers, so be ready to check to the checkrelease flat route Blitz looks with a linebacker crashing the edge get neutralized by the play action fake, but confirm the running back stays in to help protect before releasing on his route

Usage Tips

Use the orbit motion pre-snap to identify if the defense shifts a linebacker or safety to follow the motion man, which tips man coverage

Attack this on second and medium to second and long when defenses are more willing to sit in man under coverage to stop the run

If the defense shows two high safeties and soft zone, hot route the blue crosser into a deeper dig to sit behind the linebackers

Pair this play with HB Counter or Read Option from the same set so the play action sells hard against defenses keying on the run fits

Look to combo this with PA Boot Over or PA Y Corner later in a series once defenders start jumping the crossers underneath