Playbooks
Breakdown
Read Option out of Pistol U Off Trips is a pure zone run play built around the QB reading the play side end or OLB before deciding to hand off or pull the ball. The diagram shows the trips receivers to the top of the formation with no route assignments drawn, meaning this snap is strictly a run action with the offensive line executing a zone blocking scheme to the play side (indicated by the arrow to the right). The HB starts in the pistol alignment and the QB reads the edge defender's crash to decide between the give and the keep, making the unblocked defender the primary read on every snap.
Defensive Reads
Key the play side defensive end or OLB assignment first since he determines whether the offense is reading a give or a keep, so user him and force a bad handoff read. Watch linebacker depth pre-snap, if the Mike and Will are sitting shallow near the line of scrimmage they can beat blockers to the mesh point and blow up the give before the QB even decides. Identify single high versus two high safety shells, single high alignments leave the edge softer for the QB keep, so spy or contain rush the QB in those looks. Look for the offense using trips motion to shift numbers, if a defender bites hard on the receiver shift it can open a run lane, so stay disciplined in your run fits regardless of pre-snap motion. Nano blitz off the edge with a DE or OLB crash timed to the snap to force an immediate give read and take away the QB's keep option entirely.
Usage Tips
Check the box count before the snap and only run this into light boxes with six or fewer defenders in the tackle to tackle area.
Watch the play side defensive end pre-snap alignment because if he is crashing down hard on run plays all game, that is your green light to pull the ball on the read.
Use the trips receivers as decoys by occasionally motioning one across to bait the defense into rotating a safety down, then snap it to attack the vacated alley.
Pair this with Jet Lead Read Option and Orbit Triple Option from the same set so the defense cannot key on QB run tendencies without respecting the jet motion and orbit action too.
Best used on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and short) when defenses are still balanced between run and pass fits, since the trips look can also threaten RPO Alert Flat as a companion call to punish overaggressive linebackers.
