Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls out of Pistol Y Trips is a three level curl concept that attacks the middle of the field with staggered depths. The trips side shows a deep curl breaking back toward the quarterback at the top of the route stem, a shorter curl sitting down just past the sticks, and the flat route from the backside single receiver clearing out the underneath area to the opposite side. The backside runs a vertical breaking route away from the formation to hold the deep defender, while the running back stays in for a check release out of the backfield. This is primarily a zone beater designed to sit in the soft spots between linebacker and safety zone drops, with the primary read starting on the intermediate curl sitting at the sticks before working up to the deeper curl if the underneath defender jumps the shorter route.
Defensive Reads
Curls is vulnerable to aggressive zone drops where linebackers sink hard into the intermediate throwing lanes, so user linebackers who spy the shallow curl can bait a quarterback into a costly turnover. Watch for a sky safety cheating down toward the trips side pre snap, which signals a Cover 3 or Cover 4 shell that will leave the deep curl exposed but choke off the short curl. Man coverage with press corners and no deep help erases the separation this concept relies on, so blitz-heavy man packages like Cover 0 or Cover 1 with a nano blitz up front will pressure the quarterback before the deeper curl develops. Key the flat defender's initial drop angle; if he sprints outside instead of sitting, that signals zone match principles and the shallow curl window will stay open longer. Disguised two-high shells that rotate late into Cover 1 or Cover 3 can trap the quarterback into throwing the deep curl into a robber defender lurking underneath.
Usage Tips
Use this on third and medium to third and long when zone coverage is likely, since the layered curls settle in the exact windows that Cover 3 and Cover 2 zone defenders leave open. Read the flat defender pre snap; if he is sitting on the shorter curl route, hot route that receiver into a corner or speed out to counter zone drops that cheat toward the sticks. Pair this play with Y Stick in your play calling sequence, since both attack similar zone windows but Y Stick gets the ball out faster if the defense disguises a blitz. If you see man coverage indicators like tight press alignment on the outside receivers, check to Y Trail or Smash instead since Curls is not built to separate against man leverage. Use play action off this same formation shell with PA Comebacks to freeze linebackers who key run fits, then come back to Curls later in the series once they start sitting on the shorter break.
