Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Smash out of Pistol Y Trips is a classic high low route combo on the trips side paired with a deep dig from the backside X. The outside trips receiver runs a corner route while the inside slot receiver sits down on a quick hitch, creating the traditional smash flood read that stretches a cornerback and safety vertically and horizontally. The backside X runs a deep dig across the middle as a man beater option if the defense rolls coverage away from trips, while the single back stays in to check the frontside protection. Primary read progression starts with the corner route to the hitch underneath, then works backside to the dig if the smash side is capped by a two high shell.
Defensive Reads
Watch the cornerback over the trips outside receiver at the snap, if he sinks under the corner route look immediately to the hitch for the easy completion. Key the safety depth over trips before the snap, a shallow safety signals man coverage or Cover 3 rather than the Cover 2 shell this play is designed to attack. If a linebacker or slot defender sits in a hard zone drop over the hitch, that usually means the defense is playing under coverage that vacates the deep corner route. User controlled safeties that stay deep and drive on the corner route can shut down the smash flood, forcing the check down to the backside dig or the checkdown to the back. Heavy pressure looks with the safety rotating down pre-snap suggest a blitz, so be ready to throw the hitch quickly or check to a hot route protection adjustment.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the safety over trips is rotating down or staying deep, this tells you if the corner route or the hitch will be open first.
Against Cover 2 shells, throw the corner route on time before the deep safety can get width, since Smash is designed as a cover 2 beater.
If the corner sits on the hitch expecting the quick throw, hot route the outside receiver's corner route into a deeper stem to stack the cornerback.
Use this on second and medium to long distance calls where the defense is more likely to sit in a two high shell rather than blitz.
Pair Smash with Y Stick or Curls from the same Pistol Y Trips set to keep the defense guessing between quick underneath throws and the deeper flood concept.
