Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Read is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Ace 12 personnel that sells the run fake before attacking downfield. The backside receiver runs a deep corner route while the two inside receivers work a vertical seam and a deep out, and the frontside receiver clears out on a shallow drag underneath. This is a man beater built to isolate the corner route on a linebacker or safety in man coverage, with the primary read starting at the corner route and working down to the seam if the deep shot is not there.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment, a single high safety indicates man coverage underneath which sets up the corner route for an explosive gain. Key the play side linebacker at the snap, if he steps up hard on the run fake the seam route behind him will be wide open. Watch for user-controlled defenders sitting in the flat or lurking underneath the corner route, this indicates a defender is baiting the throw rather than committing to run support. Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with deep zone drops can take away the corner route, so be ready to check down to the shallow drag if the deep defenders sink immediately. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge will test the play-action fake, so identify pre-snap if the defense is showing overload pressure and be ready to get the ball out quickly on the underneath route.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells pre-snap since the corner route thrives against man coverage with a safety cheating over the top rather than true two deep shells.
Sell the run fake by holding the ball at the mesh point for a beat before dropping to throw, this freezes linebackers and opens the seam route.
Hot route the shallow drag into a deeper crosser if you see zone coverage rolling to the play side, giving you a zone beater option on the same concept.
Use this on early downs after establishing Inside Zone or Power Read from the same set so linebackers bite on the run action and vacate the middle of the field.
Pair this with Read Option and PA Inverted Veer in your play-calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between designed run and play-action shots off similar formations.
