Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Y Cross Post is a Shotgun pass play out of the Box Offset Wk set that features a deep dig or crossing route (the red route) working from one side of the formation all the way across the field, complemented by a vertical seam route from the tight end on the opposite side, plus outlet routes underneath including a flat route and an out breaking route to the left boundary. The offensive line pass protects in a standard drop back scheme while the backfield player releases into a short flat route as a checkdown option. This is a zone beater at its core, designed to exploit the void created by the deep crosser sitting down or continuing through zone drops, though it can also work as a man beater if the crosser can create separation against trailing man defenders. The primary read progression starts with the deep crosser working from the strong side, then moves to the vertical route on the opposite hash, and finally checks down to the flat and out routes underneath if the deep options are covered.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap, a shallow drop suggests he is spying the crosser and will be a lurk threat that can undercut the route. Watch for two deep safeties pre-snap, this usually signals a zone shell like Cover 2 or Cover 4 that leaves the middle of the field open for the crossing route to sit down in. If the defense shows man coverage with a single high safety, the crosser needs to win quickly off the release since a trailing defender can carry the route across the formation. Post-snap, track the flat defender and any linebacker dropping into the underneath zone, if they widen out to cover the flat route it opens a passing lane for the intermediate crosser. Beware of overload blitzes from the offset side, since the backfield player releasing into the flat may not be enough protection help if extra rushers are sent from that alignment.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at the safety shell before the snap, if you see two high safeties this crosser has room to work into the middle voids against zone coverage.
Use motion or a hot route audible on the flat route to adjust protection if you see a slot blitz coming off the offset back alignment.
This play pairs well with Curl Flat and Slot Trail in the same set since they attack similar horizontal zones early and can set up defenders to bite on shorter routes before you hit them with the deeper crosser.
Best called on second and medium or third and long situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone coverage and give the crosser a clean lane across the field.
If the user controlled defender jumps the crossing route, immediately look to the vertical route on the backside or dump it down to the checkdown in the flat to avoid a negative play.
