Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Boot Over is a play-action rollout out of Shotgun Bunch Open designed to hit deep shots off run action while giving the quarterback a moving pocket to the boot side. From the bunch, two receivers stack vertical routes that break outside (a corner and a deep out breaking upfield), while the third bunch receiver runs an underneath crossing route that sits as the intermediate outlet. The backside receiver runs a straight vertical seam to hold the safety, and the play design boots the quarterback away from the bunch concept to buy time against pressure. This is a play-action shot play built to attack single high and split safety shells, with the primary read progressing from the deep outside breaking route down to the underneath crosser if the top is capped.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker and safety depth at the snap to diagnose run blitz or coverage drop, since this play is vulnerable if the defense sells out on the play-action fake with a linebacker spy on the boot side. This concept beats Cover 3 and Cover 1 man because the deep outside breaking routes clear out the flat defender and attack the seam before the safety can rotate over. It struggles against a hard Cover 4 shell with disciplined corners staying over the top, since the two vertical breaking routes have nowhere to work if the safeties do not bite on the run fake. Watch for a user-controlled linebacker spying the quarterback on the boot side, as that defender can either sack the quarterback or jump the underneath crossing route if the fake does not sell. Post-snap, if the flat and curl defenders squat instead of chasing run action, check down quickly to the underneath crosser rather than forcing the deep shot into a covered corner route.
Usage Tips
Use this on second or third and medium to long distance when defenses expect a longer dropback pass and bite on the run fake. Check pre-snap for single high safety looks like Cover 3 or Cover 1, since the deep outside breaking routes from the bunch attack the vacated flat and deep third created by rotation. If you see two high safeties sitting deep, hot route the backside vertical into a comeback or dig to give yourself a quicker answer against Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells. Pair this with Inside Zone or HB Draw from the same set to keep defenses honest on the run fake, since the play-action boot mirrors that same backfield action. Sequence this after running Bunch Levels or Spacing a few times so linebackers start stepping up on the underneath route, opening the deep shot off the boot.
