Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 14 playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Slot Hitch aligns from Bunch Spread Nasty with the backside receiver running a pre-snap orbit motion across the formation before settling as an underneath threat, giving the offense a built-in look at man versus zone before the snap. Out of the bunch, one receiver sits down on a quick hitch at the sticks while the other two clear vertically, one working an out cut toward the boundary and the other stacking behind him to break outside and climb up the seam on a deep route. The design is a man beater built to isolate the hitch defender in space off the bunch traffic, and the primary read progression starts with the underneath hitch, then works to the crossing out route, and finally to the deep clearing route if the coverage bites down on the shorter concepts.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment over the bunch, a single high safety shaded toward the bunch side signals zone coverage that can be attacked with the hitch and out combo underneath. Watch the flow of the motion defender, if a linebacker or slot corner runs with the man in orbit motion across the formation, it confirms man coverage and opens up the hitch as an easy completion. Post-snap, key any user controlled defender sitting in the shallow zone or lurking near the hitch route, an aggressive user jump on the hitch opens the underneath out route working behind him. Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with deep zone defenders can bracket the vertical clear out route, so if you see two deep defenders rotate toward the bunch side, abandon the deep shot and live in the quick game. Tight man coverage with no help over the top invites blitz pressure, if the defense shows six or more defenders near the box before the snap, get the ball out fast on the hitch to avoid a negative play.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to bait the defense into revealing man versus zone, if the motion defender trails across the formation it is man coverage and you can target the hitch immediately.
Throw the hitch quickly against zone drops that are sitting off the bunch, this is a rhythm throw designed to beat soft cushion corners on third and short.
If the corner jumps the hitch route, work your eyes to the out breaking route running underneath the vertical clear out, it should have natural separation against trail technique.
Pair this call with Mtn Slot Under or Mtn Slot Cross earlier in a series so the defense starts keying zone drops on similar bunch action, then hit the deep clear out route for a big play once they sell out on the short stuff.
Best used on third and short to medium distance where the hitch route matches the sticks and forces conservative zone defenders into an easy conversion.
