Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Mtn Y Shovel comes out of Shotgun Doubles Offset Wk with a Motion tag that shifts the backfield before the snap. Off the diagram, the TE runs a quick shovel route underneath while the outside receiver on that side runs a drag across the field behind the line, and a receiver to the flat sits low as an outlet with the offensive line sliding to wall off the shovel lane. This is a quick-hitting man beater and de facto screen concept designed to get the ball out fast, with the shovel to the TE as the primary read and the drag or flat route as the check down against blitz pressure.
Defensive Reads
Watch the linebacker level depth pre-snap, since shallow linebackers sitting in underneath zones can jump the shovel route and blow it up for a loss. Key on whether the defense follows the motion man, because man coverage defenders trailing across the formation confirm you can win the shovel lane against man beaters. Identify blitz packages pre-snap by checking for stacked or crashing defensive ends and overloaded fronts, since the shovel is specifically designed to counter aggressive edge pressure. Post-snap, track any user-controlled defender flowing downhill toward the shovel route, since a disciplined user lurk can sit on this concept and cut off the shovel throw before it develops. Against a zone shell with linebackers sitting flat-footed in short zones, look to the drag or flat route instead of forcing the shovel into a crowded underneath window.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, since defenders following the motion man across the formation confirm man coverage and open up the shovel lane instantly.
Call this on early downs or short yardage when you need a guaranteed positive gain, since the shovel route develops in under two seconds and beats blitzes that overload the box.
If the defense shows a hard blitz look pre-snap, trust the shovel as your first read since your line is sliding to protect that throwing lane and the ball comes out before pressure arrives.
Pair this play with RPO Peek Slant or RPO Alert Bubble in the same set so the defense has to respect both the quick shovel action and the RPO perimeter throws, keeping linebackers honest and off their run keys.
Sequence Mtn Y Shovel with Mtn PA Y Corner or Mtn PA Flood later in a series, since the shovel action primes defenders to bite on the underneath threat, setting up the play-action shots off the same Mtn tag.
