Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
RPO Orbit Bubble is an RPO out of Shotgun Doubles Offset Wk that pairs an inside zone run with an orbit motion bubble screen to the backside. The orbit motion receiver sprints across the formation pre-snap, giving the quarterback an easy pre-snap alert if the defense fails to adjust leverage, while the post-snap read is the alley or flat defender to the bubble side. If that defender crashes down on the run fit, the quarterback pulls and throws the bubble, and if he sits wide or bails into coverage, the quarterback hands off into the zone run scheme. This is a run-pass conflict play designed to beat light boxes and overaggressive flat defenders rather than a straight man or zone beater.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat or curl to flat defender at the snap, since if he sinks with the orbit motion instead of stepping up on run action, the run window opens up immediately. Check safety depth pre-snap: a single high safety with a heavy box usually means the offense will take the bubble automatically, while two deep safeties with a light box favors the inside zone hand off. Look for a user controlled linebacker or slot defender flying downhill on the snap, since that is the biggest threat to jump the bubble throw and take it to the house. Man coverage with the corner staying home on the motion man tends to open the run lane, while zone coverage that squeezes the flat defender to the line usually shuts down the bubble option entirely. Blitz packages that send extra defenders off the edge opposite the motion can outnumber the run fit, so recognize overload pressure looks pre-snap and be ready to get the ball out fast on the bubble instead of holding for the handoff read.
Usage Tips
Count the box pre-snap and use the orbit motion to identify if the defense rotates a linebacker or safety down to match it, since that rotation tells you the run lane is likely to be exposed backside. If the defender responsible for the flat or bubble area widens with motion, key the run read and hand it off into the vacated inside zone lane. Hot route the backside receiver into a quick slant if you are facing press man corners who squat on the bubble every time, since that removes the predictability defenders exploit after seeing this play on tape. Use this on early downs or 2nd and short to keep the defense honest, then sequence into RPO Peek Orbit Bubble or RPO Zone Alert Bubble later in a series once the defense starts sitting on the bubble read. Against teams that spam DBs jumping the bubble route with user control, fake the motion tempo by holding the snap an extra beat to bait the user defender out of position before you snap it.
