Playbooks
Orbit PA Shot is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Doubles Y Off WK that uses an orbit motion from the backfield to sell run action before the quarterback drops for a vertical shot. The play-action fake freezes linebackers and second level defenders, opening up deep shots against man coverage while stressing single high safeties who have to respect the run fake. The primary read progression starts with the deep outside route to look for a one on one shot down the field, then works down to any intermediate crosser or dig that develops off the play-action rollout, and finally checks down to the orbit motion man if the shot is not there.
Identify single high shells like Cover 3 or Cover 1 pre-snap since this play is designed to punish those coverages with the deep shot once the play-action fake holds the underneath defenders. Watch linebacker depth at the snap. If they step up hard on the run fake, the intermediate crosser and deep shot will have a clean throwing window against man beaters. Key on the free safety after the orbit motion. If he cheats down into the box to help against the perceived run, that leaves the deep route in a one on one matchup with no safety help over the top. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells, the deep shot is riskier since the safeties stay high, so be ready to check down to the orbit motion man or the underneath crosser instead of forcing the deep ball. Beware of user controlled defenders sitting in the passing lanes on the crosser route, since a smart user player can bait the play-action and jump the shallow crossing route for a pick six if the quarterback forces that throw too early.
Call this on early downs like 1st and 10 or 2nd and short when the defense is expecting run based on personnel and formation tendencies, since the orbit motion combined with 11 personnel sells run action hard.
Check the safety alignment before the snap. If you see two high safeties rotate to single high after the motion, that is your cue the defense bit on the run fake and a deep shot should be open.
Use the orbit motion pre-snap to draw a defender out of position or to identify if the defense is playing man by watching if a linebacker or safety follows the motion man across the formation.
Hot route the underneath crosser into a deeper dig or have it sit down as a settle route against zone if you are getting lurk defenders sitting in the shallow area.
Pair this play with Orbit RPO Read Y Flat and Orbit Inside Zone Split in the same play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect the orbit motion as a run threat, making the play-action shot even more dangerous later in the drive.