Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Hitches is a five man route concept out of Empty Base Shotgun that puts all five eligible receivers on hitch routes, sitting down at roughly five to six yards after their initial release. The two outside receivers to the left, the slot receiver in the middle, and both receivers to the right all break down at the same depth, creating five stacked stopping points across the width of the field with no blocker kept in since it is a five wide empty look. This is a zone beater designed to exploit soft coverage and off man leverage, and the primary read progression starts with the boundary hitch to the field side (the number one receiver marked in red) before working backside based on which defender shows the most cushion at the snap.
Defensive Reads
Identify two high safety shells before the snap, since Cover 2 and Cover 4 leave underneath zone defenders vulnerable to the quick hitch sit down. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow zone drops from Mike or Will linebackers signal they are keying the hitch and will jump the throw if the quarterback stares it down too long. Man coverage with press corners is the primary defense that shuts this play down, since hitches have no built in separation against a jam and quick trail technique. Look for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, that user controlled defender can undercut the inside hitch route and create a turnover if the quarterback throws to the middle receiver without checking his eyes. Blitz packages that bring five or more rushers force the quarterback into a fast decision, so if the offensive line shows no extra protection, expect the hot read to go to the boundary hitch immediately off the snap.
Usage Tips
Use this on third and short to third and medium since the sit routes convert quickly and give the quarterback a built in rhythm throw against zone shells.
Check the cornerback depth pre-snap, if corners are playing seven or more yards off in Cover 3 or Cover 4, hitches will consistently pick up the sticks against soft zone.
Hot route the number one receiver to the field into a fade or streak against teams that jump the hitch with aggressive user linebackers, since that removes the sit route and turns it into an explosive shot play.
Pair Hitches with Curl Flats or Stick in your play calling sequence so the defense sees similar route stems out of empty and cannot key on the quick sit break, forcing user defenders to guess.
Avoid this play against man heavy defenses with press corners since there is no natural separation built into the route design, and a hot man beater like Y Cross or Drive Under is a better call in that situation.
