Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
PA Mtn Slide is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Flex Y Off that uses pre-snap motion to help identify man versus zone before the ball is even snapped. The play action fake to the HB holds linebackers for a beat while the slide protection scheme sets up a quick pocket, letting the route concept work underneath and intermediate zones or attack man coverage leverage depending on the motion result. The primary read progression starts with the motion man or nearest underneath option working through traffic, then climbs to the intermediate slide route breaking across the field, with the backside checkdown as the last resort if the middle of the field is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Watch the linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the play action fake you have a clean throwing window underneath before they can recover. Check the safety alignment pre-snap, a single high safety often means man coverage on the outside and a good shot for the intermediate slide route to work against a lurking backer. If you see two deep safeties with cornerbacks playing off, expect zone drops and look to hit the slide route in the soft spot between the underneath and deep zones. Man coverage with the defender mirroring the motion man across the formation is the biggest tell, attack that leverage immediately with the primary route. Beware of a hard blitz off the edge with slide protection overloaded to one side, if the defense brings pressure from the weak side of the slide the quarterback needs to get the ball out fast to the underneath option.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to bait linebackers into showing man coverage, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you have a clean man beater read.
Pair this with Mtn Counter or Inside Zone earlier in a series so the play action fake off similar formation shifts actually threatens the defense and freezes second level defenders.
Against zone shells, key the flow of the slide route across the field and throw it in front of the sinking linebackers before the underneath defenders can wall it off.
This play shines on second and medium or third and short where defenses are more willing to bite on the run fake, since a heavy run tendency out of this personnel group sells the play action harder.
Sequence this with RPO HB Zone Alert or RPO Alert HB Zone to keep the defense guessing between run and play action out of the same personnel and formation look.
