Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Exit Switch Out is a shotgun pass concept out of Normal Y Off featuring a pre-snap motion man who releases into an out route on the boundary side. The route combo creates a switch release on the field side where the outside receiver runs a corner/vertical while the slot crosses underneath on a flat out, and the TE or inside receiver runs a quick out breaking away from the switch concept toward the numbers. The blocking is a standard pass protection look with no visible run action, and the primary read progression starts with the deep corner route to see if it clears out the switch defenders, then works down to the crossing out route underneath before checking the motion out route as the final outlet.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since a single high safety struggles to cover both the corner route and the crossing out from the switch concept. Watch for cornerback press alignment on the switch side because press man coverage gets beat easily by the natural rub created in the switch release. Post-snap, key the flow of the linebacker or nickel defender assigned to the motion man since late reactions to the motion out route create an easy completion. Zone coverage shells with a hard flat defender sinking under the out routes can take away the underneath options and force the quarterback to hold the ball for the deep corner. User-controlled defenders should lurk in the shallow crossing lane to jump the underneath out route, but this leaves the corner route open if the safety does not rotate over top in time.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone coverage since a defender following the motion man across the formation confirms man coverage and opens up the switch release for a natural pick against tight man defenders.
Attack single high safety shells with the deep corner route on the switch side since it forces the safety to choose between the vertical and the crossing out underneath.
Hot route the backside out route into a deeper comeback against soft zone corners playing off coverage to create more separation on third and medium.
Pair this play with Curl Flats or Y Shallow Cross in your play-calling sequence so defenses cannot sit on the switch concept and jump the underneath outs.
Best used on second or third and short to medium since the quick out options give the quarterback a fast target if the deep switch route is covered.
