Playbooks

PA Same Side Boot

Shotgun·Normal Y Off·11

Quick Reference

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Breakdown

PA Same Side Boot is a play-action rollout out of Shotgun 11 personnel that pulls the QB toward the same side as the primary route concept, giving him a clean throwing lane while the boot action holds backside defenders. The offensive line sells run action to freeze linebackers, and the TE and backside receiver work shorter breaking routes while the boundary receiver runs a deeper comeback or corner to stretch the roll side vertically. The primary read progression starts with the flat or shallow route underneath, then climbs to the intermediate breaking route, and finishes with the deep comeback if the corner bites on the play fake.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is in a run-heavy front with linebackers stacked close to the line, since that flow is exactly what this boot exploits. Watch the flat side cornerback and outside linebacker after the snap. If they bite hard on the run fake, the underneath route will be wide open immediately. Key the backside safety rotation. A single high safety who reads run and flows down leaves the deep comeback or corner route in a soft void. This play struggles against disciplined zone defenses that keep linebackers in their run-pass conflict zones without over-committing, especially Tampa 2 or Cover 6 shells that keep a defender spying the boot lane. Watch for contain blitzes or edge pressure from the boot side, since a fast defensive end or outside linebacker who stays home can collapse the pocket before the QB reaches the top of his roll.

Usage Tips

Call this on early downs like first or second and short to medium yardage so the run fake actually holds linebackers and safeties.

Check the pre-snap safety alignment. Against two high shells the comeback route on the boot side has room to work, but against single high look to the underneath flat or shallow route first since the deep safety can rally.

Use hot routes to convert the backside receiver into a drag or spot route if you diagnose man coverage, since the natural rub from the formation creates easy separation against man beaters.

Pair this with Same Side Zone or Zone Fake Jet earlier in a series so the defense starts keying the run action, then hit them with this play-action boot to capitalize on aggressive linebacker flow.

If the defense shows heavy pressure or edge blitzers off the boot side, get the ball out fast to the flat route since the rollout QB has less time to escape contain.

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