Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
SFT Mtn H-Trail is a Shotgun 11 personnel pass play that uses pre-snap motion to shift into a trail concept on the backside while running a mountain (three level) concept to the play side. The play side stack releases into a deep corner route, a shorter comeback breaking back to the sideline, and an out route from the inside receiver, creating a high low horizontal stretch on that side. The backside features a deep dig sitting behind a crossing route underneath, giving the quarterback a two level answer away from the trips look. Primary read progression starts with the play side corner to out combo to see if the deep defender bites, then works back to the backside dig if the underdneath crosser clears space against man or zone coverage.
Defensive Reads
Watch the cornerback aligned over the motion man before the snap, if he follows across the formation you are looking at man coverage and the trail concept underneath should come open. Key the flat defender on the play side, if he sinks with the corner route the underneath out sits in a soft window for an easy completion. Identify single high safety shells presnap, since a lone deep safety will struggle to cover both the play side corner route and the backside dig if the quarterback works through his progression with timing. Look for zone blitz indicators like a linebacker walking up to the line or a defensive back creeping toward the box, this play is vulnerable to underneath pressure disrupting the quarterback before the dig route develops. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 with two deep safeties, expect the corner route to be capped, so bail out early to the shorter out and comeback routes on the play side stack.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, since a defender following the motion man across the formation confirms man coverage and opens up the trail concept.
Against zone shells, work the play side out and corner combo first since the flat defender can only cover one level, then reset to the backside dig once the underneath crosser occupies the linebacker.
This play hits best on second and medium to second and long when defenses are more likely to play zone drops and give up the intermediate window on the dig route.
Hot route the backside crosser into a quicker option if you see zone blitz pressure showing pre-snap, giving the quarterback a faster release valve.
Pair this play with Mtn Cross Choice or Mtn PA Cross Choice in the same set to keep defenses guessing between the mountain concept read and a play-action shot off similar formation and motion.
