Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Read is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Spread Dbl Flex 11 personnel that sells the run fake before working a deep left side combo. The outside receiver runs a corner/go route stemming vertical up the sideline while the inside slot works a deep out that breaks flat toward the sideline before angling back upfield into a corner stem, creating a natural pick and clear combo against man coverage. On the right side, the two receivers run a vertical seam paired with an out route to hold flat defenders, giving the QB a boundary read if the left side is jumped. The primary read progression starts with the play-action fake to sell the run, then goes to the inside receiver's out and up route working outside to inside leverage against man defenders, before working back to the backside vertical seam if the corner route is blanketed deep.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage is where this play shines, the pick action from the outside corner route into the breaking route naturally rubs off man defenders and creates separation for the intermediate target. Watch the flow of linebackers at the snap, if they bite hard on the play fake and widen or step up, the window for the breaking route into the corner stem opens immediately. Cover 3 with a deep third defender sitting on the sideline can undercut the corner route, so check if the corner is playing outside leverage pre snap, if he is sinking deep and staying wide this concept gets tight. User controlled safeties who stay home in the deep middle can jump the developing corner route late, so look off that user threat with your eyes before committing to the throw. Zone blitzes that bring extra rushers off the edge can disrupt the timing of this play action, if you see a linebacker or slot corner walked up pre snap threatening an outside blitz, get the ball out on the quicker breaking route instead of holding for the deep shot.
Usage Tips
Sell the run fake fully by holding the ball and letting your RB action develop, this freezes linebackers and opens the intermediate window for the breaking route.
Use this on early downs like 1st or 2nd and short to medium yardage when defenses expect run out of 11 personnel shotgun sets, the play action fake plays best when defenders are keyed on stopping HB Sweep or Inside Zone from this same set.
Pre-snap, identify single high versus two high shells, if you see two safeties rotate late you likely have Cover 2 or Cover 4 which favors sitting the breaking route underneath the corner route rather than forcing it deep.
Hot route the backside vertical into a comeback or dig if you diagnose zone coverage post snap, this gives you a sure completion against Cover 3 or Cover 4 drops when the deep corner route gets taken away.
Pair this call with Inside Zone or HB Sweep earlier in a drive to condition the defense to bite on run action, then hit them with PA Read once linebackers start creeping up in run support.
