Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Redzone HB Scissors lines up out of Shotgun Spread Y-Slot Wk with 11 personnel and shows a true scissors concept on the boundary: the outside receiver runs a corner route crossing under a deep route, while the tight end (or slot receiver) runs a skinny post that crosses the corner route right at the numbers, creating natural traffic for man defenders. On the backside, the two receivers run shallow drag and out routes breaking toward the sideline, giving a quick check-down option away from the scissors action. This is a pass play designed as a Cover 2 and Cover 4 beater, using the crossing action to confuse zone defenders and rub off man coverage, with the primary read starting on the scissors combo (post first, then corner) before working backside to the shallow drag if the underneath window is closed.
Defensive Reads
Watch for two deep safeties splitting the field pre-snap, which signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 and tells you the scissors combo will stress the underneath defenders trying to pass off the crossing routes. If the cornerback presses at the line with no safety help deep on his side, expect man coverage and look for the post route to win immediately off the rub created by the corner route. Key the linebacker depth at the snap, since shallow linebackers will struggle to redirect and cover the drag route on the backside if they bite on the play strength side. Beware disguised blitzes where the slot defender crashes downhill immediately, since this play has minimal protection help and a free rusher can disrupt the quarterback before the scissors routes fully develop. Against Cover 3 with a robber defender sitting in the middle of the field, the scissors concept can get picked off, so check for a defender lurking in the intermediate middle zone before committing to the post read.
Usage Tips
Use this play near the goal line or inside the 10 yard line where the compressed field width makes the scissors crossing action extremely hard for zone defenders to sort out.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high safety, since the scissors concept crosses two defenders and forces a coverage bust in both Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells.
Hot route the backside out route into a quick flat or speed out if you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, giving you an instant answer against blitz looks.
Pair this play with Double Slants or Quick Slants earlier in a series so the defense starts sitting on shallow crossing routes, then hit them with the deeper post and corner combo here for an explosive touchdown shot.
On third and short or in short yardage redzone situations, prioritize the post route since it settles into the highest leverage throwing window versus both man and zone defenders.
