Playbooks

Shuffle HB Out

Shotgun·Tight Y Off Wk·11

Quick Reference

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Breakdown

Shuffle HB Out is a quick-hitting man beater out of Shotgun Tight Y Off Wk that combines a shuffle pass action with a diagonal HB out route as the immediate outlet. The route combo layers deep breaking routes from the outside receivers with an underneath option, giving the quarterback a high low read against man and off man coverage. Primary read progression starts with the shuffle to the HB if the flat is soft, then works to the intermediate breaking routes if a linebacker or slot defender bites on the underneath action.

Defensive Reads

Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sits and reads the backfield instead of widening with the HB, jump the route with a user linebacker for a pick six opportunity. Zone shells like Cover 3 and Cover 4 with a hard corner squeeze can shut down the HB out by forcing the QB to hold the ball and check to the second read. Man coverage with no underneath help is the shell this play punishes hardest, since the HB out attacks the natural leverage disadvantage a linebacker has in space. Post snap, key the slot defender or nickel corner for a nano blitz disguise, if he crashes downhill before the shuffle fake resolves the QB needs to get the ball out immediately. Look for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle, that indicates the defense is baiting the shuffle action and daring you to challenge the deeper route instead.

Usage Tips

Use this play on early downs or third and short when you need a guaranteed rhythm throw against aggressive man coverage.

Presnap, check for a single high safety look since that usually signals man coverage underneath, which is exactly what the HB out route is designed to exploit.

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick in or slant if you see Cover 3 buzz to give yourself a second underneath option away from the shuffle side.

Pair this play with Shuffle HB Choice and Shuffle HB Corner in the same set so the defense has to respect three different HB releases out of the same backfield action.

If the user drops a linebacker to sit on the HB out, come off it fast and go to the deeper route in your progression instead of forcing the checkdown.

Other Plays in Tight Y Off Wk