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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
RPO Alert Bubble is an RPO run/pass option out of Shotgun Tight Y Off with 11 personnel. Backside, the outside receiver runs a corner route up the sideline while the slot runs a quick out, giving a vertical shot beater on the boundary. To the strong side, the TE runs a quick drag/in and the HB releases into a bubble screen behind the line, with the offensive line executing an inside zone run scheme up front. The primary read progression starts with the run fit at the second level: if the box count and linebacker flow favor the run, hand it off, if a defender crashes down hard to stop the run, pull and throw the bubble to the HB in space, and if the corner over the bubble jumps it, alert to the backside corner route for the big play.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage on the backside corner route is a green light to throw it up the sideline since the corner route beats trail technique and tight man coverage across from it. Watch the flow of the second level linebackers immediately after the snap: if they crash toward the line of scrimmage to fill run gaps, the bubble screen behind them is wide open. If the slot corner or nickel defender sits low and reads the quarterback's eyes toward the bubble, that is a zone beater trap since the corner route behind him will be uncovered deep. A user-controlled defender spying the running back or hovering over the bubble lane is the biggest threat to this play, since he can jump the screen before the ball arrives. Heavy blitz packages that send extra rushers can be exploited by the run element if the box count drops, but watch for a delayed blitzer who could disrupt the mesh point before the RPO read develops.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, count the box defenders and check if the slot corner is sitting on the bubble before deciding whether you are running or throwing.
Use this on run/pass down and distances like 2nd and short to 2nd and medium where defenses are forced to respect both the inside zone and the perimeter bubble.
If the defense shows a hard downhill safety or an extra man in the box, pull the ball immediately and get it out to the HB bubble before the flow defender closes the alley.
Hot route the backside slot receiver into a deeper route if you are seeing a lot of quick jumps on the out route, since that opens up more room for the corner route to hit over the top.
Pair this play with RPO Alert Out and RPO Zone Alert Bubble in the same set so the defense cannot key on one specific alert route, forcing linebackers and corners to hesitate on their run/pass reads.
