Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Slip Screen out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk sends the three trips receivers vertical to clear out the underneath zones while the offensive line initially shows pass pro before releasing to set up screen blockers in front of the halfback. The running back slips out to the weak side flat as the lone receiver on that side, catching the ball in space behind a wall of blockers. This is a screen play designed to bait aggressive pass rushers and blitz packages, with the primary read being the HB in the flat first and only, since the three vertical routes are clear-out decoys rather than actual progression reads.
Defensive Reads
Key the defensive ends and outside linebackers at the snap, if they crash upfield immediately without reading backfield flow, that is exactly what this screen is designed to punish. Spy or user one linebacker to sit in the weak side flat area where the HB releases, since that defender is the only real threat to blow up this concept before blockers get set. Zone coverages with a linebacker sitting in a shallow flat zone or a defensive end assigned to screen contain will shut this down completely, so recognize Tampa 2 or zone blitz calls that keep a spy home. Man coverage on the trips side does not matter much here since those routes are decoys, focus entirely on the box and edge defenders instead of receiver alignment. If the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 4 with linebackers reading run and blitzing gaps, expect this screen to hit big because there is no eyes-in-the-backfield defender left to react to the slip release.
Usage Tips
Call this against any defense showing pressure indicators like six or seven man blitz packages since the screen naturally slips behind blitzing linebackers and defensive ends.
Watch the play clock and snap it quickly against defenses that like to disguise blitzes late, since a delayed screen setup can get blown up if the defense sends extra rushers before your blockers get out.
Use pre-snap motion or a hot route audible only if you see man coverage with no underneath help, but generally leave the concept alone since the design already accounts for aggressive pursuit.
Pair this with Four Verticals or Deep Stick from the same set earlier in a series so the defense respects the trips vertical stretch, making the screen action look identical on the snap and freezing linebacker reads.
Best used on early downs or after establishing inside runs like Inside Zone from this set, since defenses sitting on run keys will crash hard and open up the screen lane.
