Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Slot Hitch is a trips-side passing concept out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk with 10 personnel on the field. The backside X runs a vertical release into a corner route while the HB releases out of the backfield on a bending flat route to the boundary. On the trips side, the outer WR runs an out breaking route over the middle to the numbers, the middle slot runs a deep out to the sideline, and the inner slot (marked 1) runs a hitch, sitting down quickly in front of the underneath defenders as the built in primary read against zone or off man coverage. This is a zone beater at its core, designed to get a quick, high percentage completion to the hitch while stretching the field vertically and horizontally to hold safeties and linebackers.
Defensive Reads
Presnap, check safety depth and alignment, a single high safety with two deep defenders on the trips side often signals zone coverage that funnels the hitch route open. Key the slot cornerback over the number 1 receiver, if he is playing tight man coverage the hitch route becomes risky, look immediately to the deep out or backside corner route instead. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow linebackers who sink into passing lanes can jump the hitch route, especially in cover 3 or cover 4 zone drops. Identify blitz packages presnap by counting the box, if the defense brings extra rushers off the edge, the HB flat route becomes a quick answer against man beaters and nano blitz pressure. Post snap, read for a user controlled lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, this indicates the offense should avoid the hitch and attack the flanks with the corner or deep out routes instead.
Usage Tips
Use this play on third and short to medium distances where the hitch route can convert quickly against off man or zone coverage.
Presnap, identify the leverage of the slot corner over the number 1 receiver, if he is playing off coverage the hitch will be open almost immediately after the snap.
If you see man coverage across the board with no help over the top, consider hot routing the outer trips receiver to a quicker breaking route or working the HB flat route as your first read against blitz looks.
Combine this play with Curls or Mtn Slot Curls in the same set to keep the defense honest on hitch and sit routes, then hit them with Four Verticals or Zona Fade once they start jumping the shorter routes.
Watch for user controlled defenders sitting on the hitch route, if the user linebacker or nickel corner shows early depth on that route, work the corner route on the backside or the HB flat as a checkdown.
