Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Hook out of Shotgun Trips Slots Close is a five man flood concept built to attack both zone and man coverage at once. From the trips side you get a vertical Go from the outside receiver, a Corner route from the inside slot that stems outside near the numbers, and a shallow Hitch underneath from the closest slot, stacking three distinct levels on the field side. The backside single receiver runs a lone Go route up the sideline, giving you an isolation shot away from the flood if the defense rotates help toward the trips. Primary progression is Corner to Hitch to backside Go, reading the flooded side first before working to the single receiver isolation route.
Defensive Reads
Read the strong side safety before the snap, if he cheats toward the trips bunch look immediately to the backside single receiver Go route for a one on one shot. Watch the flat defender and curl to flat zone defender post-snap, if they widen with the Hitch route the Corner route behind them will be wide open in the honey hole. Against Cover 3, key the deep third defender to the trips side, if he stays flat footed on the snap the Go route down the numbers can eat him up before he gets depth. Man coverage with a single high safety is where this play is most dangerous since the Corner route creates natural separation against trail technique and the backside Go isolates a cornerback with no safety help. This play struggles against a hard Cover 2 cloud look with an extra underneath defender jumping the Hitch route, so if you see that shell rotate your eyes to the backside Go immediately at the snap.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or second and medium when you can afford to take a shot but still have a checkdown-style answer underneath with the Hitch. Pre-snap, identify if the defense has two deep safeties or one high, since the Corner route on the trips side is a direct answer to Cover 2 and the Go routes stress single high shells with numbers. If you see man coverage press at the line, prioritize the Corner route since it naturally works away from outside leverage defenders. Pair this call with 60 Go or Streak earlier in a series so the defense respects verticals, then come back to Hook to let the Hitch sit down in soft zone drops for an easy underneath conversion. Use hot routes to check the backside Go into a quick out or slant if you diagnose Cover 3 rolling hard to the trips side, giving you a faster clock-beating throw.
