Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Fork from Shotgun Trips TE Flex is a play-action shot play built off the run fake to hold the second level. The outside trips receiver runs a deep vertical up the numbers, the middle trips man releases into a corner route breaking to the pylon, and the inside slot runs a shallow drag/fork route across the formation while the flexed TE stays in to help sell the play fake before releasing to the flat. Backside, the isolated X on the diagram runs a straight go route up the sideline, giving you a true four-route deep shot concept with the corner route as the clear primary read against single high safety looks.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety tells you the corner route and backside go route both have one on one leverage down the field. Watch the flat defender and outside linebacker depth after the snap, if they widen quickly to the flat the shallow drag route across the middle will be sitting in a soft window. Identify Cover 3 sky or cloud rotations since the corner defender rolling down late can undercut the corner route, forcing you to check down to the drag or flat route. Look for a user controlled defender lurking in the shallow crosser lane, aggressive user play there kills the checkdown so trust the deep corner route timing instead. Beware of overloaded blitz packages from the trips side, if extra rushers crash off the edge the flexed TE releasing late into the flat becomes the emergency answer against man pressure.
Usage Tips
Check pre-snap for single high safety alignment since the corner route from the trips side is the primary read and it wins big against Cover 3 and Cover 1 shells.
If the corner shows two deep safeties pre-snap, work the shallow drag route underneath as your hot route outlet against soft zone coverage or a heavy blitz look.
Use play-action rollout timing to sell the run fake hard, this play hits best on early downs like first or second and medium when defenses are still respecting the run game.
Pair this call with Inside Zone or HB Draw earlier in a drive so linebackers step up on run fakes, making the corner route and backside go route easier to hit versus aggressive run fits.
Mix in Verticals or Mtn Y Post from the same set to keep defenders honest on deep shots, then come back to PA Fork once the safety starts cheating toward the flat or shallow routes.
