Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Boot Shot is a play-action rollout concept out of the Trips TE Shotgun set that gets the QB moving toward the trips side while stacking three vertical stems in the route tree. The backside X runs a straight vertical release off the play fake, while the trips side stacks a flat breaking hitch, an out and up wheel-style route, and a deep corner route that stems outside for max separation on the boot side. Blocking is disguised as inside zone action to hold the linebackers, making this a shot play designed to hit the deep corner or wheel route against man coverage once the QB rolls out, with the flat route serving as the checkdown against a hard blitz.
Defensive Reads
Check the strong safety depth pre-snap, if he is sitting shallow near the box expect him to be late getting over the top of the trips corner route. Watch for a cornerback jumping the flat route immediately at the snap, that usually signals man coverage and opens the wheel route for a big gain up the sideline. If the defense shows two high safeties and rotates one down to the trips side post-snap, that is a Cover 3 or Cover 4 shell that will squeeze the deep corner route, look to the backside vertical instead. Blitz packages that send extra rushers off the boot side edge are the biggest counter to this play, the QB has to get the ball out on the flat route quickly or take the checkdown. A linebacker who sits and reads the QB's eyes instead of biting on the run fake is a sign the defense is disciplined against play action, expect underneath passing lanes to be crowded.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs in first and ten or second and short so the play fake actually influences linebacker depth and safety rotation.
Key the flat defender and curl to flat player before the snap, if they widen fast to the trips side the wheel route underneath has room to work vertically.
Hot route the backside X vertical into a comeback or dig if you see a single high safety shading toward the boot side, this keeps him relevant instead of running into double coverage.
Pair this with Inside Zone and QB Zone from the same set so the run fake sells identically and linebackers start biting on the mesh point, setting up the shot play later in a series.
Roll the pocket fully before deciding between the corner route and the wheel, patience on the boot lets both routes clear the underneath zone drops.
