Playbooks

RNS Hitches

Shotgun·Trips·10
Pass PlayOption Route
Play diagram for RNS Hitches from Shotgun Trips in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Run And Shoot OffenseOffense

Receiver routes

Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.

See this play with a team's players
PlayerSideRoute
HB1RightPass Block
SLWRRightOption Route
WR1LeftOption Route
WR2RightOption Route
SLWR2RightOption Route

Read progression

  1. WR1 left, Option Route
  2. SLWR right, Option Route or WR2 right, Option Route or SLWR2 right, Option Route

Breakdown

RNS Hitches out of Shotgun Trips (10 personnel) sends the backside X on a vertical release up the sideline while the three trips receivers work a horizontal stalk to shallow hitch combo. The inside trips receiver runs a short in-cut that settles into a hitch near the sticks, and the two outside trips receivers push vertical hitches at intermediate depth, creating a natural pick/rub read for the underneath defender. This is a zone beater built to attack soft cushion corners and hole players in zone drops, with the QB reading outside-in from the top of the trips stack down to the shallow hitch as the checkdown against tight man coverage.

Defensive Reads

Watch the corner depth on the trips side before the snap, if all three corners are aligned deep and soft you are getting an easy completion on the underneath hitch. Key the flat defender and hole player in zone coverage, if they widen with the outside hitch routes the middle hitch will come open in the soft spot behind them. Look for man coverage indicators like corners mirroring receiver motion or matching up one-on-one across the formation, since tight man coverage forces you to rely on the backside X hot route instead of the hitches. Beware of Cover 3 sky or Cover 4 shells with a hard-charging slot corner blitz, since the trips stalk routes create natural picks that a disciplined defender can read and jump for a pick six. If the defense shows a robber or lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle zone, avoid the inside hitch and work the ball outside to the vertical routes on the trips side.

Usage Tips

Use this on third and short to medium since the hitches settle right around the sticks and give you a built-in conversion window.

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing zone or man on the trips side, if the corners are backed off with soft cushion this play is money because the hitches will sit down in the soft spot.

Hot route the backside X to a quick out or slant if you see press man on him, since his vertical route alone does not create enough separation against a hard press corner.

Combine this with RNS Streak X Shallow or RNS Georgia Mesh in the same set so the defense cannot sit on the hitch timing once they start jumping the routes.

Snap the ball with rhythm timing, the QB progression should go top receiver to bottom receiver so you are throwing to the receiver working away from the flow of the coverage.

Other Plays in Trips