Playbooks
At a Glance
In 1 playbook
Overview
U Off Trips Flex is a 12 personnel Shotgun set that stacks three receivers to one side with the offset back, giving you a true trips look without spreading out into 11 or 10 personnel. The "U Off" designation puts the halfback offset to the strong side rather than lined up directly behind the QB, which changes your run fits and gives you clean releases on the HB Slip Screen. The "Flex" tag pulls one tight end off the line into the trips cluster, so instead of a two point stance blocker you get a slot body running Y-Cross, Y-Dig, and Y-Swirl against safeties and linebackers who cannot match him in space.
What separates this set from other Shotgun trips looks is the coverage math it creates. Defenses that stay in base personnel to respect the 12 grouping end up covering your flexed tight end with a linebacker, and defenses that sub in nickel or dime lose the box count needed to stop Inside Zone and Duo. That is the leverage point. The single receiver on the backside gets isolated, which is why Dagger H-Choice, Post Wheel Texas, and Smash Y-Shake all hit so hard: you either get a clean one on one on the iso side or you overload the trips side with a three level stretch.
Concept variety is the real strength here. You get Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone beaters (China Double In, Flood Y-Dig, Levels Y Sail, Mtn Stick Y-Nod), pure man beaters (Mtn Slot Fade Y-Cross, Mtn Verticals Y-Cross, PA Scissors Crossers), gap and inside run schemes (Duo, Inside Zone), and RPO/option pressure with Read Option. Slot Shot Y-Swirl is your shot play off a condensed look, and HB Slip Screen punishes anyone who sends heat at the offset back's side. Every play in this set runs off the same trips shell, so your opponent gets no pre snap tell.
Strengths
- Flood Y-Dig and Levels Y Sail attack Cover 3 flat defenders with a true three level stretch off the trips side, and the Y-Dig sitting at 12 to 14 yards is a reliable throw against any single high shell that rotates late.
- Mtn Slot Fade Y-Cross and Mtn Verticals Y-Cross are elite man beaters because the motion built into the play art forces the defense to declare man or zone before the snap, and the crossing tight end wins against any linebacker matched up in space.
- Dagger H-Choice isolates the backside receiver on a vertical clear out while the dig comes underneath, giving you a two read progression that kills Cover 1 and Cover 4 without needing a single hot route.
- The 12 personnel run game (Duo and Inside Zone) stays legitimate out of Shotgun, so nickel and dime defenses that sub in to handle the trips look get punished on the ground and Read Option adds a second layer of run conflict.
- HB Slip Screen and Smash Y-Shake work as built in blitz answers, and the offset back alignment means the screen releases clean into space with blockers already flowing.
Weaknesses
- The three receiver cluster invites cloud and press bracket looks over the trips side, and a user controlled safety sitting over the top of the flexed tight end takes away your best matchup without any extra help.
- Inside heat is a real problem out of the offset back look because your protection slides toward the trips side, leaving the A gap and the backside B gap vulnerable to nano and overload blitzes.
- Mtn concepts require motion time, so if you snap too fast the route timing breaks down and if you snap too slow you give a user defender time to shade and read your leverage.
- Backside isolation cuts both ways: if your single receiver cannot separate, Dagger H-Choice, Post Wheel Texas, and Smash Y-Shake all lose their primary read and you are throwing into the trips side congestion.
- Deep zone matchup coverages like Cover 6 and quarters with a match trigger handle the trips flood concepts well, forcing you into checkdowns and short gains instead of the chunk plays this set is built for.
Usage Tips
Read the defender over your flexed tight end pre snap. If it is a linebacker, run Mtn Verticals Y-Cross or Mtn Slot Fade Y-Cross and take the crosser. If it is a safety or nickel, go to the run game or Read Option because the box is light.
On third and medium, China Double In and Mtn Stick Y-Nod give you two quick sit down options against zone, and you can hot route the outside trips receiver to a slant to add a man beater without changing the look.
Use HB Slip Screen after two or three trips side pass concepts. Once your opponent starts users blitzing or dropping a defender into the trips cluster, the screen breaks for chunk yardage into open grass.
Set up Post Wheel Texas and Slot Shot Y-Swirl on second down after establishing Duo and Inside Zone, since the play action hold on the linebackers is what opens the intermediate window.
Audible between Duo and Inside Zone based on defensive front. Duo against a light box with even alignment, Inside Zone against an odd front where you can get a clean read on the backside end.
