Playbooks
RPO Alert Bubble Stick out of Shotgun Wide Trips is a true run pass option that gives the quarterback a pre snap and post snap decision between a designed run and a bubble screen alert to the trips side, with the backside receiver running a stick route as an additional outlet. The stick concept sits down in the underneath zone as a man beater against off coverage and a zone beater against Cover 3 sink, while the bubble screen attacks overpursuing linebackers and blitz heavy fronts. The primary read is the alert receiver on the bubble, then the box count for the run, and finally the stick route as the checkdown if defenders flow to either option.
Pre snap, identify single high versus two high safety shells since two high alignments often mean lighter boxes that favor pulling the ball on the run read. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash down hard on run action the stick route and bubble screen both have room to work against the vacated zone. Man coverage on the trips receivers with no underneath help is a green light to throw the bubble screen quickly before the flat defender can react. User controlled defenders sitting in the shallow flat or spying the bubble lane can jump the screen, so respect that threat and check to the stick or the run instead. Cover 3 with a fast trigger safety filling downhill against the run will erase the ground game, so lean on the RPO passing options rather than forcing the handoff.
Check the box count before the snap and if the defense is showing six or more in the box, throw the bubble immediately instead of letting the play develop as a run.
Use the flick to alert the bubble screen manually if you see linebackers cheating outside or a corner playing tight man on the trips receivers, since the AI RPO read can be slow to trigger.
Hot route the backside single receiver into a slant or fade if you are facing man coverage to give yourself a true man beater outside the stick concept.
Pair this play with HB Sweep and Read Option from the same set so the defense has to respect perimeter run action, which opens up the bubble and stick reads on later downs.
This play works best on early downs and short yardage third downs where linebackers are more likely to sit on the run fake and vacate the underneath stick zone.