Playbooks
Orbit PA Scissors
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Orbit PA Scissors is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Y Off Trio Wk with a pre-snap orbit motion from the backfield that sells run action before the QB drops to throw. The scissors concept on the right side crosses a deep corner route with a deep in-breaking route from the TE, while the backside runs a deep out and the motion back releases on a swing/flat route underneath, giving the QB a true high-low, in-out stress on the boundary defender. The primary read is the scissors combo: work the corner route on top down to the deep in underneath it, then check down to the flat route if the coverage rotates hard to the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify safety depth and width, if both safeties are deep and outside the numbers this is a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell that the scissors concept is designed to exploit. Watch the flow of the linebackers on the orbit motion, if they widen out to cover the motion man it opens a throwing lane for the deep in route behind them. Post-snap, key the play side corner's leverage, if he sinks into a deep zone drop expecting the corner route, the deep in sitting underneath becomes the answer versus that rotation. User the deep safety to the trips side and rob the passing lane between the corner and deep in routes, this forces the QB to hold the ball and check down late. A disguised blitz or hard man press on the outside receivers can disrupt the timing of the scissors crossing routes before they develop, especially if the underneath defenders do not bite on the play-action fake.
Usage Tips
Use the orbit motion pre-snap to identify if the defense is in man or zone, if a linebacker or safety follows the motion man across the formation it is almost always man coverage and the scissors concept will win versus off man technique.
This play is built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells, so look for two deep safeties pre-snap and trust the corner route to split the safety and the deep in to sit behind the underneath defenders.
On third and medium to long, call this after running Curls Combo or Stick earlier in the drive so the linebackers bite on shorter route concepts and open up the deep scissors shot.
If the corner jumps the flat route from the motion man, hot route the deep in to a sit route versus a hard zone drop to give the QB a quicker rhythm throw.
Pair this with Orbit RPO Buck Swing in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect both the run action and the deep scissors shot off identical pre-snap motion.
