Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
PA Fork out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Close is a play-action shot play built off a run fake to hold the linebackers and safeties. The trips side shows the outside receiver running a deep vertical while the middle trips receiver runs a corner route that forks away from the inside receiver's flat/out breaking route, creating the fork concept with three distinct levels. The backside receiver runs a deep out and up (a comeback into a vertical stem), and the RB releases into a check release flare route underneath after selling the play-action block. Primary read progression starts with the corner route from the trips slot as the first read against man or split safety looks, then works to the backside vertical breaker, and comes down to the RB flare as the checkdown against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high safety, since single high leaves the corner route from the trips bunch vulnerable over the top. Watch the flow of the linebackers after the snap. If they bite hard on the run fake, the middle of the field opens up for the corner route and the backside vertical breaker. User the deep half or deep third defender toward the trips side to take away the corner route, forcing the quarterback to work to the backside comeback or check the ball down to the RB. Man coverage with no safety help over the top of the trips corner route is the biggest vulnerability, so disguise coverage or roll a safety over that side after the snap to bait the throw. Zone coverage with a hard flat defender can jump the RB flare route, so spy or crash a linebacker underneath to eliminate the easy checkdown and force a low percentage throw downfield.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and medium) when you have already established the run game out of this Y Off Trips Close set to sell the play-action fake.
Pre-snap, check for two deep safeties versus one high. Against one high, the corner route from the trips bunch has a great chance to win over the top since the safety has to respect the vertical from the outside trips receiver.
Hot route the backside receiver into a hitch or slant if you see a corner sitting on the deep out and up route in zone coverage, since that route can get picked off by an underneath zone defender if the QB forces it.
Pair this play in your call sheet with HB Power or Inside Zone from the same set so the run fake actually holds linebacker eyes, then dial up PA Fork once the defense starts cheating up to stop the run.
If the offensive line struggles with protection, use the RB flare as a quick answer against blitzes rather than holding the ball for the deeper corner or vertical routes to develop.
