Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls out of Shotgun Y Off Trips is a zone beating pass concept that isolates the boundary receiver on an isolated curl while the trips side runs a curl and corner combo to stretch the field horizontally and vertically. The backside single receiver runs a quick curl for a hot throw against pressure, while the trips side features a corner route from the outside receiver stacking over a curl route sitting down in the intermediate zone. The RB stays in to help protect on the blitz-heavy look, making this a concept built to find soft spots against zone coverage, with the primary read starting on the trips side curl before working to the corner and then checking down to the backside curl.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the safety alignment: two high safeties usually mean Cover 2 or Cover 4, which invites the corner route over the top of the curl to work as the primary answer. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, since shallow zone drops from the linebackers signal Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone match, both of which leave the curl routes open in the intermediate window. If the cornerback on the trips side is pressed up and shows man leverage, expect the defense to jump the curl route with a user controlled defender, so be ready to work the corner route or backside curl instead. Identify blitz packages by counting defenders in the box, since a heavy box count with only single high safety often means man pressure, which makes this play vulnerable unless the quick backside curl is used as the answer. Beware of a lurking linebacker or user controlled defender sitting in the shallow zone under the curls, since this coverage shell is designed specifically to jump throws to the curl routes and can bait an interception.
Usage Tips
Attack Cover 3 and Cover 2 shells by working the curl to corner combo on the trips side, since the curl sits down right in the linebacker zone drop window while the corner clears out the deep third defender.
Use pre-snap motion or a quick alert to identify if the defense shifts to man coverage, and if so, look to hot route the trips curl into a slant or dig to beat man leverage.
This play excels on second and medium to long yardage situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells and bait underneath throws.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or Deep Stick from the same formation to keep defenses honest, since both concepts look similar pre-snap but attack different levels of the defense.
If you see a nano blitz or heavy pressure look, get the ball out quickly to the backside curl route since it is designed as a built in answer against the blitz.
