Playbooks

PA Read Smash

Shotgun·Y Off Trips·11

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Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetY Off Trips

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 1 playbook

Spread Classic

Breakdown

PA Read Smash is a play-action smash concept out of the Shotgun Y Off Trips set, designed to attack the underneath and intermediate zones with a high low read on one side of the field while selling the run fake to hold linebackers and safeties. The trips side gives you a smash combo (short hitch or flat route paired with a corner route) that stresses a single defender in the flat, while the backside typically offers a breakout or dig as a man beater against tight coverage. The primary read progression starts with the corner route over the smash flat, then works to the backside breakout if the safety rotates over the top, using the play-action fake as the trigger to hold the second level long enough for the corner to uncover.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment, since two deep safeties cheating toward the trips side signal a zone shell that the smash combo is designed to beat. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they bite hard on the play-action fake you get a clean throwing window over the middle for the backside route. Post-snap, key the flat defender's reaction to the underneath route, if he sits on the shallow route the corner route behind him should be open for a big gain. Beware of a user controlled safety sitting deep in the middle or lurking the corner route, since a rangy defender can bait you into a turnover if you throw the corner route into double coverage. Against man coverage with press corners, look for the backside breakout or slant route to win quickly before the pass rush closes, since man coverage collapses the smash combo's spacing advantage.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs when you have run tendencies established, since the play-action fake only holds linebackers if you have run HB Zone Toss, Duo, or Inside Zone earlier in the sequence to sell the run threat.

Identify two high safety shells before the snap, since Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells leave the flat defender in conflict on the smash combo, which is exactly what you want against zone coverage.

If you see man coverage with a single high safety, hot route the backside route into a quick breaker or slant to give yourself a fast man beater instead of waiting on the developing corner route.

Pair this call with Bounce Y Stick or Whip Smash in the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and play-action shots off similar formation and personnel looks.

Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages unless you have a hot route ready for the running back to check into a flat release, since the play-action fake slows your protection.