Playbooks
At a Glance
In 21 playbooks
Overview
Y Trips Wk puts three receivers to the weak side of the formation with the tight end aligned as the inside trips member, giving you a compressed cluster on one side and a lone X isolated on the backside. That weak side declaration matters: because the trips are set away from the strength the defense usually declares to, you frequently catch nickel and dime shells rotating late, which tips coverage before the snap. Compared to standard Y Trips or Trips TE sets in Shotgun, the weak alignment shifts the run box and forces the defense to either walk a linebacker over the cluster (opening interior run lanes for Inside Zone, 5 6 Trap, and HB Counter) or leave the slot defenders outnumbered against the route stack.
The 11 personnel package is the engine here. One running back and one tight end means you keep three legitimate route runners on the field while retaining a real gap scheme run threat, so the defense cannot commit to a pure pass shell without risking HB Mid Draw, Read Option, or QB Wrap. Put your best route running tight end in the Y slot and he becomes a mismatch against a linebacker or slot corner on Y Fork, Y Trail, Y Corner H Option, and Drive Y Seam. The isolated X on the backside is where this set really pays: Curls X Go, Dig X Comeback, and Goalline Fade give you clean one on one isolation reads against man coverage with no help defender in the throwing window.
Concept depth in Y Trips Wk is among the best in the game. You get a full West Coast timing tree (Curls, Comebacks, Levels Y Out, Fl Dig, Packer Unders), verticals and shot plays off play action (PA Shot Corner, PA Shot Go's, PA Post Cross Shot, Four Verticals Fix), a complete RPO package (RPO Peek Slant, RPO Zone Peek, RPO Base Alert Lookie, RPO Buck Alert Smoke, Mtn RPO Base Alert Smash), and gadget answers with Reverse, WR Screen, HB Slip Screen, HB Cross Screen, and WR Mid Screen. That range means you can run 20 plays out of the same look and never let your opponent settle into a coverage tendency.
Strengths
- Trips cluster to the weak side creates natural leverage conflicts for zone defenders, and flood concepts like Strong Flood, Y Cross Flood, and Cheat Strong Flood put three levels into one hook zone against Cover 3 and Cover 4 drops.
- Elite man beater library: Levels Switch, Cheat Slot Cross, Philly Slot Cross, Y Shallow Cross, and Mtn Mesh all generate rub and switch releases inside the cluster that break man coverage without any hot route input.
- Isolated backside X gives you a pure one on one every snap, so Curls X Go, Dig X Comeback, and Slot Fade become high percentage reads once you diagnose man pre snap by motioning the outside trips receiver.
- Deep RPO and play action package (RPO Zone Peek, RPO Buck Alert Smoke, PA Read, PA Under, PA Shot Go's) keeps the second level frozen and punishes users who crash the box against Inside Zone and Outside Zone.
- Screen and gadget answers built into the set: WR Screen and RPO Buck Alert Smoke to the trips side use the cluster as instant blockers, while Reverse and HB Cross Screen reset the edge against aggressive edge blitzers.
Weaknesses
- Only one back in protection with 11 personnel, so A gap and overload blitzes from the trips side get home fast on the deeper concepts like Four Verticals, PA Shot Corner, and Empty Post Dagger.
- The trips cluster is easy to press bail, and a user controlled slot defender sitting on the inside stems can wall off Stick, Y Stick HB Angle, and Quick Fork Zig before the throw develops.
- Weak side declaration means your run game is often attacking away from the extra defender, so Inside Zone and HB Draw stall against defenses that shift their line toward the cluster.
- Heavy reliance on the same slot and tight end targets makes tendencies obvious, and opponents who user the flat or hook zone over the cluster take away the entire short game.
- Empty variants (Empty Post Cross, Empty Post Cross Wheel, Empty Post Dagger) leave zero help against nano blitz looks and force you to hot route a receiver into protection, which kills the concept.
Usage Tips
Motion the outside trips receiver across the formation pre snap: if a defender travels with him you are in man and should attack with Levels Switch, Cheat Crossers, or the isolated backside route on Curls X Go, and if the shell stays static hit the flood and curl concepts.
On third and medium, run Levels Y Out or Y Corner H Option and read the flat defender first, then work back to the tight end sitting in the void behind the linebacker drops.
Against single high looks, use PA Shot Go's or PA Post Cross Shot after establishing Inside Zone and Read Option so the safety bites on the run fake and vacates the deep middle.
Pair Stick with a streak hot route on the outside trips receiver to clear the corner, then dump the Stick underneath against Cover 3 and match coverages.
Keep your best blocking back in for the shot plays and check protection to slide toward the trips side when you see a linebacker creeping over the cluster, since that is where the pressure originates most often in this alignment.
In goal line and red zone situations, Goalline Fade and Slot Fade isolate your best jump ball receiver with no inside help, and Y Fork gives you a soft option route against zone.
