Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
HB Cross Screen out of Shotgun Y Trips Wk is a designed screen pass built to attack aggressive pass rushes and man coverage with numbers in space. The three receivers to the trips side run vertical or crossing routes to pull defenders and clear the underneath area while the offensive line sets up a screen wall to the opposite side, letting the HB slip out and cross the field behind the blockers. This is a screen play at its core, functioning as both a man beater against blitz-heavy fronts and a change of pace call, with the primary read being the HB out of the backfield first, then peeking to the trips side crossers only if the screen is sniffed out.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check for blitz indicators like linebackers creeping to the line or a defensive back showing walk-up pressure, since aggressive fronts are the primary trigger for calling this screen. Watch safety depth and shell type, a two high shell with soft zone linebackers sitting underneath is the biggest threat to this play because those defenders can read the screen and close space quickly. Post-snap key any user-controlled defender spying the backfield or sitting in a lurk technique near the line of scrimmage, since a smart user can jump the screen lane and blow up the HB before the wall forms. Man coverage with off-ball linebackers chasing the trips side crossers is exactly what this screen wants, since it pulls those defenders away from the HB release point. Zone defenses with disciplined linebacker drops or a defense showing Tampa 2 with a rat in the middle of the field can sit on the screen and force a checkdown into traffic, so avoid this call against those shells unless you have already set up the tendency with other screens.
Usage Tips
Call this play on early downs or in second and long situations where defenses expect a dropback pass and are more likely to bring pressure.
Before the snap identify if the defense is showing blitz or crashing the edge, since fast pursuit from the defensive line and linebackers actually helps the screen develop by removing defenders from the throwing lane.
Let the play fully develop before throwing, do not force the HB Cross Screen against a spy or a defense sitting in a soft zone shell, since those alignments allow defenders to read screen and jump the route.
Pair this call with HB Slip Screen and WR Screen earlier in a drive to condition the defense into keying screens, then hit them with RPO Buck Alert Smoke or PA Y-Out from the same Y Trips Wk set once they start crashing hard.
Use the trips side crossers as a manual outlet by switching user control to a linebacker in man coverage if you see the HB getting picked off at the line, since blown screen reads can be bailed out with a check to the shallow crosser.
