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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
PA Y-Out runs out of Shotgun Y Trips Wk with a play-action fake to hold the linebackers before the QB works the pass concept. The backside X receiver runs a deep go route up the sideline while the play-side receivers in the trips bunch attack the middle with an out breaking route sitting underneath a vertical seam route, and the Y (TE) releases into a shallow out route just past the line to give the QB a quick underneath option. This is a play-action shot play designed to attack single high and split safety zone shells, with the primary read progression starting on the deep go route for a big play shot, working down to the seam/vertical route in the intermediate area, and finishing with the Y out route as the checkdown against soft zone coverage or if the shot routes are covered.
Defensive Reads
Read the play-side safety pre-snap: if he is cheating toward the trips side, expect two-deep zone coverage and look to attack the vacated seam behind the underneath linebackers. Watch the flat or curl-to-flat defender at the snap, since he is the key defender on the Y out route and will determine if that shallow throw is open or covered. Identify man coverage by checking if a defender follows the Y in motion or shifts with the trips bunch pre-snap, which tells you the out route will likely be contested and the go route may have better one-on-one leverage. Beware of a nano blitz or delayed linebacker blitz up the middle, since play-action concepts like this are vulnerable to interior pressure that beats the offensive line before the fake sells. Look for a single high safety rotating late to the deep go route side, which signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 and means the underneath seam and out routes become the higher percentage throws instead of forcing the deep shot.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs like first or second and short to medium yardage so the play-action fake actually holds the linebackers and freezes run support defenders.
Check the safety alignment pre-snap: if you see two high safeties with soft zone underneath, prioritize the vertical seam route since it will split the zone; if you see single high, target the backside go route for an explosive shot play.
Hot route the Y out route into a flat or drag if you diagnose man coverage with a slot corner sitting in the trips bunch, since the shallow out can get picked or jumped by an underneath defender in man.
Pair this play with Curls X Go or Y Fork from the same set to keep the defense guessing between shot plays and quick game concepts, forcing linebackers to respect both the play-action fake and quick throws.
Avoid calling this on third and long against Cover 3 with a sky safety rotation, since the flat defender can sit on the Y out route and the deep go can get bracketed by the corner and rotating safety.
