Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Ctr Waggle is a play-action boot concept out of Singleback Ace 12 personnel that sells a center run fake before the QB rolls right off the fake. The backside X runs a deep corner route from the far left, the TE off the line runs a deep in breaking crosser working underneath the corner, and the near TE releases into a shallow flat drag that carries across the formation. On the play-action side, the Y (TE) runs a boot flat route working the sideline as the checkdown while the FB or blocking TE stays in to help protect the edge. This is a play-action man beater and zone beater designed to hit the flat first and work back to the deep in route, with the corner route serving as the low percentage home run shot against busted coverage.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash hard on the run fake the flat and shallow drag will be wide open behind them. Key the flat defender first, if he stays home on the waggle flat the QB should immediately climb the progression to the deep in route. Identify single high safety alignment pre snap since it signals man or Cover 3, both of which are vulnerable to the deep corner route if the safety commits to run support. Beware of a user controlled defender spying the QB on the boot since a disciplined edge defender can blow up the naked side of the play before the fake sells. Cover 2 with hard flat corners is the toughest shell for this concept since it clogs both the flat and the underneath crosser windows simultaneously.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs, first or second and short to medium, when the run fake is most believable to the defense.
Check pre snap for single high shells since the corner route can hit over the top if the deep safety bites on the run action.
Use the boot flat route as your first read against zone since it settles into the void the linebackers vacate on the run fake.
If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, work the deep in breaker on the crosser since it will separate late against trailing defenders.
Pair this with HB Dive or Inside Zone earlier in a series so the defense respects the run fake, then hit this waggle concept to punish overaggressive linebacker flow.
