Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Slip Screen out of Singleback Doubles Y Off is a screen pass built to punish aggressive pass rushes and blitz-heavy defenses. The four outside receivers all run vertical stem routes to clear out the underneath defenders and hold the corners and safeties deep, while the HB slips out to the flat behind a wall of blockers forming up front. This is a classic screen play, not a zone or man beater in the traditional route-combo sense, it beats pressure by design since the whole concept lives or dies on the defensive line getting up field. The primary read is simply getting the ball to the HB in the flat once the blockers are set, there is no progression through the vertical routes on this call.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify blitz indicators like linebackers creeping to the line or safeties rotating down, this play is designed to gash exactly that look. If you are on defense, do not let your user-controlled defender bite on the vertical releases, spy the backfield instead and look for the HB slipping out. Watch for Cover 0 or man press shells, aggressive corners jumping the outside routes leave the flat wide open for the screen. Zone defenses with linebackers sitting in short zones or a defensive lineman dropping into a spy can blow this play up by sniffing out the screen and closing the passing lane before blockers get set. On offense, if you see a defender spying the HB or a linebacker hanging back instead of rushing, abort the screen read and check down or throw off the play design since the defense has diagnosed it.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you diagnose a blitz pre-snap, especially overload pressures or nano blitzes that send extra rushers off the edge.
Let your linemen get set before throwing, if you rush the throw the HB will be running behind his blockers instead of using them.
Use the four vertical releases to bait aggressive corners into jumping routes, if the defense shows Cover 0 or man press this play punishes that aggression immediately.
Mix this in after calling Four Verticals or PA WR Out from the same set, defenses that start keying on your vertical passing concepts will overrun the play and get gashed by the screen.
Best used on early downs or third and short when defenses are more likely to bring pressure, avoid calling it into soft zone shells where defenders can sit and read the screen develop.
