Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Boot Slide is a play-action rollout pass out of Singleback East with 12 personnel that pulls the QB away from the play side pocket to buy time for the boot fake. Off the run fake, the two TEs and WR release into a staggered slide protection concept: one drag crosses underneath, one runs a deep out breaking away from traffic, and the third receiver clears vertically as a deep outlet on the far side. The primary read is the shallow crosser working the drag first, then working through the deep out, with the vertical clear-out as the last resort if the boot buys enough time.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage teams that walk a linebacker out over the drag will struggle to keep pace with the shallow crosser, so this is a strong man beater on early downs. Watch for a hard closing safety who reads the run fake late and jumps outside, since he can undercut the deep out route if he sits in the flat. Zone shells with a flat defender sinking correctly can wall off the boot side, so check the corner depth on the play side before the snap. Post-snap, look for a lurking linebacker sitting in the shallow zone, that user defender can jump the drag route if he stays home instead of biting the run fake. Cover 3 with disciplined edge defenders can contain the QB rollout and force a checkdown, so keying the edge defender's pursuit angle at the snap tells you how much time the boot action really buys.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs or third and short to sell the run fake off Singleback East run concepts like HB Off Tackle or Inside Zone Split so linebackers bite on the play fake.
Check the flow of the linebackers pre-snap, if they are stacked tight to the box the boot action will get you outside the pocket against slower defenders.
Hot route the drag into a deeper crossing route against zone shells if you need to stretch the field horizontally past the flat defender.
Use the rollout to buy time against exotic pressure, since the boot naturally moves the QB away from most edge blitzers off the play side.
Pair this play with HB Slip Screen or Quick Pitch earlier in a drive so the defense respects perimeter run action, which sets up the play fake on PA Boot Slide.
