Playbooks
Overview
Trips Close is a Singleback look from 11 personnel that condenses a three-man surface to one side of the formation in tight splits. The lone backside receiver is left isolated on the weak side. Most trips sets spread the slot receivers wide to stretch the field horizontally. This set keeps the trips side compressed near the core, which creates natural stacks and rub angles. It also leaves outside leverage open for receivers breaking toward the sideline. The tight alignment makes it harder for defenders to press cleanly and forces defenses to declare how they will handle the three-receiver surface before the snap.
The personnel package gives you a legitimate run threat with the single back. HB Duo, HB Stretch, and HB Draw all pair well with a condensed surface that adds bodies near the box for blocking angles. When the defense adds a defender to the trips side to account for the bunch, the backside receiver gets true isolation. That matchup is ideal for Slants, Corner Double In, and quick one-on-one throws against a lone corner. If the defense stays balanced, the trips side outnumbers the coverage for Flood and Stick concepts.
The Gadget and SLWR tags point to the motion package. Mtn Slot Option, Mtn Insert Zone Wk, and Mtn PA Boot Insert use pre-snap movement to reveal coverage, shift the run fit, and set up misdirection. Combined with PA Flood and PA Boot Lt, the set can show run early in a game and then punish aggressive linebackers and safeties with play-action rollouts to the flat and deep crossers.
Strengths
- The condensed trips surface creates built-in rubs and pick angles on plays like Inside Cross and Corner Double In, making it a reliable man beater against Cover 1 and Cover 0 without needing extra hot routes.
- PA Flood and Stick overload the trips side with three levels of routes, stressing Cover 3 and Cover 4 flat and curl defenders and giving you clean high to low reads.
- The isolated backside receiver draws true one-on-one coverage whenever the defense rolls help to the trips side, so quick Slants or a hot-routed fade become easy checks against single high looks.
- Motion plays such as Mtn Slot Option and Mtn Insert Zone Wk reveal man or zone pre-snap based on who follows the motion, and the insert motion adds a lead blocker to shift the run fit in your favor.
- HB Duo, HB Stretch, and HB Draw give the set a balanced run and pass identity, which keeps defenses from sitting in dime or nickel and makes the PA Boot concepts far more effective.
Weaknesses
- The compressed splits bring extra defenders closer to the box, so overload and nano blitz packages from the trips side can get home quickly before bunch routes clear.
- A user-controlled linebacker or safety sitting in the middle hook can undercut Inside Cross and Stick timing throws, since many of the route combos converge in the same short middle window.
- Cover 2 Match and Cover 3 Buzz style zones with sticky flat defenders can smother the trips side, which forces you back to the backside isolation and makes you predictable.
- Only one receiver lines up on the backside, so bracket coverage or a shaded safety over the top can take away the isolation throw and leave you with few quick answers to that side.
- Motion plays add time before the snap and can tip your intent, and savvy opponents who study your tendencies will read the insert motion as a run or boot indicator and adjust their linebacker assignments.
Usage Tips
Use Mtn Slot Option or Mtn Insert Zone Wk on early downs as a pre-snap read: if a defender follows the motion across, check to Inside Cross or Corner Double In as your man beater, and if no one follows, target the zone voids with PA Flood or Stick.
On 3rd and short to medium, Stick is the go-to call because it gives a quick option route in front of the sticks with a flat outlet, and you can hot route the backside receiver to a slant for a fast throw against the blitz.
When you see a single high safety rotated toward the trips side, audible to Slants or hot route the isolated receiver to a fade to attack the lone corner before help can arrive.
Establish HB Duo and HB Stretch against light boxes first, then attack aggressive linebackers with PA Boot Lt and Mtn PA Boot Insert, rolling out and reading the flat to the deep crosser.
Against heavy pressure looks, slide protection toward the overload side or keep the tight end in to block, and call HB Draw to punish defenders who rush upfield out of their gaps.
