Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Close PA Sail is a play-action pass out of Singleback Wing 12 personnel that shows run action before the QB rolls into a sail concept to the closed side. The backside receiver runs a deep dig or comeback breaking to the boundary while the closed side stacks three levels: a deep corner route, an intermediate out from the TE, and an underneath flat route from the fullback or H-back out of the backfield. The primary read progression starts high to low on the sail side, working from the corner route down to the flat, with the backside dig available as a hot answer if the defense rolls coverage away from the play-action fake.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender at the snap: if he sits and reads run instead of shuffling with the fullback release, that confirms the run fake is holding the second level for the sail concept. Key the deep third defender to the closed side: if he widens with the corner route immediately, the underneath flat and out combo will be uncontested. Identify the Mike linebacker's depth before the snap: shallow linebackers who crash on the play-action fake open up the intermediate out route for an easy completion. Look for a lurking safety sitting in the passing lane behind the corner route, since this is the biggest threat to disrupt the deep shot on this concept. Diagnose blitz packages pre-snap: if the defense brings pressure off the edge into the rollout side, the QB loses his half rollout escape lane and the sail concept collapses quickly.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs when the defense is keying run fits, since the play-action fake to the backfield holds linebackers and safeties for an extra beat.
Check the safety alignment pre-snap: if you see two high safeties sitting deep, attack the flat and out routes underneath since Cover 2 corners will sink and leave the shallow window open.
Against Cover 3, work the deep corner route first since the flat defender is often the same man responsible for the deep third, creating a natural high low conflict.
Hot route the backside receiver into a deeper comeback if you diagnose man coverage, since it clears the corner and creates separation off the play-action rollout.
Pair this with PA Y-Drag Wheel or Close PA Cross earlier in a series so the defense respects the same backfield action, then hit them with the sail concept once they start jumping the underneath routes.
