Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Y-Trail is a trips formation drive/trail concept out of Singleback Y Trips TE Slot with 12 personnel. From the diagram, both isolated X receivers on the left and far right run vertical routes up the sideline to stretch the deep coverage, the slot Y runs a deep dig/crosser breaking left across the field, the TE aligned inline releases on a corner route that climbs from the trips side, and the HB releases out of the backfield on a swing/flat route to the left as a check-down and pass protection outlet. The blocking scheme keeps the offensive line in a standard pass set while the HB flares out, giving this the look of a man beater built around the trail crosser working underneath the vertical stems to create natural rub separation. The primary read progression starts with the TE corner route against man coverage, works down to the Y trail crosser sitting down in the zone void, and ends with the HB swing as the check-down against a hard pass rush or when both levels are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing man or zone based on cornerback depth on the outside verticals, since tight press alignment signals man coverage that the trail crosser will beat. Check the safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety rotating toward the trips side leaves the backside vertical on an island and the TE corner route working into that vacated space. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker or nickel defender assigned to the Y trail route, if he sinks with the crosser and gets a good jam this play stalls out and the HB swing becomes the only outlet. Watch for a user-controlled defender sitting in the shallow crosser lane, also known as a lurk technique, since that will jump the trail route and bait a turnover if the quarterback throws it on time without checking the sit-down defender. Cover 2 with aggressive corner jams on the outside verticals can disrupt route timing at the top, so if you see that shell, get the ball out early to the trail crosser before the underneath defenders can react.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety looks pre-snap since the TE corner route and streaking X receivers punish Cover 3 and Cover 1 rotations that leave one defender deep on the trips side.
If the defense shows two high shells, prioritize the Y trail crosser sitting behind the linebackers since it settles into the soft spot of Cover 2 and Cover 4 zones.
Use motion or a hot route to check the HB into a stay-in-block assignment against heavy blitz looks since the swing route will not develop in time against a five or six man rush.
Pair this play with Four Verticals and Sluggo Seam from the same set so the defense has to respect the deep shots every snap, which opens up the trail crosser underneath once safeties start jumping the verticals.
Best called on second and medium to second and long or third and medium since the trail route needs a beat to develop and the sideline verticals need room to operate against soft coverage.
