Read Pass
PRO LEFT, A, LIZ, READ PASS
THIS PLAY COMES FROM THE RUN & SHOOT OFFENSIVE SCHEME. THE PROGRESSION THAT WE HAVE FOUND THAT WORKS BEST IS:
1. GENERALLY WITH THE TB MOTION, THE SECONDARY ADJUSTS TO THE 3 RECEIVER SIDE. WHILE ADJUSTING, THE DEFENDER ON THE SE PLAYS LOOSELY.
2. BEFORE THE SNAP, DURING MOTION, THE QB CHECKS THE DEEP SECONDARY ADJUSTMENT TO MOTION.
3. AT THE SNAP, THE QB PICKS UP THE DEFENDER ASSIGNED TO THE SE. IF THAT DEFENDER IS PLAYING "OFF" THE SE GIVING HIM TOO MUCH CUSHION, THE QB DELIVERS THE BALL TO THE SE WHO IS RUNNING A QUICK (AT 5 YARDS) OUT.
A NOTE ABOUT "READING" - WE BELIEVE THAT THE QB SHOULD LOCATE THE PASS DEFENDER IN A CERTAIN AREA OF THE FIELD. "READING" THE DEFENDER WILL TELL YOU WHO IS OPEN. IN THIS CASE, IF THERE IS "TOO MUCH" CUSHION, THE QB QUICKLY DELIVERS THE BALL TO THE SE. HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? THERE ARE SEVERAL KEY VARIABLES THAT DETERMINE JUST EXACTLY WHAT THE TRIGGER CUSHION WOULD BE: THE SPLIT DISTANCE OF THE SE, THE SPEED AND ABILITY OF THE DEFENDER TO CLOSE, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE QB'S ARM AS WELL AS HIS ABILITY TO GET THE PASS OFF QUICKLY. ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT ON SHORT PASSES ESPECIALLY, THE QB CAN THROW THE BALL FASTER THAN THE DEFENSE CAN REACT TO IT. DELIVERING THE BALL TO THE SIDELINE SHOULDER ALLOWS THE SE TO RECEIVE THE BALL, TUCK IT AWAY, AND CONTINUE UP THE SIDELINE WITH JUST 1 MAN TO BEAT.
4. IF THE SE IS "COVERED" HE IS TO BEND THE ROUTE UP INTO A FLY ROUTE ON THE SIDELINE.
5. WHILE THE SE TURNS UP, THE QB LOCATES THE FS. IF THE FS IS PLAYING ZONE-DEEP-MIDDLE, THE TE WILL BE OPEN COMING ACROSS THE MIDDLE. HE WILL BE MOST OPEN EITHER DIRECTLY OVER THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THE LB'ERS OR LATER AS HE PASSES THE FAR SIDE LB'ER'S DROP. ON THIS PASS TO THE TE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE QB TO "LEAD THE RECEIVER TO THE OPEN AREA." GET THE BALL OUT IN FRONT OF THE RECEIVER. MAKE HIM EXTEND TO RECEIVE THE BALL. IT IS THE JOB OF THE RECEIVERS TO MAKE THE QB LOOK GOOD. THE DEPTH OF THE TE IS VERY IMPORTANT. MOST LB'ERS DROP TO A DEPTH OF ONLY 10 YARDS. RUNNING YOUR ROUTE ACROSS THE FIELD AT 12-15 YARDS MEANS YOU ARE TRAVELING IN THE SEAM BETWEEN DEEP AND UNDERNEATH COVERAGES AND HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING OPEN.
6. THE TE ON THE SNAP RELEASES AND ATTACKS THE FAR SHOULDER OF THE FS. IF THE FS BACKPEDDLES FOR MORE THAN 3 STEPS, ASSUME HE IS PLAYING ZONE. AT A DEPTH OF 12-15 YARDS, BREAK THE PATTERN ACROSS THE FIELD. GET YOUR EYES ON THE QB. THE BALL WILL COME EITHER OVER THE MIDDLE IN FRONT OF THE FS OR AS YOU CLEAR THE FAR SIDE LB'ER. IF THE FS "STEPS UP" TO COVER YOU MAN-TO-MAN, TAKE YOUR PATTERN DEEP (20-25+ YARDS) THROUGH THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER OF THE FS. YOUR PATTERN SHOULD APPROACH, BUT NOT REACH THE FAR SEAM.
7. IF THE FS PLAYS MAN, THE QB SCANS TO THE WB. ASSUMING THE CB IS ALSO PLAYING MAN, THE QB LOOKS TO HIT THE WB IN THE SEAM ON A POST ROUTE.
8. THE WB ON THE SNAP DRIVES TO THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER OF THE DEFENDER TO DETERMINE WHAT COVERAGE (MAN/ZONE) AND TO WIDEN HIM IN HIS DROP. AT A DEPTH OF 8-10 YARDS, THE WB CUTS TO A POST ROUTE. IF THEY ARE PLAYING ZONE, THE WB "SITS DOWN" IN THE SEAM AT A DEPTH OF 13-15 YARDS AND WORKS IN OR OUT TO GET A GOOD THROWING LANE TO THE QB. ALWAYS STEP BACK TO THE QB TO RECEIVE THE BALL. IF THEY ARE PLAYING MAN, THE WB TAKES HIS PATTERN TO THE POST THROUGH THE SEAM.
9. IF ALL ELSE FAILS THE QB LOOKS FOR THE TB RUNNING A SHORT CIRCLE ROUTE OVER THE MIDDLE UNDER THE LB'ERS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT INTO PASS COVERAGE.
10. THE TB COMING OFF MOTION IS TO BLOCK THE DE FOR 3 COUNTS FORCING HIM TO THE OUTSIDE. ONLY THEN DOES HE RELEASE TO CIRCLE OVER THE MIDDLE.
11. THE FB IS TO BLOCK FRONTSIDE DE FOR 3 COUNTS, THEN RELEASE TO THE FLAT. YOU MUST TAKE AN INSIDE OUT POSITION ON THE DE TO FORCE HIM DEEP AND WIDE.
NOTE: IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE RECEIVERS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE REFERENCE POINTS ARE ON THE FIELD. A CORRECTLY RUN POST LOOKS LIKE THE ONE ON THE NEXT PAGE, UPPER LEFT A CORECTLY RUN ROUTE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE GOAL POST DEEP.
AN INCORRECT POST LOOKS LIKE THE ONE ABOVE RIGHT. THE FAULTY ROUTE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH OTHER DEFENDERS' ZONE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDELINES. THIS IS NOT A POST ROUTE.
WHILE SEEMINGLY VERY COMPLICATED, IT TRULY ISN'T. WITH REPEATED PRACTICE THE QB BECOMES INCREASINGLY COMFORTABLE, AND AS HE GETS TO KNOW HIS RECEIVERS, THE COMPLETIONS RISE ACCORDINGLY.
OFTEN THE PRE-SNAP-READ OF THE QB WILL INDICATE THE TYPE OF COVERAGE AND MAKE THE DECISION PROCESS EASIER.
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