Every coach wants to get the ball to their best athlete and at the receiver position this is no exception. There is also no frustration quite like trying to call pass plays to get the ball to this person and then your QB throws it elsewhere! But when it works, we feel like geniuses because the results are so amazing. In order to get the ball to my best receiver, I have found this simple great pass play that consistently allows my QB to feel comfortable getting the ball out quickly to this athlete and then letting them use their abilities to make great things happen!
This play works great against zone and man defense. It is also simple to run with any level of quarterback. This play is also know in Run and Shoot circles as the "Go" Pass Play. It was virtually unstoppable when run back in the Run and Shoot heyday! It is a very simple play that I call a couple times a game at least. It is a Trips route where the Z receiver runs a 1 or "Out" route. The F runs either a Post or Seam depending on the high safeties and the X runs a Go route with a mandatory outside release. The QB sprints out to the right reading first the Seam/Post, then the Go. If both routes after the snap are covered by defenders over the top or if the receiver gets collisioned and slowed up he quickly checks down to the Out route. I place my best receiver at the Z receiver position because the majority of good defenses will have solid deep coverage over the top and will give me a quick out. I really encourage my QB to check off the vertical quickly with any kind of threat to the vertical routes. Then with the ball delivered quickly to my best receiver he should have room to run.
If you are wondering what the other terms on the play are all about, you have to check out National Football Acadamies incredible resources on Coaching Quarterbacks using R4. Darin Slack and Dub Maddox are absolutely the best at what they do with the passing game. Check them out here!
Here is the route against two high safeties.
Here's the route against a single high safety.
To get even more out of this play you can add motion in from a 2×2 formation. This forces the defense to be thinking about how they will adjust to trips and be less set in their trips adjustment which could lead to more chances of a big play.
The final adjustment that you can make is when defenses cover both the F and Z receivers. Have your Z line up right next to your F. When he breaks out he will be breaking behind the F's Seam or Post which will create a natural pick or rub freeing him up from his defender. Here's how this will look.
Good luck and enjoy!
