The Choice Route


A major part of this offense has always been throwing to the weakside receiver. And you've seen how by using motion we can force defenses to expose a major weakness. It has become the main tool, I like to use to attack this weakness is the choice route. Since this is such an importnant concept to the Run and Shoot offense I'm going to cover the Choice concept first and sepearte from all the other trips formation concepts.

While NCAA 2k5 , Shotgun Spread and Shotgun Trips have a lot of great routes that could be converted into a Run and Shoot Choice route the play that I have like the best is Shotgun Trips Slot Cross.


The choice will always be thrown from a trips formation look.

.......FS...................SS
............................DB
CB................LB.............DB........CB
............ LE.DT.DT.RE
X...........LT.LG.C.RG.RT...............Z
.................................W....Y
.....................Q.S

Assignments for Choice Route:

X:Will be "hotted" to an out,a hook, a slant or he will be allowed to run his fade
W:Runs his 10 yard Crossing route
Y: "Hot" to a hook, I found that by hoting to the hook it forces better horizontal stretch cleaning up the reads among the receivers as they make their breaks vs. leaving him on his crossing route, I found if I leave that default route on, Y and W usually wind up crossing the field together making it easier for the defense to cover and harder for me to read who is open.
Z: Runs his post
S: I will normally hold into block although his check and release to the wide side is a good call especially if the defense is playing deep and not a threat to blitz.


The Reads

Pre-Snap: Pre-snap I want to make sure the defense adjust to the strength of the formation, if they don't then I'll go with a slot screen to Y or run speed option to the trips side.

If the defense has adjusted then, I like to get a feel for how the corner is playing x and make the hot adjustment off of it.

If the cb is tight, I will leave the X's Fade on. I haven't had a chance to incorporate the match-up stick but I would say if its showing your receiver is clearly better than the DB this may become more of a primary option.
If the cb is deep, I will "hot" to a hook route or a slant.
If the cb is at normal depth (usually 5 yards) I "hot" to an out, its been my experience that I throw the out about 90% of the time.

Post Snap vs Coverage:
On the snap, I am reading the coverage of X. If the corner's coverage is not tight I will hit the x as he comes out of his break. If the corner does a great job, I read W crossing to see if he is open, unless its a blitz, 2k5 LBs do a great job of running with this receiver so I normally hit Y on his hook. Z never really becomes a factor, but I always see he breaks open deep and late, it just seems I like to hit the throw to quickly for me to go to wait for Z to break.

I try to roll the QB to X, as it makes hitting the out route easier.

Post Snap vs Blitz:
Since I'm using so many Hot routes with X he is normally the guy I will stick with as his out and slants make excellent blitz handlers .But if the CB plays great, W crossing usually ends up wide open.


Goaline/Short Yardage Choice:
This year I've found that the choice route works even better on the goaline than it did last year. I'm still staying with the same play Shotgun Trips- Slot Cross.

In the tighter confines though I have to make a small adjustment.

Assingments for the Goaline/Short Yardage Choice:
X: The "hotted" slant becomes a major tool but the out is still there.
W: To help the X slant open up even more and because the Crossing route goes to deep to be effective on the goaline, I like hot W to a Hook.
Y: Still "hotted" to a hook
Z: Leave his post on.
S: almost always "hotted" to block on the goaline

Presnap: All the automatics are still on (hit uncovered or checking to a run to strong side if their is no adjustment). As in the field I will study the CB covering X to make a decision if it looks like the "hotted" hook is there as opposed to slant or out.

Post Snap vs coverage: Remain the same reading X to W to Y to Z.

Post Snap vs Blitz: The X slant will really open up here if the defense decides the blitz, provided the recever gets a good break. W,Y however remain solid choices.


Concluding thoughts on the choice routes and concept:

The choice route has been causing that lone backside DB nightmares for 40 years and using the above I like to think I cause the cpu a few nightmares .

I want to call again that there are other great routes out of Shotgun spread and Shotgun trips that can be used instead of the Slot Cross. Obviously by "hotting" routes with a little creativity we can convert a lot of routes in to Choices.