1. THE ‘PISTOL’ Pass Game – Play Action Quick & Dropback
Kyle Hockman
Head Football Coach
Campbell High School, Smyrna, GA

2. Pass Game Overview Naked Boot Sprint Draw Pass Sprint Out
Quick Game - 1 step from Pistol
Dropback – 3 step (or 5 step) from Pistol

3. Play Action Naked, Boot, Waggle… Love to get QB outside – vision.
Distortion of coverage integrity.
PA off exact play – LB’s can’t handle it.
-counter trey and zone
Modify as game plan dictates.
Simple progression reads by QB.

4. Zone Naked Fake Zone play one way Roll opposite
Block the Play w/o going downfield
No blockers in front of QB
Pistol
- catch, steps, extend ball
pull ball to crease of leg
Accelerate off fake

5. Counter Boot Fake Counter play one way Roll opposite
Block the Play w/o going downfield
No blockers in front of QB
Pistol
- catch, spin, extend ball
pull ball to crease of leg
Accelerate off fake

6. Flood Y Corner

7. QB TECHNIQUES show ball then pull to body very quick.
Hide ball in crease of the leg.
Always keep ball in throwing hand.
After fake, take 1st step for depth and snap eyes to kill zone.
Take what defense gives you.
After release, follow flight path of the ball.

8. QB Ball Handling

9. RB Technique Faker Roll shoulder with hands in pocket.
Shake slightly, keep running, get tackled.
Chipper
Run through path of rusher - “kill zone”. Cross face of blitzer.
Get width, don’t worry with depth.

10. RB Tech.

11. Naked 20 20 10 10 304 Country = reverse progression 3rd 1st Presnap
Find window vs. zone, run vs. man cov.
POR! 10 10
2nd 2nd .
1st 3rd
Chip #1 #2
QB-show ball, keeping throwing hand on the laces, come fake with eyes to flat Q #1 #2
Great Fake TB! #3

12. Naked Cross

13. Naked Comeback 20 20
1st
3rd
Can Reverse Progression vs. displaced FS.
Stop before #’s vs. zone, stair step vs. man 10 10
2nd . #1 #2
QB-show ball, keeping throwing hand on the laces, come fake with eyes CB, hang on him longer than normal. Q #1 #2
Great Fake TB! #3

14. Naked Change 20 20
Alt-wheel = Bench stay in to block & QB reverse progression
Presnap
Find window vs. zone, run vs. man cov.
3rd 1st
POR! 10 10
2nd 2nd .
1st 3rd #1 #2 #1
QB-show ball, keeping throwing hand on the laces, come fake with eyes to flat Q #2
Great Fake TB! #3

15. Boot Flood
1 0 G
3rd
2nd
POR!
1st
#2=OUT
BS #1=Flat 8
#3=Bench
#1=9

16. Flood

17. QUICK PROTECTION OL’s squeeze to inside gap staying square.
DO NOT give any ground.
RB’s cut inside thigh of the 1st defender to show outside OT (must get hands down).
B go to SE side, unless in ‘Heavy/wing’ set.
(A goes opposite B or one back,TE)
TE in pattern, unless 3 wr’s, then he becomes the other blocker.

18. QUICK vs. 4-4
W M S R E E N T
RB’s 1st thing outside OT.
OG away from C call (w/ 3 tech.) make squeeze call to OT. Both checking near LB.
Center makes directional call to near technique and checks to near LB.

19. Quick Protection

20. QUICK PASSING GAME 1step out of Pistol. #1 (mirrored) #2 (complement)
Usually called as CWM (check with LOS).
standard two digit call = mirror routes by #1 receivers with a complementary route by #2. (hitch w/ seam)
#1 (mirrored)
#2 (complement)
= Hitch = Out = Slant = Fade
Seam Seam Flat Qk Out
(Wr = hitch)
(Wr = bubble)

21. Hitches 1 0 G QB – where to throw…
1st - Best lane, then best match up, then to boundry, then to throwing side.
Convert to Fade vs. hard / press corner
In/out read with 2 wr’s running it. Quick decision, throw on 3rd step.

22. Hitch

23. Outs 1 0 G QB – where to throw…
1st - Best lane, then best match up, then to boundry, then to throwing side.
Convert to Fade vs. hard / press corner
In/out read with 2 wr’s running it. Quick decision, throw on 3rd step.

24. Slants 1 0 G QB – where to throw…
1st – Generally working 2 receiver side, In/out read. Quick decision, throw on 3rd step. Hang on 3rd step if needed.
1 0 G
Vs. Press 4 steps to shake DB, & get inside, not up field.

25. Slant

26. Fades 1 0 G QB – where to throw…
1st – best match up, then to field, two receiver side.
1 0
CWM…great match up vs. tight corner.
w/ 2 WR read Hi/Lo on corner. G

27. Fades

28. Double Slant
1 0 G
Double Slant

29. BASE PROTECTION 7-man check
Man protection.
OL’s have 4 “bigs” and the Mike.
Rb’s have OLB’s to secondary blitzers to release into route.
QB must ID “Mike” and vs. 50 the “Ollie” with directional call
QB must take care of 3 and 4 both coming from same side. (8 man front, 0 hi safeties, check 90’s)
If only one of the two come (3 or 4) then we’re fine. (1 hi)
If 3 & 4 come but drop DL then should be fine. (fire zone)
70’s same for OL’s

30. BASE with HOT RELEASE
This (70’s) is the same as our base protection (60’s). The only difference is we free release one of the backs (or sub 3rd WR or 2nd TE for him).
The defenders he was responsible for are now “HOT”. The QB & receivers will point them out presnap (point even on run calls to dummy). If they blitz, the QB will abort drop and the “HOT” receiver(s) will look for the ball now! If the receiver has to adjust his route for this we call it a “SIGHT ADJUSTMENT”.

31. BASE vs. 4-3
W M S
Check any secondary blitzer from his side of center.
Check any secondary blitzer from his side of center. E E T T
Center makes directional call to near technique and QB determines the Mike Linebacker. (middle of 3)

32. BASE vs. skewed LB’s W M S E E N T
Center makes directional call to near technique and QB determines the Mike Linebacker.
QB- 3 LB’s = middle of the three is the Mike.

33. BASE vs. 4-4 W M S R FS moves strong, check 90’s.(back) E E N T
Dual read inside/out.
Center makes directional call to near technique and QB determines the Mike Linebacker.
QB- 1 hi safety = Mike to boundary or weak side. Predetermined call can be made to certain side.

34. BASE vs. 50 / 3-4 M S SS Ollie E B B E N
Check any secondary blitzer from his side of center.
Ollie E B B E N
Check any secondary blitzer from his side of center.
QB - 1 hi safety = Mike weak, just like Can make predetermined call in huddle. Center make directional call guard to Mike side for help. Other guard on #1 DL. RB’s adjust from Mike, taking any blitzer on his side other than Mike.

35. BASE vs. 50 / 3-4 - 2 HI SS FS W M Ollie E B B E N
Check any secondary blitzer from his side of center.
Ollie E B B E N
Check any secondary blitzer from his side of center.
QB - 2 hi safeties = Mike strong. Center make directional call guard to Mike side for help. Other guard on #1 DL. RB’s adjust from Mike, taking any blitzer on his side other than Mike.

36. Base Protection

37. Hank 20 20 10 10 4/7 Q 4/7 . #2 #1 #3 Flat Flat Seam/Hook 25 25
Reading hard/soft corner
Reading hard/soft corner
Reading closed/open middle #2
1 hi-M jumps TE 2 hi-FS jumps TE #2
1 hi-S jumps TE 2 hi-SS jumps TE 10 10 . #3
Flat defender deep #1
1 hi - ILB’s split 2 hi - safeties stays on hash. #3
Flat defender deep
4/7 #2 #1 #3
QB Reads
Protection responsibility- 260’s, if 0 hi safeties w/ 8 man box, check to 90 game.
Pre-snap key- 1 hi = mike, 2 hi = FS
Progression - hook/seam - curl/cor - flat inside out triangle. Could go outside in w/ call Q
Seam/Hook
4/7
Flat
Sight adjust
Flat
Alternate protection -170

38. Hank

39. Shallow 20
Theory -same for QB as Z Pivot, again thinking stretch defense horizontally. WE are just switching #1’s in the same spots. 20 FS
Pre-snap only - if out leveraging near safety. SS 10 10
3rd .
Hot - must be front side hot - inside blitz hot #1, outside blitz hot #3 C C
W M S
2nd
1st #1 #2 Q
Flat or flare #1
#1 - 5 yd split from OT
4th #2 #3
5 step drop
#1 - 5 yd split from OT

40. Pivot
Theory - out leverage flat defender with #3 route (flat/flare). This should be someone you want to get the ball to. Force the defense to defend horizontally first! Then come back inside moving to 2nd,3rd & 4th reads. 20 20 FS
Pre-snap only - if out leveraging near safety. SS 10 10 .
Hot - must be front side hot - inside blitz hot #1, outside blitz hot #3 C C
W M S
QB - Think blitz responsibility first. Point to hot defenders. Inside hot #1, outside hot #3.
NO blitz - 1st = flat - out flank flat defender.
2nd = pivot - open in window.
3rd = over - open in window.
4th = flare - out flank flat defender.
Pre Snap look - if #2 out flanks near safety, peak there first.
#1=Pivot, run at 1st defender run with flat, make him run the hump.
#2=Corner, DO NOT get held up, be physical through the ‘pivot’ area.
#3=flat, run through the feet of #1’s alignment working to 3 yds on the boundry. If flare, take three hard steps to sideline then look over shoulder for the ball while running for width. Let the ball bring toward the LOS.
#1 BS - Over, find window 3-5 over the ball.
#2 BS - Flare after check release, work for width.
3rd
2nd
1st #1 #2
Can change backside combo to most any in/out concept. (timing?) Q
Flat or flare #1
4th #2 #3
5 step drop
#1 - 5 yd split from OT

41. Drive 20
Theory -Start here, hi/lo weak backers with someone in each window. Never throw shallow until on other side of ball. Dig can work two windows based on LB drops, stay on the run vs. man. 20 FS
Hardly ever get there, alert QB if has been wide open with a tag or on sideline.
4th
2nd SS 10 10 .
3rd C C
W M S
1st #1 #2 Q #1
Hot- must be weak side. #1 “hot 2”, no hot take the top off. #2 #3
5 step drop
#1 - 5 yd split from OT

42. Seam 20 20 10 10 9/5 hash read Q hash 9/5 drag SS FS . C C S M W
Reading closed/open middle 18 18
Never come off hash
Reading hard/soft corner
Reading hard/soft corner SS
# SS jumps seam reset & stroke 9/5 #1
FS off hash -choke & stroke(18-22)
# FS jumps hash stroke seam FS 10 10 . C C
S M W
# OLB deep under 5, reset dump to drag.
QB Reads
protection responsibility- 80’s hot off any two blitzers on strong side
Pre-snap key- open/closed middle to strong side safety.
Progression - hash/seam read/9-5/spot
Sight adjust
9/5
hash read Y X W
QB Reads
Protection responsibility- 280’s sight off any two blitzers on strong side. (sort if M strong)
Pre-snap key- open/closed middle to strong side safety.
Progression - hash/seam read/9-5/drag Q Z
hash
9/5 B
drag
Alternate protection -170

43. Streak 20 20 10 10 Front side Back side Hash/corn Hook Q Hash read25 20
Reading hash or no hash defender 20
Reading hash or no hash defender
# FS-mid=thorw it, hash, throw corn. #2
FS moves weak throw it. 10 10
# FS off hash, corn bails .
QB Reads
protection responsibility- 80’s hot off any two blitzers on strong side
Pre-snap key- open/closed middle to strong side safety.
Progression - hash/seam read/9-5/spot
Sight adjust
# Mike deep under hash readt
Hash/corn
Hook #2 #1 #2
QB Reads
Protection responsibility- 270’s sight off any blitzers opposite.
Pre-snap key- weak hash. Throw away from FS.
Progression - hash/corn to has read to spot. Q #1
Hash read
Hook B
Spot
Front side
Back side