Using Hot Passes (Quick Screens) to Improve any Offense

The Hot Pass series is a system of quick screens including bubble screens, juke screens and swing screens that strike the perimeter fast and put your best athletes in space. The hot pass series can be added to any offense and can become a very valuable package. We like the hot pass series for several reasons. Some of those reasons include:

1. Hot passes can be an extension of your run game.
2. They allow you to quickly get the ball to your play makers in space.
3. You a chance to use hot passes to develop run-pass options, or at the very least give the image of using RPO’s.
4. You can force teams to be undisciplined and create explosive plays.

Extending the Run Game

The hot pass series is designed to gain 5 yards. We want our guys to catch the ball, find the block and get 5 yards. The receiver is sometimes one on one with a corner or outside backer. In this case, he needs to make a guy miss and get what he can. The faster the ball is thrown and caught, the better the play works.

Play makers in Space

The most important part of any spread offense is finding ways to get the ball to play makers in space. This is what makes any offense explosive. Players, not plays, win football games! Finding easy ways to get the ball to a play maker in space will lead to more offensive success, more chances to move the chains and more chances to win games.

Run-Pass Options

The hot pass series can be utilized on the back side of any run play in your offense and force the defense to stay honest as well as eliminate back side pursuit. If the back side read chases the run play fast, the QB can pull the ball and throw it to a hot pass route for a 2 on 1 situation. You can also utilize any run blocking scheme in your offense as the offensive line blocking scheme for your hot pass series. If you run a lot of zone, power, counter, etc., you can just have your lineman run that play. This makes the series very inexpensive to install. The diagrams below will show a power blocking scheme being utilized.

QB Play

The Hot Pass series is great for building or gaining confidence in quarterbacks. These are easy throws for the quarterback and allows for the QB to get some quick easy completions early in the game or after making a mistake. The QB needs to catch and throw immediately to the called receiver. We tell the QB’s that the ball is a hot potato and it will burn his hand if he doesn’t get the ball out fast. We have had QB’s that get the ball out so fast they don’t even find the laces on the ball. They just catch the shotgun snap and throw the ball. A key coaching point is the QB is that he needs to throw the ball forward in order to make sure any drop is an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.

The Plays and Wide Receiver Rules

The wide receiver rules are very simple and easy to teach. We number receivers from outside in, so the most outside receiver is #1, the second most outside receiver is #2, the third most outside receiver is #3, and the fourth most outside receiver is #4. The play call decides the ball carrier/pass catcher.

The Juke Play goes to the #1 receiver. The juke route is run by taking one hard, full step forward (Stance= Inside foot up) and popping back behind the line of scrimmage to catch the ball.

The #2 receiver blocks the #1 defender outside and the #3 receiver blocks the #2 defender outside. The play is mirrored, although the QB throws the ball in the called direction.

 

The Bubble Play goes to the #2 receiver to the called side. The #2 receiver gets a little more depth in his stance when lining up. He then takes a drop step and bubbles the route with his eyes inside to the QB. These throws can be difficult for the QB to make, but can be perfected with practice reps. We teach the QB to throw the ball at the ear hole of the receiver.

The #1 receiver blocks the #1 defender outside and the #3 receiver blocks the #2 defender outside. The play is mirrored in a 2 by 2 set although the QB throws the ball in the called direction.

 

The Arc Play goes to the #3 receiver to the called side. The #3 receiver gets a little more depth in his stance when lining up. He then takes a drop step and bubbles the route with his eyes inside to the QB. This can sometimes be a difficult throw for the QB to make. We teach the QB to throw at the receiver’s ear hole.

The #1 receiver blocks the #1 defender outside and the #2 receiver blocks the #2 defender outside.

 

The Swing Play goes to the #4 receiver to the called side. If #4 is a receiver, he gets a little more depth in his stance when lining up. He then takes a drop step and bubbles the route with his eyes inside to the QB. If #4 is the running back, he sprints wide to the numbers as if he is stealing second base, with eyes on the QB. The QB throws the ball in the direction called. The QB also needs to take a drop step when throwing the swing route to the back because he wants to ensure a forward pass and not a fumble if the pass is dropped.

The #1 receiver blocks the #1 defender outside, the #2 receiver blocks the #2 defender outside and the #3 receiver blocks the #3 defender outside.

Creating Explosive Plays

When you run hot passes consistently and effectively, the DB’s will start getting nosy and “forget” to do their job while trying to stop the quick screens. A defensive back that has deep third responsibility might sprint up to make the play on a Juke or Bubble screen and give you an opportunity to call a play that has a blocker fake for the screen then go deep. We have scored several touchdowns over the years because of having success with our hot passes.

This is off the Juke play. 

This is off the bubble play.

The best part of the hot pass series is any team running any offense can install them and run them effectively. They are inexpensive to install and can add a lot of value to your offensive system.

Thanks for reading.