Tribe Trips Passing v 3-3

The Tribe Trips offense isn't just about pounding the rock on the ground against the 3-3—when defenses decide to keep both cornerbacks deep and stay wary of the pass, refusing to commit one to run support, we shift gears without abandoning our identity. We don't throw the ball a ton in those situations, because we don't have to. Our rushing attack has proven so effective against passive, pass-fearful 3-3 fronts that we've gashed them consistently on the perimeter and inside. But when the opportunity arises to exploit their caution, our passing game—simple, matchup-based, and weekly-variable—becomes a devastating complement.

What we've learned over years of facing these conservative looks is that a 3-3 sitting back invites quick, high-percentage throws that attack the voids in the middle. We lean heavily on passes to the center and crossing routes involving various linemen combinations. The beauty is in the weekly customization: we watch film, identify the best matchups (who's covering whom, who's soft in zones, who's vulnerable in man), and install just the routes we need for that game. No massive playbook overhaul—just targeted wrinkles.

I picked this up from the legendary Coach Vance Jones at Balmorhea. He always emphasized mixing up passing routes week to week instead of relying on standard, predictable patterns. What impressed me most wasn't the creativity itself—it was how easily our players adapted. From one Friday to the next, personnel might shift (center one week, X/Y the next), routes change, but because everyone masters the basics, the transitions are seamless. That's the key: keep the foundational routes simple and familiar, then tweak the combinations and targets.

Figure 16

Our most reliable and productive throw against a 3-3? The out route to the center (Figure 16: Diagram showing center releasing quickly on a simple out route, flat or shallow, QB quick release to hit him in space). It's straightforward—snap, release, catch—and defenses often leave the flat open when the WCB is focused on run supporrt. The only real issue we've encountered is centers getting "hands-happy," more worried about the catch than a clean snap. The fix is direct: I tell them upfront, "We won't throw you the ball if you can't snap it first." That mindset shift eliminates the problem. In our 2025 state title game, we hit the center on this out route five times for over 100 yards—often on first or second down—to keep drives alive and force the defense to respect the middle.

Figure 17

To add layers, we sometimes have the center block initially before releasing, while sending the X or Y deep to occupy the CB and draw coverage away (Figure 17: Variation—center chips or blocks briefly, then flats out; one wide receiver runs vertical to pull the CB deep, creating space underneath). If the backside CB is overplaying run support (common in these sit-back 3-3s), a quick two-step drop and release from the QB is all it takes—the ball's out before pressure arrives.

Figure 18

Next come our crossing routes, where we get truly creative based on personnel and matchups. We always aim to throw to our best receivers, but we factor in coverage—who's on them, who's weak in underneath zones. One week we might send the center and OR crossing; the next, IR and OR; sometimes we even Hammer the formation and release the center with the FB on crossing paths (Figure 18: Diagram showing Hammer alignment—FB outside Y—center and FB crossing over the middle at different depths). The variety makes it nightmare fuel for opposing coordinators: they can't game-plan reliably when the targets and routes shift weekly.

We deliberately avoid three-route combinations in most situations. In six-man, with limited protection time against aggressive fronts, our QB usually only has time to read two routes effectively. We keep it to two primary reads—high-low, crossing mesh, or quick out with a crosser—to force fast decisions and completions.

Pass protection stays dead simple: zone blocking from the inside out. The QB has no run option on these drop-back series—we tell him the unblocked man is the WDE (weakside defensive end), so he must account for that edge rusher and bail right (to his strong side) while progressing through reads. That bailout gives him space without sacrificing vision.

Against very aggressive 3-3s that still blitz but keep CBs deep, we simplify even further: send out a single receiver—usually the center or our best pass-catching lineman. We prefer the Y as the primary target because he's often uncovered or in single coverage, but personnel needs sometimes make the X the go-to guy. These one-on-one throws punish over-aggression and keep the chains moving.

This passing package is our bread-and-butter complement to the run game—never the main course, but deadly when defenses put 5 in the box. It exploits hesitation, creates mismatches, and forces them to drop that fifth man for coverage... which opens the door right back to our sweeps, dives, and counters.

We do mix in RPO options off these looks to keep everything tied together—reading the LB or edge for quick throws or handoffs. That'll be the focus next: how we layer RPOs into the Tribe Trips to make the entire attack unpredictable.