Attack Defenses with The Versatile Y-Cross Concept

• By Keith Grabowski

The Y-Cross concept is a staple of the Air Raid offenses, dating back to the days of LaVell Edwards at BYU and refined over the years by coaches such as Hal Mumme and Mike Leach.ed over the years by coaches such as Hal Mumme and Mike Leach. This concept involves a deep route or routes to occupy the safeties, and a crossing or over route from either a tight end or a slot receiver. The QB takes a quick look first at the deep route (or combination to the side the cross is being run to,  to find an easy throw or a rhythm shot, then works to the primary route, which is the crossing route. 

While it has its roots in the Air Raid offense, the Y-Cross can be found in all styles of offense playbooks.  

Its versatility in application from a variety of formations allows it to be dressed up in a number of different ways while also being an effective play-action concept.

What it does is create an oblique stretch of the defense with what becomes a three-level flood concept. 

While many early iterations had the tight end or “Y” running the cross, it has application for speedy receivers and has become a favorite of the Kansas City Chiefs-skills">receivers and has become a favorite of the Kansas City Chiefs with the different dynamic slot receivers who were or are a part of their offense.

In addition, the ability to utilize the personnel available makes this a multi-purpose concept that can attack a number of coverages. Packaged correctly with other route combinations, it can be designed and utilized to beat any coverage.

Let’s take a look at both the basics of the route as well as how coaches are utilizing the Y-Cross in different ways within their offenses.

History of the Y Cross

It’s always good to understand how a concept came into use as well as how it has evolved and adapted to attack the defense. Loren Endsley does a great job sharing the history of the play and how it has evolved in this video:

Benefits of the Y Cross

Three receivers attacking a weakside zone

A horizontal and vertical stretch of the defense

Can attack any coverage

Simple read for QB and allows for a scan across the defense which puts his eyes ahead of windows to see defenders and danger

Can be used with a variety of formations and personnel

Easily tagged to create multiple looks and issues for a defense

Basics 

This concept gets some of your best-skill players on the move looking to create big plays down the football field. The core of this concept is the post, crosser, and running back or receiver stretching the flat to the boundary. On the frontside, teams are able to tag a variety of routes/combinations that give the QB decision-making power within his progression, such as the smash concept. 

This is another great horizontal pass concept that gets skilled players on the move across the middle of the field and adds another layer to the passing attack, similar to the Shallow Cross concept.

Why it Does Well Against Various Coverages

Man Coverage- Man coverage is beaten primarily by routes running away from defenders. The post or mandatory outside release Go route to the weak side provide good man-beating options, and the crosser runs away from the defender as well. When that crosser is a receiver like Tyreek Hill, it’s even better!

Cover 4 - Against quarters with play action, the safety is usually responsible for a boundary run fit. The Post can be run from the boundary to attack that are over the safety who is reacting down toward the line of scrimmage

Defenses tend to include their boundary-free safety in the fun fit in cover 4. This creates the potential for the post-route runner to win over the top of the defense. 

Cover 3 - ttps://throwdeeppublishing.com/blogs/football-glossary/what-is-cover-3-in-football">Cover 3 - The three-level stretch makes this difficult for the flat defender. Essentially a high-low stretch is created on him. 

Applications and Ideas 

Lincoln Riley, Head Coach, USC

Y-Cross is versatile because of the numerous ways that the play can be designed. For instance, Riley illustrates a version in which the front side of the progression can be any quick game concept that clears out space for the Y-Cross. 

The base install for Oklahoma is vertical by #1 and a speed out by #2. In his clinic talk, Riley shows multiple examples of different quick game concepts that OU has used. Because the play is versatile by design, it lends itself to be effective in many formations and personnel groupings to fit the players that are on the field. Although its base install is from 10 personnel, Coach Riley has utilized 20 and 21 personnel groupings with this concept and loves play-action for an extra element of explosion.

Coaching Points

It is vital that the receivers, no matter the formation or personnel, understand their role within the progression. 

Read #1- The quick game concept with Y-Cross has to know that they cannot work their release for too long. They are the first read, and they must clear out for the Cross. If they take too long working a release, they will take themselves and the Cross out of the play. If the QB likes a matchup to the quick game concept, he can take the throw now.

Read #2- The Y must have the most “feel” of any receiver to run this route. He has to be able to feel the defense and find open grass. This could mean stair-stepping more vertically against underneath coverage, snapping flat across the field in front of deeper coverage, or sitting down the crossing route to avoid running into coverage. 

Read #3- The curl route on the backside of the play must also understand the progression. However, this time, it is because this route can be patient and work a release since it is the final option. Getting open too quickly can be just as bad as not getting open at all. 

Here is Coach Riley explaining the basics of the Y-Cross as he applies it.

The Y-Cross is a great all-purpose route for any offense. It allows for versatility in how it is utilized and in doing so can create the opportunity for both easy throws as well as built-in pressure or hot throws while still giving the offense the opportunity to hit an intermediate route and take a chunk out of the defense.  In this example, Lincoln Riley shows how the Y runs the route in order to protect the throw:

Jason Mohns - TE Coach, Arizona State

For Jason Mohns, 7x state champion at Saguaro HS(AZ) and now the TE Coach at Arizona State, the Y-Cross is a play-action concept installed out of 2x2, but they have 3x1 versions as well.  In his variation of Y-Cross he utilizes a “back out bubble” with a mandatory outside release go by the X receiver on the boundary. The play action draws the linebackers down allowing space for the crosser to be open.  The QB progresses from the Go and Bubble to the Cross as he explains in the video:

Josh Herring - Offensive Coordinator, Jones County HS (GA)

Josh Herring likes Y Cross as a backside tag. For example, it can be paired with a dropback like the Smash route.  In his concept which he calls “Goofy,” the smash is utilized from sa compressed set with the Crosser coming into a void if the corner and flat get covered.

Whether it’s Y-Cross or another route concept, finding those routes that can have multiple uses in personnel, formations, and play action as well as drop back give you an advantage in getting the concept better and better over the course of the install and the season because it gets a lot of reps for the quarterback and receivers.