Football Library · Routes
Bubble
Route-4-1 ydaka Bubble Screen
Receiver releases BACKWARD and outside in a ROUNDED banana arc — apex is 2-3 yds behind the LOS — then arcs forward toward the sideline to catch a quick lateral pass. The deep apex is what makes this a BUBBLE (vs a now screen, which catches at the LOS). Other receivers block downfield. Common RPO tag and quick-perimeter answer.
Demo rendered on @X (outside WR) at -1yd depth. Only the route runner and the QB are shown so the break stays the focus; the same route family scales to any depth a play calls for, and concepts that use this route may set a different depth.
How to run it
release back and outside, eyes find the ball.
Reading it by coverage
How to run the bubble against what the defense shows.
- Cover 0:
- vs blitz — a pre-snap numbers read; throw it if the box is loaded and the perimeter is light.
- Cover 3:
- attack the vacated flat when the curl/flat defender widens or the corner bails deep.
- Cover 4:
- quick perimeter vs light-box quarters — catch it and get vertical outside the numbers.
- Man:
- throw it when the overhang defender is aligned inside — you have the leverage and numbers.
Concepts that use this route: Bubble RPO