The "Bubble Screen": The Spread's Outside Running Play

So, what is a bubble screen?

It's a pass thrown behind the line of scrimmage to a receiver or running back who's already in an extended formation. The term "bubble" refers to the pass catcher bubbling back away from the line of scrimmage to give the quarterback a better angle to throw to him. The goal is to have the receiver catch the ball in front of him, with his shoulders facing forward. At the same time, the receivers outside of him are blocking down the field.

Bubble screens are nothing new, even though it's become a fashionable buzz phrase. They're essentially glorified sweeps, so they're usually called in running situations. When are bubble screens most effective? They work best when the opposition is caught between sound run and pass schemes. When a defense puts eight players in the box against seven blockers -- five offensive linemen, a tight end and a fullback -- yet tries to keep two safeties back, it can be susceptible. The bubble screen is one of the components of the spread offense that really makes things hard on the defense, placing them between a rock and a hard place in trying to decide on perimeter support for the run (especially against the zone read or triple option), and how many players to commit to "the box," as outside linebackers and strong safeties need to cover receiver #2 (the inside twin receiver), taking them out of the box. A bubble screen is merely a passing play designed to act as an outside running play.

Another component of the bubble screen that has become even more interesting is when offenses fake or act out the bubble screen, making the perimeter defense freeze (if only for a split second), which may be the difference on an inside zone read run going to the house, or for a 6 yard gain as the box defenders are all covered by blockers and perimeter help cannot support the inside play.

Executing a successful bubble screen is easier said than done. Many coaches at clinics describe the bubble screen throw by the quarterback like turning a double play in baseball between the second basemen and shortstop. First, the quarterback has to catch the snap cleanly, then rotate his body correctly, whether to his throwing arm side or his backside. Usually some kind of zone fake hand-off precedes the throw, so a clean fake between the QB and running-back must occur (no dislodging the ball during the fake) if the case requires it.

The pitch and catch of the bubble screen requires a lot of work between the quarterback and receivers. The timing must be precise. The quarterback is usually throwing into a high traffic area. The receiver is also navigating through traffic which can cause a loss in concentration. The success of the bubble screen often depends on how much repetition can be done during the offseason.

Remember, a bubble screen (based on ball placement on the field, hash-marks, formation, etc..) could be thrown as short as 10 yards or as long as 25 yards. All of these distances need to practiced, over and over again.

Receivers need to be aware of the rules of a forward pass vs. a lateral on bubble screens. They should always assume the bubble screen is a lateral (thrown behind the line of scrimmage, this also allows for the release of O-linemen downfield, a big part of the bubble screen).

A well-executed bubble screen can pick up four or five yards, and sometimes much more.