---
title: "Scissors Concept Explained: Pogo and Sail"
description: "Scissors crosses a deep pogo (post-style) route with a sail toward the sideline to attack the deep safeties. How it is built, what it beats and how to read it."
url: https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/concepts/scissors/
---

passing concept

# Scissors Concept

Scissors crosses two routes like scissor blades: the outside receiver breaks inside on a pogo, a post-style route, while the inside receiver breaks outside, attacking the safeties and the deep sideline at once.

![Scissors passing concept diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/scissors.webp)

## How Scissors Is Built

In Crucible's Scissors, the outside receiver's deep pogo route breaks inside at 15 yards and the inside receiver's sail breaks outside at 12, with a diagonal underneath. The crossing routes pull the safety and the corner in opposite directions.

## What Scissors Beats

- Two-high coverages (Cover 2 Tampa and quarters) and Cover 3, whenever a safety has to choose between the pogo and the outside-breaking route.
- Man, where the crossing release creates separation.

## How the QB Reads It

Read it top-down. The deep defender in conflict comes first (the free safety against Cover 2 Tampa and Cover 3, the strong safety against Cover 4): if that safety widens, throw the pogo. If the safety takes the pogo, read the intermediate defender (the corner against Cover 2 Tampa, the strong-side linebacker against Cover 3 and Cover 4): sitting low opens the sail, sinking under it opens the diagonal underneath.

## The Routes in Scissors

-

![Diagonal diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/diagonal.thumb.webp)

Diagonal

-

![Sail diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/sail.thumb.webp)

Sail

-

![Pogo diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/pogo.thumb.webp)

Pogo

## Rep Scissors Against These Coverages

-

![Cover 1 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-1.thumb.webp)

Cover 1 31 plays to rep against
-

![Cover 2 Tampa diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-2-tampa.thumb.webp)

Cover 2 Tampa 31 plays to rep against
-

![Cover 3 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-3.thumb.webp)

Cover 3 31 plays to rep against
-

![Cover 4 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-4.thumb.webp)

Cover 4 31 plays to rep against
-

![Cover 4p diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-4p.thumb.webp)

Cover 4p 15 plays to rep against

-

![Cover 6 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-6.thumb.webp)

Cover 6 31 plays to rep against
-

![Cover 3 Buzz diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-3-buzz.thumb.webp)

Cover 3 Buzz 31 plays to rep against
-

![Cover 3 Weak Buzz diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-3-weak-buzz.thumb.webp)

Cover 3 Weak Buzz 31 plays to rep against

+ 4 more in Crucible

## Scissors Plays in Crucible

-

![Scissors Dig diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/scissors-dig.thumb.webp)

Scissors Dig

## Related routes

-

![Post diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/post.thumb.webp)

Post

## Related coverages

-

Cover 2 Tampa 31 plays to rep against

Rep Scissors in Crucible
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