Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Zone Blitz out of the 46 Normal formation is a five or six man pressure package that drops a defensive lineman into a shallow or intermediate zone to disguise where the extra rusher is coming from. The blocking assignment on the offense has to identify the late add rusher off the edge or through an interior gap while the drop defender clogs the quick throwing lanes underneath. This is a zone based pressure call, not a man beater, so the primary read for the defense is to sell the blitz look pre-snap and then get eyes on the quarterback's first read as soon as the drop defender settles into his zone window.
Defensive Reads
Read the offensive line splits pre-snap to see if they are sliding protection toward your overload side, which tells you the blitz is picked up and you may need to bail into coverage instead. Key the running back's alignment, if he is checking release responsibilities he is likely staying in to chip or block the extra rusher. Post-snap, watch your drop defender settle into the flat or intermediate zone and jump any hitch, curl, or flare route thrown into that window. This call beats quick game concepts and hot routes designed to attack a blitzing linebacker's vacated area. It gets exposed by max protect looks and play-action rollouts that hold the pocket long enough for receivers to work through the zone drops, so avoid it against heavy run personnel showing pass-protection cheats.
Usage Tips
Use this call on early downs or second and medium when you want to bait the quarterback into a hot read throw that your zone drop defender can jump. Disguise the blitz by showing an overload look pre-snap, then bail your drop defender at the snap so the quarterback commits to a route that is sitting in a trap zone. Mix this in after calling Rush Outside or Inside Blitz so the offense has to respect straight man pressure before you flip to the zone disguise. Avoid calling this against empty formations where the offense can identify your extra rusher easily through quick motion or a hot route check. Pair it with Cover 3 Match or Fire Zone 3 in your play-calling sequence so all your pressure calls look identical pre-snap and the quarterback cannot key the difference until after the snap.
