Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Spacing out of I Form Close Flex (21 personnel) spreads five receiving options across the width of the field in a classic horizontal stretch concept. The backside X runs an out and up the sideline, the TE runs a quick out that settles at the sticks, the slot man runs an angle route into the middle, and the frontside receiver runs a vertical stem into a corner route while the HB releases out of the backfield on a flat route underneath it. This is a Cover 3 and Cover 4 beater built on horizontal spacing, and the primary read progression starts with the underneath flat/angle combo before working out to the sideline out routes based on which defender flows first.
Defensive Reads
Read the corners at the snap: if they sink into deep thirds or quarters, the shallow out and angle routes will be the quickest openings. Watch the flat defender to the frontside: if he widens with the HB flat route, the corner route behind him has a natural window to sit into. Key the middle linebacker depth before the snap, since a shallow drop from him can jump the angle route and cut off the primary underneath read. Look for a lurking safety sitting in the middle of the field in Cover 3, as an aggressive user there can bait the quarterback into throwing the angle route into a pick. This concept struggles against a well-disguised Cover 2 with hard-charging corners in press, since the underneath spacing gets phased and the sideline throws become high risk against a jamming corner recovering to the flat.
Usage Tips
Use this play on third and short to medium distance since the underneath routes settle quickly and give you a high floor conversion option.
Check the corners pre-snap: if they are playing off and soft, the outside out routes will be open immediately off the snap.
Against Cover 3, work the middle angle route since the flat defender to that side has to widen for the out, leaving a natural window underneath the deep third defender.
Hot route the backside out into a hitch or slant if you see man coverage with no help over the top, since the natural spacing concept is designed for zone and can get squeezed by tight man coverage.
Pair this with HB Iso or HB Power O out of the same Close Flex look so defenses cannot sit on the pass-heavy tendency, then come back to Spacing once they start creeping linebackers up to stop the run.
