Playbooks

Stick

Pistol·Ace Slot·12

Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Play diagram for Stick from Pistol Ace Slot in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

SetAce Slot

Personnel

121 RB · 2 TE · 2 WR

In 4 playbooks

Elites OffenseOffense Pistol OffenseOffense Sim Multirolepersonnel Ba OffenseOffense Sim Multirolepersonnel Rn OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Stick from Pistol Ace Slot 12 personnel shows a two receiver look to the right with the slot man running a quick out to the flat while the outside receiver sits down on a stick route at five yards, sitting in the hole between underneath zones. To the left, a single receiver runs a deep vertical seam that stretches the safety and clears space underneath, while the other left side receiver breaks outside on a comeback style out route toward the sideline. This is a classic zone beater built around the stick concept, with the quick game flat and stick combo giving an easy answer against Cover 2 and Cover 3 while the vertical route on the backside punishes zone defenders who sit too shallow. Primary read progression starts with the stick route, works to the flat route underneath it, and comes back to the backside comeback if the underneath zone flows away from the stick side.

Defensive Reads

Watch the flat defender at the snap, since Stick lives or dies on whether he sinks to take away the stick route or widens to the flat receiver. Zone drops from linebackers into the curl to flat area signal that the underneath window is shrinking, which means you should hot route the stick man into a speed cut or work the comeback on the backside. Cover 3 shells with a single high safety are vulnerable to the backside vertical seam if the corner presses and gets no deep help, so keep an eye on that safety leverage post snap. Man coverage with an off corner on the stick receiver invites an easy completion, but tight man press with underneath help can jam the stick route and force a checkdown. Blitz heavy fronts with a nickel or slot corner blitzing off the edge can beat this play before the routes develop, so check the A gaps and slot alignment for blitz indicators before the snap.

Usage Tips

Presnap identify whether the defense is showing two high or one high safety, since Stick punishes any zone shell that leaves a soft spot at five to seven yards in the flat to curl area.

If you see man coverage with no safety help over the stick side, hot route the stick receiver into a slant or speed out to create instant separation off the line.

This play is money on third and short to third and medium since the stick and flat combo gives a high percentage completion window right at or past the sticks.

Pair this call with PA Ctr Waggle or PA Boot from the same set to keep linebackers honest, then come back to Stick once they start jumping the run fake.

Use the backside vertical route as a homerun shot against Cover 3 if the flat defender widens too far, since the safety often has to choose between the seam and the stick route.