Playbooks
At a Glance
Overview
Open Flex Close is the compressed, motion heavy branch of Pistol 11 personnel. Instead of spreading the field like the standard Pistol Ace or Wing sets, this alignment tightens the formation: the TE flexes off the line, one receiver closes down into a tight slot or wing position, and the backside X is left isolated wide. That split between a condensed cluster and a lone outside receiver is the entire point of the set. It forces the defense to declare coverage rotation pre-snap because they cannot play balanced against a two by one distribution without either bumping a safety over the cluster or leaving the X on an island.
Strengths
- Motion Counter Y and Motion Zone Split give you built in pre-snap motion that reveals man versus zone before the ball is snapped, and the motion man often arrives late enough to pull a linebacker out of the box run fit.
- X Seam and Z Spot attack the two most common user coverages in Madden: the seam splits the deep hole against single high while the spot combo (corner, spot sit, flat) is a true Cover 3 and Cover 4 buster with a natural high low read against zone drops.
- RPO Read Flat Wheel and the Mtn PA Portland Wheel concept punish aggressive user defenders who crash the run or squat the flat, since the wheel runs behind the vacated area with no help unless the defense plays true quarters.
- The isolated X gives you a clean one on one every snap, and a slant, fade, or in hot route on that side is a reliable man beater that requires zero read progression.
- PA Boot, PA Pin Deep, and Mtn PA Portland Wheel all sell the Pistol run action from the same backfield depth, so play action holds linebackers even against opponents who know you run Inside Zone Wk and HB Dive from the look.
Weaknesses
- The condensed cluster means less natural spacing, so overload blitzes to the closed side arrive fast and the play action concepts (PA Boot, PA Pin Deep) can get blown up before the rollout develops.
- Pistol depth combined with play action means long developing plays, and nano blitzes off the tight side hit the QB before the deep routes clear, especially on PA Pin Deep.
- Only one true outside threat on the open side, so a user defender can shade the isolated X and take away your easiest man beater without much scheme risk.
- Inside Zone Wk and HB Dive both attack the box with a compressed formation, which invites run commit and inside pinch fronts to eat the run game since you are not stressing the edges horizontally.
- Heavy motion usage becomes a tell. Opponents who recognize Motion Counter Y and Motion Zone Split will start playing the motion man and beat you to the point of attack.
Usage Tips
Motion the cluster receiver first on almost every snap. If the defender follows across the formation it is man, and you can flip to X Seam or hot route the isolated X on a fade or slant. If nobody travels, stay in Z Spot or the RPO.
Use RPO Read Flat Wheel on second and medium against defenses that show single high with a linebacker walked out. Read the flat defender, hand it off if he widens, throw the wheel if he squats.
Pair Inside Zone Wk and HB Dive early to force run commit, then come back with PA Boot and Mtn PA Portland Wheel in the same drive so the play action carries linebackers out of the passing windows.
Against heavy pressure looks, block the TE and check the RB into a flat or angle route so you have a quick outlet, since Pistol depth does not give you time to work through a full progression.
In the red zone, run Z Spot and hot route the flat runner to a corner. The compressed spacing turns the spot combo into a pick style rub concept that is very hard for man coverage to pass off cleanly.
