Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Fade Smash is a classic smash concept pass play run out of the Spread Pistol with 10 personnel, and the diagram shows a two-receiver stack on the left side running a smash combo against a two-receiver stack on the right running double outs. On the left, the outside receiver runs a fade to the corner while the inside receiver sits underneath on a flat route, creating a high-low stretch on the corner. On the right, both receivers push vertical before breaking outside on comeback-style outs, giving the quarterback a secondary option away from the smash side. This is a classic Cover 2 beater built to attack the flat defender and the deep half safety, with the primary read starting on the fade or flat combo depending on the corner's depth, then working to the boundary out routes if the smash side is covered.
Defensive Reads
Read the deep half safety alignment before the snap, since a safety cheating toward the fade side signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 and tells you the corner will get help over the top. Watch the flat defender's depth at the snap, because if he sinks with the fade the flat route is wide open, and if he sits on the flat the fade has a one-on-one window outside. Key the boundary corner on the double outs side, since a corner playing off coverage will allow both outs to settle in soft spots against zone drops. Beware of user-controlled safeties lurking over the fade route, as a smart user defender can bait the quarterback into throwing the fade for a pick six. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the fade side gets exposed quickly, so look for single high shells or blown assignments before committing to the deep shot.
Usage Tips
Presnap, identify whether the corner over the fade side is playing press or off man, since a hard press corner invites the fade route while soft coverage points you to the flat.
Hot route the flat defender's assignment if you see Cover 2, because the corner has to choose between the flat and the fade, and either choice opens a throwing window.
Use this on third and short to medium distance since the flat route provides a quick underneath answer while the fade and outs stretch the field vertically and horizontally.
Pair this play with Speed Out or Y Stick earlier in a series so defenders start jumping the shorter routes, which sets up the fade for an explosive play later.
Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells, lean on the double outs on the right side since those breaks settle into the natural void between the corner and flat defender.
