Playbooks

Stick

Pistol·Trips·11

Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Play diagram for Stick from Pistol Trips in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

SetTrips

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 6 playbooks

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Breakdown

Stick out of Pistol Trips is a quick game passing concept built to attack the flat and stick zone. From the trips side, the outside receiver runs a corner or vertical release up the sideline while the two inside receivers work a stick combo, one settling in the flat and one sitting down over the middle at a shallow depth. The backside single receiver runs a deep vertical to hold the safety, and the RB releases into a check release flat route off play action fake. The primary read progression starts with the stick sit route in the middle of the trips combo, works out to the flat, and comes back to the corner or vertical if the underneath defenders widen or squat.

Defensive Reads

Watch the middle linebacker's initial drop, if he sits shallow and takes away the stick sit route, immediately work the flat route underneath him. Against zone coverage look for the flat defender to widen with the outside release, that opens a throwing lane to the stick sit man in the void. Man coverage with a single high safety is vulnerable here since the stick sit route creates natural rub traffic that separates receivers from their man defenders. If the defense shows a two high shell with corners playing off, expect a soft zone underneath and prioritize the sit route over the corner or flat. Beware of a lurking user linebacker sitting in the stick zone specifically to jump the sit route, if you see this shift your first read to the flat immediately after the snap.

Usage Tips

Use this on third and short to third and medium since the stick route gives a built in answer against both man and zone coverage.

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing zone with linebackers sitting at intermediate depth versus man with corners pressed on the trips receivers.

Hot route the flat defender's man to a quick out if you see a nano blitz coming off the edge to get the ball out before pressure arrives.

Combine this with X Spot and Curl Flat from the same set to keep defenders guessing between similar route distributions and different breakpoints.

Pair Stick with RPO Alert Bubble on early downs so you can bait linebackers into biting on the run action if the box shows light.