Playbooks
Breakdown
Empty Stick is an empty backfield concept out of the 5WR Flex Trey set, spreading five receivers across the field with no running back to declare max protect intentions. To the trey side, the two inside receivers run a stick combo with one working a quick out at the sticks and the other releasing underneath into the flat, while the outside receiver on that side climbs vertically before breaking to the flat as a pitch and catch option. On the backside, the lone receiver bends a corner route up the sideline off a quick stem, giving the quarterback a vertical shot away from the trey concept. This is a man beater and zone beater hybrid that stresses the flat to curl area with the stick concept while the backside corner route punishes any single high shell or man coverage that overplays the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the number of defenders aligned over the trips side since stick concepts are designed to outnumber underneath zone defenders and create a natural pick or rub against man coverage. Watch the free safety depth and leverage before the snap, because a single high safety rotating to the trips side leaves the backside corner route in a favorable one on one matchup against the cornerback. Post-snap, key the flat defender's first step: if he sinks into the stick route at the sticks the quarterback should reset to the flat route underneath for the easy completion. Zone coverage with a hard robber or lurk defender sitting in the underneath middle can jump the stick route, so quarterbacks need to feel that pressure and work outside instead of forcing it inside. Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties tend to shut down the backside corner route, so if you see two high safeties pre-snap, prioritize the stick concept underneath rather than testing the vertical shot.
Usage Tips
Check the pre-snap alignment of the strong side linebacker or nickel defender over the trips side since the stick concept lives in the flat to hook zone and needs that defender to widen or bite up. Use this on third and short to medium distances where the stick route at the sticks gives the quarterback a high percentage completion for the conversion. If you see man coverage across the board, prioritize the backside corner route since it isolates a single defender with a clean vertical stem. Pair this play with Curl Flats or Packer Curls in your play calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between flat breaking stick concepts and deeper curl reads out of the same personnel. Hot route the outside trips receiver into a quick out if you diagnose a hard blitz look, since empty formations are vulnerable to overload pressure with no back to check release.
