Playbooks

Y-Sail

Shotgun·Ace Offset·12
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Franchise Offense 4thsunofoctOffense

Breakdown

Y-Sail is a classic three level stretch concept built to attack zone coverage from the Shotgun Ace Offset formation with 12 personnel. The Y (tight end) runs a sail route to the flat or intermediate area while a corner route stretches the top of the defense and an underneath crosser or drag occupies the shallow zone, creating a high low read on one side of the field. The primary progression starts with the deep corner route to check the safety and cornerback depth, then works down to the sail route in the flat, and finally checks down to the underneath crosser if the defense rallies deep.

Defensive Reads

Identify the flat defender pre-snap, whether it is a cornerback, safety, or linebacker, since this determines who has to cover both the sail route and any check down threat underneath. Watch for user controlled defenders sitting in the deep third or deep half, as a smart user will lurk the corner route and bait the quarterback into a pick six. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells, the corner route can be undercut by the deep safety if the quarterback does not read the safety's depth and leverage before releasing the ball. Man coverage with a linebacker matched on the sail route is a green light situation, since the tight end should win quickly to the flat against slower man defenders. Blitz packages that bring extra pressure off the edge can disrupt the timing of this three level concept, so check for overloaded fronts and be ready to hit the underneath crosser quickly as a blitz beater.

Usage Tips

Read the safety pre-snap to determine if you are facing a two high shell or single high look before the snap because this changes which side of the sail concept will be open.

Use the corner route as a hole shot against Cover 3 or Cover 4 when the flat defender widens with the sail route, since that opens a throwing lane behind the cornerback.

Hot route the underneath crosser into a deeper dig if you diagnose zone coverage with soft underneath linebackers sitting in short zones.

This play works best on second and long or third and medium situations where the defense is more likely to sit in zone shells rather than bring pressure.

Pair Y-Sail with Quick Slants or Curl Flats out of the same Ace Offset set to keep the defense honest against both quick game and vertical stretch concepts, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops.

Other Plays in Ace Offset