Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Stick out of Shotgun Ace Slot is a five-man pass concept built around the classic stick combo to the closed side, with a vertical seam and out route as a complementary two-man combo to the open side. The backside runs a seam up the numbers with a shallow out underneath it, while the front side stacks a corner route breaking outside with a flat route from the backfield/slot working underneath it into the boundary, creating a natural high-low stick read against zone. There is no play-action or screen action here, this is a straight dropback with the RB releasing into the flat as the checkdown or primary stick read depending on leverage. Primary progression starts with the stick combo (corner over flat) to the front side, then works back to the seam/out combo if the flat defender sits on the shallow route.
Defensive Reads
Presnap, check safety depth: two deep safeties usually means Cover 2 or Cover 4, which the corner route on the stick combo can exploit by climbing over the underneath flat defender. Watch the flat defender (corner or slot corner) at the snap, if he sinks with the corner route the flat route will be wide open for an easy pitch and catch. Key the middle linebacker's drop, if he sits on the shallow out route on the backside you have to climb the seam route behind him for a big gain. Beware of Cover 3 buzz or robber concepts where a safety rotates down late to jump the flat route, this can bait a quick throw into a turnover if you do not scan defenders after the snap. Nano blitzes or a hot blitz off the edge can collapse the pocket before the stick combo develops, so if you see a defender crashing untouched off the corner, get the ball out to the flat route immediately as your blitz beater.
Usage Tips
Presnap, identify if the defense is showing zone or man by checking linebacker depth and whether the slot corner is bailing or pressing.
If you see zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, attack the stick combo on the front side since the corner route will stretch the deep defender while the flat route sits underneath in the void.
Against man coverage, hot route the flat route to a quick out or speed out to create separation immediately off the snap, since the flat defender can carry vertically in man.
Use this on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and medium) to keep the offense balanced, and pair it with Inside Zone or QB Power from the same set so the defense has to respect the run fit before you come back with Stick.
Sequence this play after RPO Alert Bubble or RPO Zone Alert Bubble so linebackers stay conflicted between run fits and flat coverage, opening up the stick flat route for easy yardage.
