Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Orbit Spacing lines up in Shotgun Deuce Close 12 personnel with the HB orbiting into a swing/flat route out of the backfield while the two closed receivers on the strong side stack a corner route breaking outside and an under route sitting inside off it. The backside receiver runs a shallow drag across the field into the void underneath. This is a classic spacing concept, a zone beater built around three levels underneath (flat, drag, and settle) with the corner route stretching the deep third or deep quarter defender, and the read progresses from the HB flat route to the shallow drag to the underneath sit route depending on which defender flows to the ball.
Defensive Reads
Key the flow of the middle linebacker at the snap, if he sprints to the strong side flat to cover the HB orbit motion you have a clean throwing lane on the backside drag. Watch the boundary cornerback's depth pre-snap, soft corners playing off coverage invite the underneath sit route while tight press alignment signals man coverage that the corner route can beat over the top. Identify user-controlled defenders dropping into the shallow drag lane, a lurking user linebacker sitting in that throwing window is the biggest threat to this concept and should force a checkdown to the HB. This play struggles against a hard Cover 2 with safeties sinking into the underneath zones since it clogs both the drag and the sit routes simultaneously. Look for blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge, since the HB orbit motion doubles as a built-in checkdown against pressure and the quarterback can get the ball out quickly before the blitz arrives.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion on the HB to identify man versus zone before the snap, if a linebacker or safety follows the HB across the formation you are getting man coverage and should look to attack the void he vacates.
This play is best called on third and short to third and medium since the spacing concept sits underneath sticks-friendly zones and gives multiple checkdown options against soft zone drops.
Against Cover 3 look immediately to the shallow drag sitting in the hole vacated by the flowing linebacker, against Cover 4 the corner route on the boundary should threaten the seam between the corner and safety.
Hot route the backside drag into a deeper dig if you see a Cover 2 shell since the drag can get eaten up by underneath zone defenders sitting at the sticks.
Pair this play with Mtn Stick or Both Stick from the same set to keep the defense honest on quick game reads, then mix in Mtn RPO Zone Stick to punish linebackers who jump the underneath routes too aggressively.
