Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Switch Verts is a four verticals shot play out of Empty Base Flex with a switch release at the top to create natural rub separation against man coverage. The two outside receivers push straight up the seams while the left slot receiver runs a shallow drag underneath the switch, and the inside receiver crosses over the top of the drag before climbing vertically, forcing man defenders to fight through traffic. There is no run action or blocking scheme shown since this is a pure five wide vertical shot designed to stress both cover 2 half field safeties and cover 3 single high defenders. The primary read progression starts with the switch release seam (the crossing vertical route) versus man leverage, then works to the two outside verticals if the safety shell shows two high, and the shallow drag is the checkdown versus a hard blitz.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and width. Two safeties split deep signals cover 2 or cover 4, one safety in the middle of the field signals cover 3 or man free. If cornerbacks are pressed at the line with no safety help over the top, expect man coverage and target the switch release for the natural pick. Post-snap, watch for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field who can undercut the crossing route on the switch release. Zone defenses that spin down to a single high safety after the snap can be exposed on the outside verticals if the corner has to sink and cannot recover. Blitz-heavy defenses that bring five or more rushers force a quick decision, so key on whether the shallow drag is open immediately as a hot route answer.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a hot route on the shallow drag to identify if the defense is playing man or zone before the snap based on how the defender reacts to the shift.
Against cover 2, target the seams between the flat defender and the deep half safeties since the switch release creates natural picks that widen zone drops.
Against cover 3, throw the outside vertical away from the single high safety's leverage, since he can only get to one side of the field.
Call this on early downs in four verticals personnel to set up Mtn Switch Comeback or Mtn Switch Flood later in the series, since those plays look identical pre-snap and punish defenders who jump the verticals.
Save this for third and long or two minute drill situations where you need an explosive shot play, since all four vertical routes take time to develop and are vulnerable to a fast four man rush.
