Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 13 playbooks
Breakdown
Divide Double In is an empty backfield pass concept out of Shotgun Empty Base Trio that floods the field with five vertical stress routes. The outside receiver on the left runs a deep vertical, the inside slot receiver breaks into a corner route up the seam, and a middle receiver runs a shallow in that crosses the field underneath, while on the right side one receiver runs a deep in that sits over the middle at intermediate depth and the outside receiver runs a short pivot back toward the ball. With no running back in the backfield, this is a pure man beater designed to create natural picks and separation against man coverage, with the primary read starting on the deep in from the right side before working down to the shallow crossing in underneath.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle linebacker depth before the snap, if he is sitting shallow he can jump the crossing in route and blow up the underneath read. Watch for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, since that defender is the biggest threat to both in routes crossing over the middle. Identify press man coverage on the outside receivers pre-snap, since the deep vertical and pivot route can get disrupted at the line before ever developing. Check for zone drops from cover 3 or cover 4 shells, since a defender sitting in the intermediate middle zone can undercut both in routes and force the quarterback to hold the ball. Watch the blitz look off the edge, since empty formations invite five and six man pressure, and a free rusher can collapse the pocket before the deep in route ever comes open.
Usage Tips
Check pre-snap for single high safety or two deep shells before the snap since this play thrives against man coverage with a lurking underneath defender out of the picture.
Use motion or a hard count to identify if the defense shifts to man or zone before you snap it, since the double in combo works best when you know linebackers have to run with receivers across the field.
Progress your eyes from the deep in breaking over the middle first, then check down to the shallow crossing in route if the underneath defender bites on the deeper route.
Pair this play with Slants or Stick Nod earlier in a series to condition the defense to sit on shorter routes, then hit Divide Double In when they start jumping underneath throws.
Best called on second or third and medium since the in routes need time to develop and the shallow crosser needs room to work against trailing defenders.
