Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Inside Cross is a five man route concept out of Empty Base Shotgun with no running back in the backfield. The two inside receivers run a mesh style crosser underneath, working left to right and right to left through the shallow middle, while the two outside receivers to the right run a deep out and a corner route, and the backside receiver runs a deep comeback. There is no run blocking involved since this is an empty protection pass play, and the design attacks both man and zone coverage by creating natural rub traffic on the shallow crossers. The primary read progression starts with the shallow crossers against man coverage, then works to the deep out and corner combo on the right side if the underneath routes are covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch for man coverage defenders trailing the shallow crossers tightly across the field, since this indicates the play should live or die on the mesh action underneath. Identify if a linebacker is spying the middle of the field or sitting in a hook zone, since a good user linebacker can jump the shallow crossers and blow up the primary read. Look at the numbers to the right side pre-snap, since a Cover 2 shell with a flat defender sitting on the deep out route can bait a bad throw into the corner route above it. Key on blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge, since the empty backfield means there is no check release protection and the quarterback must throw on time. If the deep safety rotates hard to the crossing routes post-snap, that signals Cover 3 or a rotated Cover 1, which opens up the deep comeback route on the backside as the counter read.
Usage Tips
Check the pre-snap alignment for man coverage indicators like tight press corners or a single high safety, since the shallow crossers create natural separation against man defenders through the rub.
If you see two high safeties in a zone shell, look to the deep out and corner combination on the right side to attack the flat and deep quarter simultaneously.
Use hot routes to convert the backside comeback into a deeper route if you need to stress a Cover 3 defense vertically on that side.
This play pairs well with Y Cross and Drag Double Spot in the same formation since the crossing action looks identical pre-snap, letting you keep defenders guessing on shallow crosser direction.
Best used on second and medium to third and medium since the shallow crossers take a beat to develop and you need enough field to let the routes clear the box.
