Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Flood Switch is an Empty backfield concept out of Shotgun that stacks three levels to the right side while the backside runs a shallow drag under a corner route. To the flood side, the outside receiver runs a vertical seam that breaks toward the sideline (the red route working across the field), the slot runs a deep vertical, and the inside receiver runs an out to the flat, creating a true high low low flood read. On the backside, one receiver runs a speed out and the other runs a deep crossing route from left to right underneath the flood concept, giving the quarterback a check down away from the numbers advantage. This is a zone beater built to attack Cover 3 and Cover 2 by overloading one side of the field with three distinct levels, forcing a single defender to declare on the flat, intermediate, or deep throw. The primary read progression starts with the deep vertical to the corner route breaking flat, works down to the out route in the flat, and comes back to the backside drag as the outlet if the flood side is capped.
Defensive Reads
Cover 3 with a single deep safety is the primary shell this play attacks, since the flood side forces the cornerback and underneath zone defender to choose between three route levels. Watch for a hard flat foot defender or nano blitz off the edge to the flood side, since a fast underneath defender can jump the out route and bait the quarterback into a pick. Post snap, key the flood side corner: if he sinks with the vertical route, the flat route opens immediately for an easy completion. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is a weakness for the offense here, since the deep vertical and corner breaking route can be undercut by a physical corner in press. Watch for a user controlled safety rotating late to the flood side, since that lurk threat can undercut the intermediate corner route and turn it into a turnover.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs or third and medium when you expect a zone shell, since the three level flood is designed to isolate one defender against multiple stacked routes.
Read the deep safety before the snap: if he rotates late to the flood side, work your progression to the backside drag immediately since the numbers advantage disappears.
Use the flat route as your first alert against Cover 3, since the corner sitting on the flood side often has to choose between the flat defender and the deep breaking route.
Pair this with Four Verticals or Hitches from the same Empty Y Slot set to keep the defense honest, since both plays hold the same alignment but attack different zone voids.
If the defense shows two high safeties presnap, motion check or hot route the backside drag into a deeper option since Cover 2 corners can sit on the shorter flood routes.
