Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
RPO Zone Stick pairs an inside zone run scheme with a Stick concept on the backside, giving the quarterback a true run-pass conflict read on the play side linebacker or nickel defender. The Stick combo of a quick out, a shallow spot, and a flat route stresses zone defenses by attacking the underneath hook and curl areas while the zone run stresses the frontside gaps. Read the key defender: if he sits on the run fit, pull and throw the stick concept, if he widens or flows to the flat, hand it off on the zone track.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap check the alignment of the play side linebacker or slot defender, if he is stacked on the line expect an aggressive run blitz key that you can beat with the stick throw. Watch for two high safety shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4, these tend to leave the stick and flat combo open underneath since safeties stay deep. Post snap track the flow of the key defender in the first two steps, hard crash toward the line of scrimmage means throw, lateral zone drop means hand off. Beware user controlled linebackers who sit and read the quarterback's eyes, a disciplined user lurk can jump the stick route and take away your primary throw. Blitz heavy fronts with a nickel or safety crashing off the edge can disrupt the mesh point, so have a quick answer ready with the flat route as a checkdown against pressure.
Usage Tips
Identify the key defender pre snap, usually the play side linebacker or slot defender, since his post snap movement decides whether you pull or hand off.
Use this on early downs like first and second and ten when defenses are more likely to sit in base zone shells expecting run.
Hot route the flat route to a shallow drag if you see man coverage with a linebacker in space who cannot handle change of direction.
Pair this call with Read Option or Power Read earlier in a series so the defense has to respect the zone run fit before you come back to RPO Zone Stick and punish overaggressive linebacker flow.
Against teams that spam Cover 3 sky or Cover 4 buzz to take away the flat, stick with the run track and let inside zone work behind your blocking scheme.
