Playbooks
PA Flood out of Shotgun Split Pro Near uses play-action to hold the linebackers and flood one side of the field with three routes stacked at different levels, usually a deep out or corner, an intermediate out, and a shallow flat route from the running back. This is a play-action, high low zone beater built to attack teams that spin down to stop the run fake, since the flood concept overloads a single third of the field and forces one defender to choose between two or three stacked throwing lanes. The primary read progression works high to low: start with the deepest route to see if the cornerback bites on run action, then work down to the intermediate route, and finally check down to the flat if the underneath defender sinks or a blitz forces a quick release.
Watch the flow of the linebackers at the snap. If they bite hard on the run fake and flow toward the play-action side, the flood concept will have wide throwing lanes at every level. Identify Cover 3 versus Cover 2 shells pre-snap by safety width. Cover 3 with a single high safety is vulnerable to the deep route in the flood since the corner has to defend both the deep and intermediate routes alone. Key the flat defender post-snap. If a linebacker or nickel defender sinks too deep trying to cover the intermediate route, the flat route from the running back is wide open for an easy pitch and catch. Beware of teams that play a hard match up Cover 4 or roll a safety down early since that alignment can take away the deep shot and force you into the checkdown. Look for user-controlled defenders jumping the shallow route immediately after the snap, since that tips a man coverage look and opens the door for the deep out or corner route to win one on one against a trailing cornerback.
Use this on early downs like first and second and short to medium yardage situations where defenses respect the run fake out of 21 personnel and Split Pro Near looks.
Check the safety depth before the snap. If both safeties are shallow or a linebacker is cheating toward the box, the deep route in the flood concept has a much better chance to break open against play-action.
Hot route the running back's flat route into a quick option or drag if you diagnose a Cover 3 buzz or a spinning safety, since the underneath defender will often widen and open a lane over the middle.
Pair PA Flood with Mtn HB Toss or Mtn PA Fk Toss earlier in a drive so defenses respect the run fake before you come back with this play-action shot.
Against aggressive man coverage teams, sequence this after Slants or Slant Switch to condition corners to jump underneath routes, then hit the deep flood route once they bite.