Playbooks
Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.
| Player | Side | Route |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 | Left | Flat |
| HB2 | Right | Speed In |
| WR1 | Left | Streak |
| WR2 | Left | Speed Out |
| TE1 | Right | Curl |
Flood is a classic three level stretch concept out of Shotgun Split Twins Offset Close, designed to overload one side of the field with a deep, intermediate, and shallow route stacked on top of each other. With 21 personnel on the field, the offset back leaks out to the flat while the twins side runs a corner route up top and a deep out or hitch underneath it, creating horizontal and vertical stress on a single defender or zone rotation. This is a zone beater at its core, attacking Cover 2 and Cover 3 flat defenders, and the primary read progression starts high to low: corner route first, then the intermediate breaker, then the flat route as the checkdown against pressure.
Pre-snap, check if the safety over the flooded side is shaded deep or cheating toward the middle of the field, since a deep half safety struggling to cover the corner route is the biggest tell this play will hit. Look at the flat defender depth and leverage, because a linebacker or nickel corner sitting too far inside opens up the flat route immediately off the snap. Post-snap, watch for a user-controlled defender sprinting to jump the corner route, which signals you should reset your eyes to the intermediate or flat route instead of forcing the deep throw. This play struggles against Cover 4 quarters and Cover 1 man coverage since defenders get clean matchups on all three levels without needing to make a zone read decision. Watch for a nano blitz or overload pressure to the flooded side, which forces a quick checkdown to the flat route before the deeper routes have time to develop.
Identify the coverage shell before the snap by checking safety depth and cornerback alignment on the flooded side, since this play is built to gash Cover 3 and Cover 2 zone shells that leave one defender responsible for three routes. Work your read from the corner route down to the flat, because if the deep defender jumps the corner route you have an easy throw to the shallow flat route against soft zone leverage. Use motion or a hot route on the backside to hold linebackers if you see man coverage, since Flood loses value against Cover 4 or Cover 1 where defenders have clean man matchups on all three levels. Pair this play with Mtn PA Switch Sail or PA Slide Y Cross in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect both play-action shots and quick zone flood concepts from the same formation. Best used on second and medium or third and short to intermediate distances where defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells rather than bring pressure.