Playbooks
At a Glance
Overview
Split U Off Close is the heavy personnel wrinkle inside Shotgun, running 22 personnel with two backs split on either side of the quarterback and the receiving corps condensed tight to the formation. Where standard Shotgun sets stretch the field horizontally with three and four wide looks, Split U Off Close compresses everything inside the numbers and pairs it with a split backfield. That alignment forces the defense into a run-first shell, and because both backs are eligible, you get flood and swing concepts developing from spots the defense does not normally have to account for in Shotgun.
The condensed splits are the real weapon here. Defenders lined up in tight leverage cannot play outside shade cleanly, so option routes, spot concepts, and mesh crossers all get free releases inside. Plays like Smash Spot and Mesh Spot Rails punish man coverage because the traffic created by the compressed alignment naturally rubs defenders off, and the rail route out of the backfield attacks the void behind a rotating Cover 3 flat defender. Against zone, Spinner Post Flood floods one side with three levels while the backside receiver holds the middle third honest.
The 22 personnel package is also what creates the matchup edge. Defenses answering this set with base personnel are putting linebackers on your second back, and any back with real receiving grades becomes a mismatch on a swing or rail. Conversely, if the opponent goes nickel or dime to match the passing concepts, Outside Zone Lt, Mtn Inside Zone, and Spinner HB Zone let you run directly at the lightened box with a lead blocker already in the formation. The 3DRB, Gadget, and Power HB tags mean you can swap in different back types and completely change what the set threatens without ever showing a new formation.
Strengths
- Mesh Spot Rails is a premier man beater: the mesh crossers create natural rubs from the condensed splits while the rail route out of the backfield takes the top off against any linebacker forced into coverage.
- Smash Spot attacks Cover 2 and Cover 4 simultaneously with the corner route over the flat defender and the spot sitting in the zone window underneath, giving you a high low read that works against most coverage shells.
- PA Spinner Post Flood gives you a three level flood on one side with play action holding the linebackers, which is lethal after establishing the zone run game from this same alignment.
- Two backs in the formation mean you always have a lead blocker or a checkdown, so Outside Zone Lt, Mtn Inside Zone, and Spinner HB Zone all run with extra leverage at the point of attack against nickel and dime personnel.
- Condensed receiver splits make press man difficult to execute because defenders lack the outside leverage they need, so hot routing an outside receiver to a fade or slant produces free releases.
Weaknesses
- Compressed splits mean everything develops inside the numbers, so a user-controlled safety sitting in the middle of the field can read your mesh and spot windows and take away the primary read on every concept.
- 22 personnel invites the opponent to load the box with base or even 4-4 style alignments, and inside nano blitz looks through the A gaps get home fast because your split backs are not always in protection on the play art.
- The set has no true vertical field stretch: with no wide splits, the boundary is dead space and your outside leverage throws are nonexistent until you motion someone out.
- Defenses that recognize the run heavy personnel will commit run blitzes on early downs, and the gadget and power back options do not change the fact that Outside Zone Lt gets strung out when the defense sets a hard edge.
- Route concepts here are mostly short to intermediate, which makes it a poor choice for two minute situations where you need to attack the sideline and stop the clock.
Usage Tips
Run the zone plays first on early downs to force the defense into base personnel, then come back with Mesh Spot Rails or PA Spinner Post Flood once you see linebackers matching your backs.
Check the safety alignment pre-snap: single high means Smash Spot and the flood concepts are live, while two high tells you to lean on the inside zone game and the spot windows.
Motion one of your backs or a condensed receiver out wide to diagnose man versus zone, and if a defender follows all the way, hot route the mesh side to sit and let the rub do the work.
Against inside pressure, block one of the split backs on pass protection and turn the other into a swing or angle release so you always have a fast outlet on Mtn PA HB Swing or Texas U-Out.
Use the 3DRB and Gadget tags in third down situations: putting your best receiving back in the split alignment turns a linebacker matchup into a guaranteed conversion on the rail or swing.
