Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Y Stick lines up in Shotgun Spread Y-Flex with 11 personnel, spreading four eligible receivers wide and keeping the HB in protection. The two outside receivers to the left run shallow in cuts that break upfield at a sharp angle, working underneath as quick zone beaters. The Y receiver (tagged with the number 1) runs the namesake stick route, sitting down in the hole between the linebackers and safeties, while the backside receiver runs a deep vertical clear-out that stacks the corner and takes the top off the defense before breaking to the flat as a late outlet. This is a quick-game man and zone beater, with the QB progression starting at the stick route in the middle read, then working to the underneath ins if the stick is taken away, and finally the corner or flat route as a check down against tight man coverage.
Defensive Reads
Presnap check linebacker depth, since shallow linebackers who crowd the stick route window signal man coverage or an aggressive underneath zone that could jump the route. Watch the middle of the field safety, if he stays deep and centered this is likely Cover 3 or Cover 4 and the stick route will have a clean throwing lane underneath him. Key the flat defender after the snap, since a defender who sinks too far to cover the deep vertical route leaves the flat wide open for the checkdown against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells. User controlled defenders sitting in the shallow hook zone are the biggest threat to this concept, since a smart lurk over the stick route can bait the QB into a costly interception. Blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge can disrupt this play quickly since the stick route needs a full beat to develop, so quick pressure off the corner forces the QB to speed up the throw or scramble.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify if the defense is showing a soft zone shell like Cover 3 or Cover 4, since the stick route sits right in the linebacker to safety window and is nearly unstoppable against those shells.
Hot route the backside receiver into a drag or slant against man coverage if you need a faster underneath answer instead of waiting on the deep clear route to develop.
Use this play on third and short to third and medium distances since the stick route provides an easy high percentage completion that consistently gains enough yardage to move the chains.
Pair Y Stick with Four Verticals or PA Seams in your play calling sequence, since both plays look identical presnap out of Spread Y-Flex and punish defenses that jump the stick route with linebackers.
Against Cover 2 look to the flat route as your first read since the corner will be sitting deep and the underneath defender has to choose between the stick and the flat, creating a natural conflict read.
