Playbooks

H Shallow

Shotgun·Spread·10
Shallow CrossPass PlayCurlDeep CrossCrosserInStreak
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Fix OffenseOffense

Breakdown

H Shallow out of Shotgun Spread 10 personnel is a shallow cross concept built to attack man and zone coverage with a quick underneath crosser combined with deeper clear out routes. The H back runs the shallow drag across the field while the outside receivers stretch the defense vertically or work intermediate breaks to occupy the linebackers and safeties, opening up the crosser against man leverage. Primary read progression starts with the shallow drag, then works to the next available breaking route if the crosser is taken away by a trailing linebacker or a robber safety sitting underneath.

Defensive Reads

Check the depth of the middle linebacker pre-snap, if he is sitting shallow in a hook zone he can undercut the drag route so look to your secondary progression Watch for a user controlled defender spying the shallow crosser, this is the biggest threat to this play and usually signals Cover 1 robber or a Tampa 2 look Identify press man corners at the line, this indicates man coverage and tells you the shallow drag will have a clean release since the H back is not usually pressed Beware of Cover 2 zone shells where the flat defenders sit and wait, this can clog the shallow drag lane and force you to check down early Look for blitz packages sending extra rushers off the edge, this play holds up decently against blitz since the shallow route develops quickly but a delayed blitz through the middle can disrupt the timing

Usage Tips

Use pre-snap motion on the H back to identify man versus zone before the snap, if a defender follows the motion you know you are getting man coverage and the shallow drag becomes an easy win

Look for the shallow crosser against Cover 3 or Cover 1 where the underneath defenders have to fight through traffic, this route is a true man beater when the defense shows blitz or press man at the line

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or hitch against Cover 2 shells to give yourself a fast conversion option if the shallow gets taken away by a spy or lurking linebacker

Pair this play with Y Cross or FL Cross in your call sheet sequence to keep the defense guessing on which receiver is running the shallow drag, this creates confusion for user linebackers trying to jump the route

Best used on third and short to third and medium, the shallow drag picks up easy yardage after the catch and forces a missed tackle read for the user defender

Other Plays in Spread