Playbooks

Z Under Seams

Shotgun·Trey Open HB Str·11

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTrey Open HB Str

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

Z Under Seams is a zone beater out of the Shotgun Trey Open HB Str set that attacks the middle of the field with two seam routes bending inside the numbers while the Z runs a shallow under route crossing underneath the linebackers. The blocking scheme is a standard pass protection look, giving the QB a clean pocket to work through his progression against Cover 3 and Cover 2 shells. The primary read progression starts with the seam on the side of the coverage rotation, then works down to the Z under route as the check down against tight zone drops or a blitz look.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check for two deep safeties versus one deep safety, since Cover 3 and Cover 1 shells leave the seams more exposed than a true Cover 4 look. Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap, a shallow drop signals zone coverage and opens the seam throwing lane, while immediate man mirroring signals Cover 1 or Cover 0 pressure. Key any user controlled defender sitting in the middle of the field, a lurking linebacker or robber safety can jump the seam routes and turn this into a pick six if the QB does not read it. Against Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells with hard flat corners and deep quarter safeties, this play tightens up considerably, so be ready to check down to the Z under route immediately. Recognize disguised blitzes by watching the slot corner and weak side linebacker crash the line late, since Z Under Seams protection can get overloaded against five and six man pressure packages.

Usage Tips

Identify the safety alignment pre-snap, this play punishes single high shells like Cover 3 because the seam routes split the hash defenders and create a natural throwing lane.

Use hot routes to slide the underneath Z route to the opposite side if you diagnose a heavy blitz coming from the play side, giving your QB a quick outlet without resetting the entire play.

Throw with anticipation on the seam route before the linebacker can sink into his zone drop, this window closes fast against disciplined zone defenses.

Pair this play with RPO Peek Hitch or RPO Zone Peek in your play calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between run and seam shots out of the same personnel and formation.

Best called on second and medium or third and long situations where defenses lean on zone drops instead of man coverage, since the seam window is much tighter against man beaters.