Playbooks
Empty Slot Under
Quick Reference
In 14 playbooks
Breakdown
Empty Slot Under is an empty backfield concept out of Trey Y-Flex that spreads five receivers wide to stress every level of the defense. From the diagram, the boundary receiver runs a deep go up the sideline while the inside receiver next to him breaks on a corner route, stacking a two man high low read outside the numbers. The middle receiver runs a slant across the field as the shallow crosser, the flat receiver to the trips side sits underneath on a flat route, and the backside receiver from the bunch releases vertically up the seam. This route distribution creates a natural flood to one side while the slant and vertical give you answers versus man coverage, making it both a man beater and zone beater depending on the shell. Primary read progression starts with the corner to go read outside, then works to the slant against zone drops, and finally checks down to the flat route if the underneath defenders sit deep.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a single high safety rotating to the go route side, this tells you Cover 3 or Cover 1 and opens up the corner route behind the flat defender. If both safeties stay deep at the snap and the corners bail into zone drops, that is Cover 4 or Cover 2, work the slant and flat routes underneath before the linebackers can sink. Identify if a linebacker or nickel defender walks out over the trips side pre-snap, this signals man coverage and makes the slant a high percentage man beater against a defender without inside help. Key the flat defender's depth at the snap, if he sits at five yards or deeper the underneath throw to the flat is there immediately for an easy checkdown. Beware disguised zone blitzes where the defense shows two high but rotates a safety down late, this can take away the corner route read and force you into the shorter flat or slant option under pressure.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment pre-snap, if you see two high safeties expect zone drops underneath so prioritize the slant into the vacated middle of the field. If the corner over your outside go route is playing tight man with no safety help over the top, take the shot on the go route immediately off the snap. Use motion pre-snap to identify man versus zone by watching if a defender follows the receiver across the formation. Hot route the flat route to a quick out if you are facing a hard flat defender sitting on that route, this gives you a clean throw versus Cover 2 corners. Pair this play with Empty Y Cross or Empty Stick in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect both the flood concept and the crossing routes, keeping linebackers and safeties honest on their run fits and zone drops. Best used on second and medium or third and short to medium where the flat and slant give you high percentage completions underneath.
