Playbooks

Fade Smash

Shotgun·Trey Y-Flex·11
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Quick Reference

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Breakdown

Fade Smash out of Shotgun Trey Y-Flex is a classic smash concept built to attack the boundary corner with a high low read. The outside receiver runs the fade while the underneath receiver sits on a hitch or flat route to create a two level stretch on one defender, and the backside works Y-Flex combos to hold linebackers and safeties honest. This is a man beater at its core, exploiting a defender who has to choose between the vertical fade and the shorter route, and the primary read progression starts outside with the fade against a cornerback in press or trail technique before working down to the smash route underneath if the fade window is not there.

Defensive Reads

Identify the corner alignment pre snap, press man alignment tells you to work the smash route first since the fade window will be tight Watch for a cloud or squat corner in zone coverage, that defender will sit on the smash route and take away the underneath option, forcing you to trust the fade against the safety help Read the safety rotation after the snap, if the deep safety rotates late or bites on run action the fade has a one on one window against the corner Beware user controlled defenders lurking underneath, a smart user can sink the smash route read and jump your quick throw, so double check the flat and hook zone defenders before committing to the shorter option Cover 3 or cover 1 with a robber can shut this play down if the robber sits directly on the smash route, in that case take the fade and throw with timing before the single high safety can get over the top

Usage Tips

Check the cornerback depth before the snap, if he is playing off man beat him with the fade using a backshoulder placement, if he is in press look immediately to the smash route underneath for the easy pitch and catch

Use this play in the red zone or on third and short to medium since the fade and smash combo gives you a built in answer against both man and zone without needing a hot route

Against man coverage, throw the fade with anticipation on a high point placement before the receiver breaks, against zone coverage with a cloud corner sit the smash route in the void underneath

Pair this play call with Empty Smash and Levels Y Corner earlier in a series so the defense starts respecting the smash concept from different personnel and formations, that sets up Fade Smash as a chunk play later when the corner jumps the underneath route

If the defense shows two high shells pre snap, motion or check the protection and target the single high rotation weakness on the fade side rather than forcing the smash route into a sinking safety

Other Plays in Trey Y-Flex