Close Zona Cross is a five man route concept out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk with 10 personnel that attacks the middle and deep boundary of the field. The three receiver trips side runs a deep out, a corner route, and a vertical seam, while the closed side X runs a crossing route underneath that settles into the shallow void, and the HB releases out of the backfield on a wheel route up the sideline for a checkdown or leak against overpursuing linebackers. This is primarily a zone beater, using the crosser to sit in soft spots between the underneath zone defenders while the vertical and corner routes stretch the deep thirds, and the primary read progression starts with the crosser, moves to the deep out breaking away from the flow, and finishes with the corner and seam if the defense rotates coverage away from the trips side.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment, a single high safety shows Cover 3 or Cover 1 which lets the corner and vertical routes threaten the deep middle void. Watch the slot cornerback and nickel defender over the trips bunch, aggressive press alignment signals man coverage which favors the crosser working away from traffic. Post-snap, identify any user controlled lurk defender sitting in the shallow to intermediate middle zone, since that defender can jump the crosser route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties can squeeze the corner route and vertical seam, so be ready to check down to the HB wheel or work the underneath out route instead. Man coverage with a linebacker blitzing off the edge exposes the HB wheel route immediately, so track linebacker blitz angles at the snap to anticipate a hot throw before pressure arrives.

Usage Tips

Use this play on second or third and medium when you expect zone coverage rather than tight man since the crosser and out route both work off soft spots in the underneath zones.

Check the middle linebacker depth before the snap, if he is sitting shallow to jump the crosser, be ready to hot route him to a corner or dig route to counter the jump.

Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells, key on the flat defender to the trips side, if he widens with the vertical route the crosser will have a clean throwing lane over the middle.

Pair this call with Trips Cross or Inside Cross earlier in a series so the defense starts keying the shallow crosser, then hit the corner or seam route once they overcommit to taking it away.

Use the HB wheel route as a checkdown against blitzes, especially if you see linebackers crashing downhill pre-snap, since the flare release can turn into a big gain if a defender bites on run action.

Close Zona Cross

Quick Reference

In 3 playbooks

Receiver routes

Read progression

Breakdown

Defensive Reads

Usage Tips

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk