Playbooks

Close Zona Fade

Shotgun·Trips HB Wk·10
FadePass PlaySlantSpeed OutStreakSwing
Play diagram for Close Zona Fade from Shotgun Trips HB Wk in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 3 playbooks

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Receiver routes

Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.

See this play with a team's players
PlayerSideRoute
HB1LeftSwing
SLWRRightSpeed Out
WR1LeftStreak
WR2RightStreak
SLWR2RightSlant

Read progression

  1. WR1 left, Streak
  2. SLWR right, Speed Out or WR2 right, Streak
  3. SLWR2 right, Slant
  4. HB1 left, SwingCheck-down

Breakdown

Close Zona Fade lines up from Trips HB Wk in Shotgun with a lone backside receiver running a vertical fade up the sideline while the HB releases out of the backfield on a shallow flat/arc route. On the trips side, the two inside receivers cross underneath (a shallow drag and a dig working opposite directions through the middle) while the outside trips receiver clears vertically up the seam before breaking hard to the opposite sideline on a deep crossing route. This is a zone beater built to attack the void the safety leaves when he rotates to help on the vertical trips routes, with the deep cross as the primary read against zone shells and the backside fade as the alert versus single high man coverage.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify the free safety alignment since a single high safety tells you the fade route is live while two high safeties tell you to work the deep cross. Watch the flow of the underneath linebackers after the snap, if they sink hard into the crossing routes the HB flat route will be wide open. Beware of a user controlled deep defender sitting in the middle of the field, this is the primary lurk spot that can jump the deep cross and turn it into a turnover. Man coverage on the trips side struggles with the natural rub created by the crossing routes, so look for defenders getting picked or trailing late. Cover 3 with a hard cornered flat defender can squeeze both the backside fade and the flat route, so be ready to climb the pocket and give the deep cross extra time to develop.

Usage Tips

Check pre-snap for two high safeties since the deep cross behind the linebackers is the money route against split safety zone shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4.

If the defense shows single high or man coverage, look immediately to the backside fade for a one on one shot up the sideline against a corner without deep help.

Use the HB flat route as your checkdown versus blitz looks or when the underneath zone defenders sit too deep on the crossers.

Pair this call with Zona Fade or Close Zona Cross earlier in a series so the defense has to respect both the vertical stems and the crossing combo, then hit this play once you feel them jumping the shallow routes.

Best used on second and medium or third and long when you need a big chunk play, since the deep cross and fade both threaten explosive gains if the safety bites on the underneath traffic.

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk