Playbooks

Spacing

Shotgun·Trips HB Wk·10
SpacingPass PlayCover 3 BeaterCover 4 Beater
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

Fix OffenseOffenseSpread Classic

Breakdown

Spacing out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk is a horizontal stretch concept that uses staggered hitches and speed outs across the field to attack soft spots in zone coverage. The trips side runs a three level stagger (flat, hitch, and hitch) while the backside receiver and running back give you a two man read away from the trips, letting you flow the ball based on defender depth rather than forcing a matchup. This is primarily a Cover 3 and Cover 4 beater since it settles receivers into the horizontal voids that zone defenders leave underneath, and the primary read progression starts with the underneath flat defender before working up through the stagger to the backside if the zone rotates hard to trips.

Defensive Reads

Read the strong safety and cornerback depth on the trips side before the snap, if they are playing off at seven yards or deeper you have clean throwing windows underneath in Cover 3 or Cover 4. Key the flat defender immediately after the snap, if he sinks with the underneath hitch you throw the shallow flat route, if he stays flat footed you work the stagger route behind him. Watch for a user controlled linebacker sitting in the shallow hook zone, this is the most common way good competitive opponents shut down Spacing since it clogs the stagger reads on the trips side. Man coverage with press at the line, especially Cover 1 or Cover 0 looks, takes away the timing on the hitch routes and forces you to hot route into quicker breaking concepts instead. Watch linebacker depth pre snap for blitz indicators, a linebacker creeping toward the line on the trips side often signals a nano blitz that will beat this play before the routes develop.

Usage Tips

Use Spacing on second and short to second and medium when you expect the defense to sit in zone rather than bring pressure.

Check the pre snap alignment of the flat defender and the underneath linebackers, if they are shaded hard to the trips side the backside route becomes the quicker throw.

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or slant if you see man coverage creep in, since the base concept is built to punish zone drops rather than tight man coverage.

Pair Spacing with Trips Cross or Mesh Spot from the same set so you can give the defense a similar initial look but attack downfield or through the middle voids on the next snap.

Use the running back check release into the flat as a checkdown against disguised zone blitzes, this keeps the play alive even when the underneath defenders sink into the stagger routes early.

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk