Playbooks

Strong Flood

Shotgun·Trips HB Wk·10
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Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Spread Classic

Breakdown

Strong Flood is a trips-based zone beater out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk that floods one side of the field with three route levels: a deep shot, an intermediate breaking route, and a shallow flat route. The concept is designed to overload zone defenders by stacking vertical stretches at three different depths, forcing a single defender to choose between levels while the QB reads high to low. Primary progression starts with the deepest route to hold the safety, then works down to the intermediate breaker, and finally checks down to the flat as the outlet against pressure or when the deep window is closed.

Defensive Reads

Read the flat defender first since Strong Flood lives and dies on whether that underneath zone defender widens with the shallow route or stays home to rob the intermediate breaker. Key the deep safety on the flood side pre-snap: if he is shaded outside or cheating toward the trips, the deep shot is taken away and you should progress immediately to the intermediate level. Watch for Cover 3 cloud or Cover 4 quarters looks since a hard flat defender combined with deep quarter help can squeeze all three levels and force a checkdown to the backside. Identify user-controlled defenders lurking underneath the deep route, especially in Cover 2 shells, because a rangy user safety can undercut the vertical stem if the QB stares it down too long. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the flood side is the biggest green light here, since the deep route wins on a vertical stem and the intermediate route creates natural separation on the break.

Usage Tips

Diagnose the coverage shell before the snap by checking safety depth: two high safeties invite the deep shot on the flood side since Cover 2 corners are forced to sink under the vertical, while single high alignments mean you should be ready to work the intermediate route against Cover 3 rotation.

Use the flood concept on second and medium to third and short so the underneath checkdown route can still move the sticks if the defense sits back in zone.

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick slant or drag if the defense shows blitz, giving your QB a fast answer away from the flood side pressure.

Pair Strong Flood with Mtn Slot Curls or Curls from the same set so you can attack the same flood-side defenders with different route depths and keep zone defenders guessing on the stem.

Against aggressive user linebackers who jump the shallow flat route, load up on the intermediate breaker since that defender is now out of position and the window opens up big.

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk