Playbooks
Return Sprint Spot is a quick-hitting man beater and zone beater built off the Spot concept, combining a flat route, a quick out or hitch, and a corner or curl route into the trips side to attack underneath defenders in a triangle read. The backside typically carries a dig or comeback to give the quarterback a full field option if the trips side is jumped. The primary read progression starts with the flat defender: if he widens with the flat route, work the hitch or curl sitting behind him, and if the underneath defender sinks, hit the corner route breaking outside for the explosive gain.
Identify the flat defender first, if he sits inside to take away the hitch you have the flat route wide open for an easy pickup. Watch the corner or safety over the trips side, if he stays deep and outside the corner route has room to break, if he sinks under it you should already be progressing to the flat or hitch. Check linebacker depth before the snap, shallow linebackers signal man coverage or a blitz look which means you should prioritize the backside hot route or the quick hitch for a rhythm throw. Cover 3 with a hard-sinking corner defender shuts down the corner route, so recognize that shell quickly and stay underneath with the flat and hitch combo. User-controlled defenders sitting in a lurk position over the middle of the field can jump the curl or hitch route, so keep an eye on any manual defender drifting toward the trips concept and be ready to reset to the backside route.
Use this play on third and short to third and medium when you expect zone coverage since the Spot concept is designed to layer routes underneath and over the flat defender.
Check the pre-snap alignment of the flat corner or nickel defender, if he is sitting at five yards or deeper you have an easy throw to the flat or hitch before working vertical.
Hot route the backside receiver into a quick slant or drag if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, this gives you a rhythm throw away from trips congestion.
Pair this play with Return Sprint TE Screen and Return Sprint Comeback from the same set so the defense sees identical formation and motion but has to respect both the quick game and the screen, creating hesitation in linebacker run fits.
Attack blitz-heavy defenses by getting the ball out on the flat or hitch quickly, since the Spot concept is designed to beat pressure with timing rather than holding the ball for deep shots.