Playbooks

Slant Spacing

Shotgun·Trips·10
SlantSpacingPass PlayCover 3 BeaterCover 4 Beater
Play diagram for Slant Spacing from Shotgun Trips in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Slant Spacing out of Shotgun Trips shows a three man trips side spacing concept paired with a backside slant from the isolated X receiver. The backside X runs a quick slant into the middle of the field while the trips side stacks a flat route, a spacing hitch, and a corner route from the outside receiver to occupy every level of the zone. This is a zone beater built to attack Cover 3 and Cover 4 by spreading defenders horizontally and stretching the deep quarter or third with the corner route, though the quick hitches and slant also give you answers versus soft man coverage. Primary read progression starts backside on the slant against a hard cornerback, then moves to the trips side flat to hitch to corner read based on how the underneath zone defenders and deep safety flow.

Defensive Reads

Watch the cornerback over the backside X pre snap, if he is playing off coverage the slant window opens immediately after the snap. Read the flat defender's initial jump, if he sinks with the flat route the spacing hitch behind him becomes wide open in the void. Identify safety depth pre snap, a single high safety cheating toward the trips side signals Cover 3 and tells you to prioritize the flat to hitch combo over the corner route. Post snap, track any user controlled defender sitting in the shallow hook zone since he can jump the slant route and cause a turnover if the quarterback throws it late. This concept struggles against aggressive Cover 4 match teams that can bracket the corner route with two defenders, so avoid forcing the trips side deep shot if the safety stays deep and the cornerback presses at the line.

Usage Tips

Check pre snap for a two high shell versus one high shell to decide whether the corner route or the slant is your primary shot at the snap.

Against Cover 3, key the flat defender and hitch defender since the spacing concept forces a horizontal stretch that no single zone defender can cover, work flat to hitch quickly.

Against Cover 4, the corner route from the outside trips receiver is your best answer since it attacks the seam between the cornerback and safety before the quarter defenders can rotate over.

Use the backside slant as a hot route answer versus blitz looks since it clears the middle quickly and gives your quarterback a fast, high percentage throw.

Pair this play with Four Verticals or PA Middle in the same set to keep the defense honest, since both plays start from the same Shotgun Trips look but attack differently if the defense adjusts to spacing on early downs.

Other Plays in Trips