Playbooks

Z Spot

Shotgun·Trips·10
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
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

Air Raid Classic OffenseOffenseSpread Classic

Breakdown

Z Spot is a quick game passing concept out of Shotgun Trips that centers around the classic Spot combination to the trips side, pairing a corner route, a spot (settle) route, and a flat route to attack underneath zones and short man coverage. The backside typically holds a single receiver on a vertical or comeback to keep the defense honest and prevent extra help from rotating over. This is a zone beater first and foremost, designed to be a quick trigger throw against Cover 3 and Cover 2 sitting linebackers, with the primary read progression starting at the flat defender to determine if the spot route is open underneath, then working up to the corner route if the defense sinks and clears out the flat.

Defensive Reads

Look for Cover 3 sink from the flat defender, since that opens the spot route as a layup throw underneath before the linebacker can reroute. Watch for Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells where the corner sits low and the flat defender widens, which signals a window for the corner route over the top. Identify if the defense shows man coverage pre-snap through tight press alignment on the outside receivers, since that usually means you need to hot route the backside receiver rather than trust the trips concept. Be alert for a user-controlled linebacker sitting in the throwing lane to the spot route, since a smart user defender will jump this route if he reads your eyes early. Watch the weak side edge or slot blitz threat, since Z Spot has minimal extra protection built in and a well timed blitz can collapse the pocket before your first read develops.

Usage Tips

Use this on early down and distance or third and short since the spot route settles quickly and gives you a high percentage completion against zone drops.

Key the flat defender before the snap to see if he is sitting on the flat or bailing to help on the corner route, since that dictates your first read after the snap.

Hot route the backside single receiver into a slant or drag if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, since Z Spot on its own is not built to consistently beat tight man leverage.

Pair this play with Curls or Slot Corner from the same formation to keep the defense guessing between quick underneath throws and deeper zone-clearing routes.

Combine Z Spot with RPO Alert Bubble or RPO Base Alert Bubble in your play-calling sequence to force linebackers to declare run or pass fits before you commit to the spot concept.

Other Plays in Trips