Playbooks

Double Stick

Shotgun·Wing Slot Offset·12

Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetWing Slot Offset

Personnel

121 RB · 2 TE · 2 WR

In 3 playbooks

Cowboys OffenseOffense Superstar HB Agile NFL Live Cowboys OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Double Stick is a Stick concept pass play out of Shotgun Wing Slot Offset that stacks two mirrored stick routes on both sides of the field, giving the quarterback a horizontal stretch read against both man and zone coverage. Each side runs a quick out, a stick (hook/curl settle), and a flat route working underneath, creating a triangle read that attacks zone drops and picks off man defenders with natural rub leverage. The primary progression starts with the pre-snap coverage shell read, then works flat to stick on the side away from the blitz or the most favorable matchup, using the running back or in-line tight end as a checkdown against pressure.

Defensive Reads

Watch for Cover 3 sky or cloud shells pre-snap, since the stick routes settle right into the intermediate zone voids that linebackers vacate on their drop. Key the flat defender's initial movement after the snap, if he sinks with the stick route the flat route underneath will be wide open for an easy checkdown throw. Diagnose Cover 2 by reading the corners, if they sit at 5 to 7 yards with outside leverage pre-snap the stick will have room to settle before the safety can rotate over the top. Beware of nano blitz packages and disguised zone pressure, since Double Stick has minimal deep protection and a well-timed A gap blitz can collapse the pocket before the stick routes fully develop. Man coverage with a deep half safety over the top, like Cover 1 Robber, can bracket the stick route with a linebacker underneath and a safety over the top, so hot route to a quick out or slant against this look instead.

Usage Tips

Identify the coverage shell before the snap by checking if both safeties are deep (indicating two-high zone) or if one is rotating down, since Double Stick is designed to punish Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone drops with the stick sitting in the void.

Hot route the backside stick into a flat or corner route if you diagnose man coverage with no safety help over the top, turning this into a natural man beater against Cover 1 or Cover 0 pressure looks.

Use this play on second or third and short to medium situations since the stick and flat combo consistently gains 5 to 8 yards against zone defenses that sit their linebackers at intermediate depth.

Pair Double Stick with Slants Y Stick or Spacing in your play-calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between quick horizontal stretches and vertical stick nods, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops.

Against user-controlled defenders lurking in the shallow zone, snap the ball quickly and target the far side stick concept away from the user's positioning, since the offset alignment naturally creates a numbers advantage on that side.