Playbooks

PA Flood

Singleback·Ace·12

Play Action Flood Pass Play Cover 3 Beater

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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

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Quick Reference

FormationSingleback

SetAce

Personnel

121 RB · 2 TE · 2 WR

In 1 playbook

Fix OffenseOffense

Breakdown

PA Flood out of Singleback Ace 12 personnel sells the play-action fake to the HB before flooding one side of the field with three receivers stacked at different depths: a deep route, an intermediate out or corner, and a shallow flat route. This route distribution is a classic Cover 3 beater because it overloads one deep third defender and one flat defender with three vertical stems they cannot cover simultaneously. The primary read progression works high to low: check the deep shot first, then work down to the intermediate breaking route, and finally check the flat route as the underneath outlet against a hard close from the corner.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, look for single high safety alignment and corners playing zone leverage outside, which signals Cover 3 and confirms the flood concept will have an open window on the deep third defender. Post-snap, key the flat defender's reaction to the play-action fake since a linebacker or corner biting hard on the run action opens up the intermediate out or corner route immediately. Watch for a user-controlled safety rotating late to double the deep route, which means you must climb down the progression quickly to the intermediate or flat option before the window closes. This concept struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 2 Man with two deep safeties, since the extra deep defender can help bracket the deep flood route and take away the top of the concept. Man coverage with underneath linebackers spying the flat can also disrupt the timing, so identify man leverage on the flat receiver pre-snap and be ready to peek away from the flood side if the corner shows tight man technique.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs or manageable third down distances where the play-action fake still holds linebacker eyes and the flood concept has room to develop vertically. Identify Cover 3 pre-snap by reading a single deep safety and two corners playing off, since the three-level flood on one side will consistently stress the deep third defender. Hot route the backside receiver into a shallow drag or spot route to give yourself a check down against Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells that roll extra help toward the flood side. Pair PA Flood with PA Boot Roll or PA Sprint HB Flat later in a series so the defense has to respect both directions of the play-action rollout family off similar formations. If the user jumps the flat route with a linebacker spy, come back to this play and layer in a double move like Fl Corner or Corner Strike to punish an aggressive underneath defender.