Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Spacing out of Singleback Bunch Ace 12 personnel spreads the bunch receivers into a horizontal stretch, with one receiver running an outside shallow drag/out to the boundary, a bunch receiver settling into a quick out at the sticks, and another running a short curl underneath while the tight end works a shallow cross. The lone open receiver runs an outside vertical release before breaking into a corner or hitch route. This is a quick-hitting zone beater built to stretch Cover 3 and Cover 4 defenders horizontally at multiple depths, with the primary read starting on the underneath out route to the field side and working back to the shallow curl and drag as checkdowns.
Defensive Reads
Identify two high safeties pre-snap, since that usually signals Cover 4 or Cover 3 zone which is exactly what this concept is designed to attack with horizontal spacing. Watch the underneath linebackers and their zone drop landmarks, if they sink too deep on the out routes the shallow curl and drag sit wide open. Key the flat defender to the field side, if he sits flat footed or bites on the drag the outside out route will be uncontested. Against man coverage look for a lurking linebacker or safety sitting in the shallow zone, since spacing has minimal separation built in against tight man and can get jumped for a pick six. Watch for a nano blitz or overload pressure package, since spacing has no built in hot protection adjustment and a quick interior blitz can beat the quarterback to his first read before routes develop.
Usage Tips
Diagnose the coverage shell pre-snap by checking safety depth, if you see two deep safeties with soft corners this concept eats Cover 4 alive on the outs.
Snap the ball quickly and read from the widest out route inward, spacing concepts are timing based so hesitation kills the window against zone drops.
Use this on third and short to medium since every route sits at or near the sticks and gives you a built in horizontal stretch against zone defenders.
Hot route the shallow drag into a deeper crosser if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, since spacing struggles against tight man with underneath lurk defenders.
Pair this with a play action shot play like PA Boot or PA Fork Shot after running Spacing a few times, since defenders will start jumping the quick outs and open up the deep shots.
