Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Stick Switch out of Singleback Tight Y Off (11 personnel) is a classic Stick concept with the outside receiver responsibilities switched, giving you a five man route combo that stresses the flat and hook zones on both sides. The backside receiver runs a deep out breaking to the sideline while the inside stick route sits underneath at the sticks, and the same combo repeats on the frontside with a flat route from the slot and a vertical seam release from the inline attachment that breaks back to the middle. The running back releases up the middle on a check release seam route, giving you a fifth option if the underneath zones get clogged. This is a zone beater first, designed to put stick and flat defenders in conflict, but it also holds up against man coverage because of the natural picks created by the switch release at the line.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check for two deep safeties which signals Cover 2 or Cover 4, both coverages leave the flat defender in conflict against the stick and flat combo on either side. Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the stick route the flat is wide open, if he jumps the flat the stick route sits down right behind him for an easy completion. Key the middle linebacker depth before the snap, a shallow drop or blitz alignment signals man coverage or a blitz package that will struggle to cover the switch release without help. Post-snap, look for a user controlled defender lurking in the middle of the field, since the running back seam route and stick routes both cross the intermediate area, a rangy user linebacker can jump these throws if you stare down one side. This concept struggles against Cover 3 with disciplined curl to flat defenders who can sink and still recover to the flat, and it can get shut down by press man corners jamming the switch release before the routes develop.
Usage Tips
Use this play on third and short to third and medium since the stick routes sit right at the sticks and give you an easy conversion throw.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high or single high safety look, this concept thrives against zone shells like Cover 2 and Cover 3 because of the flat and stick conflict on both sides.
If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, hot route the backside out route into a fade or take the free release seam from the running back since man defenders will struggle with the switch release traffic.
Progression should start frontside stick to flat, then work backside to the deep out, and check down to the running back seam route if both underneath zones are taken away.
Pair this play with Stick from the same set to keep the same route look but change the switch release, this forces defenders to guess on the switch release and opens up bigger throwing windows on the backside out route.
Against aggressive blitz looks, use this in combination with PA Boot Slide or PA Deep Curls from the same set to keep the defense honest on run action while still attacking the same stick and flat zones.
