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offense / quick pass
A quick spacing concept that gives the quarterback a three-receiver answer against underneath zone leverage.
Animated assignment view
The quarterback counts defenders over trips and identifies the first underneath player inside the widest receiver.
Ball: center
How it works
The tight end pushes to six yards and turns away from coverage, the inside slot races to the flat, and the widest receiver clears vertically. Together they create a triangle that stretches two defenders.
Move the chains with a controlled progression that adapts to common zone and pressure structures.
Three receivers spread two defenders at different depths. The quarterback chooses the receiver standing in the space those defenders leave.
The stick runner must preserve space for the flat while finding the void; drifting outside lets one defender overlap both routes.
Decision point
The quarterback reads inside-out from the stick route to the flat, with the fade available only against a favorable isolated corner.
Deliver on the receiver's turn when the hook defender widens.
low riskLead the flat route outside when the underneath defender sits on the stick.
low riskThrow over the top only when the corner squats without safety help.
high risk{
"schema": "openplay-football",
"schemaVersion": "0.1",
"id": "stick",
"slug": "stick",
"name": "Stick",
"side": "offense",
"category": "quick-pass",
"personnel": {
"id": "eleven-personnel",
"name": "11 Personnel",
"grouping": "1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR",
"positionCounts": {
"QB": 1,
"RB": 1,
"WR": 3,
"TE": 1,
"OL": 5
}
},
"formation": {
"id": "gun-trips",
"name": "Gun Trips",
"family": "shotgun",
"strength": "right",
"description": "Three eligible receivers align right to create a compact three-level spacing triangle."
},
"situationTags": [
"quick-game",
"third-down",
"zone-beater"
],
"players": [
{
"id": "qb",
"position": "QB",
"label": "QB",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 26.67,
"y": -5
},
"alignment": "Shotgun",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "quarterback"
},
{
"id": "rb",
"position": "RB",
"label": "RB",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 22,
"y": -6
},
"alignment": "Offset left",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "runningBack"
},
{
"id": "x",
"position": "WR",
"label": "X",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 5,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Wide left",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "receivers"
},
{
"id": "h",
"position": "WR",
"label": "H",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 38,
"y": -2
},
"alignment": "Inside right slot",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "receivers"
},
{
"id": "y",
"position": "TE",
"label": "Y",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 34,
"y": -2
},
"alignment": "Right slot",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "tightEnds"
},
{
"id": "z",
"position": "WR",
"label": "Z",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 49,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Wide right",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "receivers"
},
{
"id": "lt",
"position": "LT",
"label": "LT",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 21,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "passBlocking"
},
{
"id": "lg",
"position": "LG",
"label": "LG",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 24,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "passBlocking"
},
{
"id": "c",
"position": "C",
"label": "C",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 26.67,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "passBlocking"
},
{
"id": "rg",
"position": "RG",
"label": "RG",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 29.4,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "passBlocking"
},
{
"id": "rt",
"position": "RT",
"label": "RT",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 32.4,
"y": -1
},
"alignment": "Line",
"side": "offense",
"ratingRole": "passBlocking"
}
],
"preSnap": {
"description": "The quarterback counts defenders over trips and identifies the first underneath player inside the widest receiver.",
"shifts": []
},
"assignments": [
{
"id": "y-stick",
"playerId": "y",
"startsAtMs": 500,
"endsAtMs": 2500,
"type": "route",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 34,
"y": 6
}
},
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 31,
"y": 6
}
}
],
"landmark": "Six yards over the right hash",
"arrowhead": true,
"readOrder": 1,
"conditionalAdjustment": "Turn away from the nearest underneath defender."
},
{
"id": "z-fade",
"playerId": "z",
"startsAtMs": 500,
"endsAtMs": 3000,
"type": "route",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 49,
"y": 20
}
}
],
"landmark": "Outside vertical lane",
"arrowhead": true,
"readOrder": 3
},
{
"id": "h-flat",
"playerId": "h",
"startsAtMs": 500,
"endsAtMs": 2400,
"type": "route",
"path": [
{
"type": "curve",
"control": {
"x": 42,
"y": 0
},
"to": {
"x": 47,
"y": 3
}
}
],
"landmark": "Right numbers",
"arrowhead": true,
"readOrder": 2
},
{
"id": "x-glance",
"playerId": "x",
"startsAtMs": 500,
"endsAtMs": 3000,
"type": "route",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 7,
"y": 5
}
},
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 16,
"y": 11
}
}
],
"landmark": "Backside hash",
"arrowhead": true
},
{
"id": "rb-check",
"playerId": "rb",
"type": "check-release",
"check": "Scan the interior gap before settling over the ball.",
"releasePath": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 24,
"y": 3
}
}
]
},
{
"id": "center-slide",
"playerId": "c",
"type": "pass-protection",
"responsibility": "Point the protection toward the trips-side pressure threat.",
"technique": "Quick-set half slide"
}
],
"decisionPoint": {
"id": "read-stick-triangle",
"triggerTimeMs": 1550,
"prompt": "Which part of the trips-side triangle is open?",
"explanation": "The quarterback reads inside-out from the stick route to the flat, with the fade available only against a favorable isolated corner.",
"options": [
{
"id": "throw-stick",
"label": "Throw the stick route",
"description": "Deliver on the receiver's turn when the hook defender widens.",
"intendedRead": "Inside space opens at six yards.",
"riskLevel": "low"
},
{
"id": "throw-flat",
"label": "Throw the flat",
"description": "Lead the flat route outside when the underneath defender sits on the stick.",
"intendedRead": "The apex defender stays inside.",
"riskLevel": "low"
},
{
"id": "take-fade",
"label": "Attack the outside fade",
"description": "Throw over the top only when the corner squats without safety help.",
"intendedRead": "The corner drives the flat and the deep lane is isolated.",
"riskLevel": "high"
}
]
},
"timeline": [
{
"type": "pre-snap",
"atMs": 0
},
{
"type": "snap",
"atMs": 500
},
{
"type": "assignment-start",
"atMs": 550,
"playerId": "y"
},
{
"type": "route-break",
"atMs": 1250,
"playerId": "y"
},
{
"type": "decision-pause",
"atMs": 1550,
"decisionPointId": "read-stick-triangle"
},
{
"type": "ball-release",
"atMs": 2050,
"targetPlayerId": "y"
},
{
"type": "play-end",
"atMs": 3500
}
],
"narrative": {
"summary": "A quick spacing concept that gives the quarterback a three-receiver answer against underneath zone leverage.",
"fullExplanation": "The tight end pushes to six yards and turns away from coverage, the inside slot races to the flat, and the widest receiver clears vertically. Together they create a triangle that stretches two defenders.",
"strategicPurpose": "Move the chains with a controlled progression that adapts to common zone and pressure structures.",
"idealSituations": [
"Third and four",
"Against zone coverage",
"When protection time is limited"
],
"strengths": [
"Fast progression",
"Multiple answers in a small area",
"Natural sideline spacing"
],
"weaknesses": [
"Pattern-matching defenders can squeeze the triangle",
"A cloud corner can remove the flat and fade"
],
"keyRead": "Start with the inside underneath defender, then confirm the corner's depth before choosing the flat or fade.",
"watchFor": [
"The stick receiver turning away from leverage",
"The flat route gaining width",
"The outside corner's depth"
],
"beginnerExplanation": "Three receivers spread two defenders at different depths. The quarterback chooses the receiver standing in the space those defenders leave.",
"advancedNote": "The stick runner must preserve space for the flat while finding the void; drifting outside lets one defender overlap both routes."
},
"simulation": {
"difficulty": "beginner",
"conceptTags": [
"quick-pass",
"stick",
"spacing"
],
"baseSuccessRate": 0.65,
"yardRange": {
"min": -3,
"max": 22
},
"turnoverRisk": 0.02
}
}