Learning to teach Y-Stick Part 1
Out of 2x2
What is Y-Stick?
Quick game concept that should result in a quick pitch and catch.
Couple different ways to run the concept, and here we’ll focus on the common spread or Air Raid variation:
Learned from a clinic talk by Drew Piscopo that Coach Leach didn’t call this play Y-Stick, but instead he called it Y-Option (I believe it’s called 618 using the numbering system).
Y-Option is probably a much better name for the play. If you’ve watched cutups of Leach’s team running the play you’ll notice two things for sure:
They complete it at an unreasonable rate.
The “stick” route is variable based off coverage/technique.
Main Coaching Points (by position)
Z (or outside receiver): MOR Route
MOR stands for “mandatory outside release.” He must take this outside release so that the cornerback can’t play the flats easily.
If this route doesn’t go outside and force the cornerback to collision him or turn, then cornerback can crash the flat and wreak havoc on what looked like an easy throw and catch to the running back.
Y: Stick Route (or what we may now call an option route)
Could talk a long time about this route because it is variable.
It’s worth taking the time to watch a lot of cutups and organizing them in two categories: stick route vs. man and vs. zone.
Vs. Zone
“Find grass.”
That’s the coaching cue a lot of us use when teaching any Air Raid concept, and this route doesn’t get a pass.
The route needs to attack the inside shoulder of the flat defender because he’s the player we’re trying to put in a bind – he is the “key defender” read (will talk more about that in QB’s section below).
The receiver needs to attack the inside shoulder because he’s the inside route. The running back’s shoot or flare route is the outside route.
Vs. Man
Two ways to do it:
1) Break Out
This is probably the most common way people teach the route: IF the WR reads man coverage THEN he should break away. Simple concept that is sound.
We teach this by having a coach or player stand in as the Sam and simply having him expand on the snap or stick to the route.
Teaching the receivers to read the eyes is key here, in my experience. Eyes on me and head up? Need to break out. Eyes on Q with lots of leverage (inside or out)? Find space opposite his leverage and expect ball quick.
2) Whip/Return Route
This tactic is new to me and I heard it in that same clinic talk by Drew Piscopo I mentioned earlier. Highly suggest that clinic because he included a good amount of film and also talked about 2 other techniques Coach Leach used to always keep this route open.
The whip/return route (whatever you want to call it) is a man beater staple in tons of offenses and makes perfect sense to use here. Routes that sit still aren’t ideal vs. man.
Key coaching point:
The whip route MUST be patient out of the break and MUST let the Mike cross his face. Piscopo repeated this in the clinic talk, and it’s something I’ve experienced many times.
When the receiver rushes the whip and either 1) doesn’t get inside far enough or 2) screams out the break and closes space with the Mike, then the quarterback doesn’t have the any space to throw the ball. The blue dotted line in the drawing demonstrates the Mike getting ahead of the receiver (which is what we want).
T: Flare/Shoot Route
The running back runs one of two routes: a flare (drawn above) or a shoot route (drawn below).
Lots to consider when deciding what route you want your running back on. The conversation around which route to run is interesting because coaches use the same exact reasoning for one over the other.
For example, one coach says “I like the flare because it stretches the overhang better,” while another coaches says “I like the shoot because it stretches the overhang better.”
Below are reasons I’ve heard in conversations with other coaches as to why they run the route they do:
1) Shoot
“Prefer shoot route. Believe the route can either be run from an empty pro or six man protection. Love this route with a six man pro as you can "funnel" the DE and help your tackle on pass pro. Believe this route is also easier for the QB and brings higher comp %” — Coach Tye Hiatt
“Shoot...I always get worried with the alternative being a backwards pass and kids spacing out after a poor throw or drop.” — Coach Dan Blackbourn
“I’m just a humble defensive coach, but a shoot stresses me far more than a flare.” — Coach John Grayson (Trap or not? Can’t trust these D guys all the time…)
2) Flare
“- Further stretch for the Apex defender (can't bait; gotta commit)
- Clearer read for the QB
- RB is already square to the defense as soon as the ball hits his hands” — Coach Carlos T. Hill
“Swing, I like having my guys eyes already facing the def so he can makes moves accordingly. On the shoot he doesn't know where any defender is until he catches and turns.” — Coach Bougs
“Flare gets him horizontal now and that makes your QBs read easier. Faster the LB is stretched horizontally, the faster the read is made.” — Coach Brian Fox
3) Both
“We ask ourselves what type of backs to we have on a year-to-year basis.
Shifty - Go with the swing and let em wiggle to beat guys in space
Power, downhill type backs - Shoot and let them punish defensive backs physically for more yards with a head of steam and leverage” — Coach Doug Samuels
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider. The running back’s comfort level (as Coach Samuels mentioned directly above) is one thing, but the quarterback’s comfort is another important part of the conversation. Many quarterbacks struggle with those horizontal flares or bubbles and lots of coaches say their quarterbacks have a much easier time throwing the shoot.
Another consideration is what else you do in your offense and what you want to set up. Lots to consider, but as always, what you can execute the best ought to be the determining factor.
If you want to see the whole conversation, click here.
Q: 1 step, Key Defender Read
We teach this as a “key defender read.” That term means the quarterback will make his decision off one key defender’s actions. But only if it were that simple…
With all key defender reads, you also have a “danger player” you’ve got to account for. In this case that’s the Mike linebacker (or first player inside the key defender).
In reality, a “key defender read” requires the quarterback to read two defenders, not the one “key defender.” So how do we teach that?
Through a cool process called “anchoring.” I’ve heard about this concept from two coaches who as far as I know are not collaborators: Phil Longo via Joe Salas and Dub Maddox.
You can watch a quick clip explaining it here, but I’ll also tell you how it works below.
Anchor Concept
The idea is that you need to teach your quarterbacks to use their peripheral vision by picking a spot to look at in between the routes.
So instead of locking on to one defender or route, the quarterback can see both. We’re trying to get rid of tunnel vision.
Here’s a drawing from his video, where the X marks the spot where the quarterback’s eyes need to be:
If you’ve played quarterback, you’re probably very familiar with the concept even if you didn’t have a name for it or did it consciously.
Putting your eyes right in between the routes allows you to see both spaces whereas singling in on a route eliminates the other route. The danger player becomes really dangerous when the quarterback treats this concept like a progression.
It’s real difficult to read a play like this shoot to stick or stick to shoot. The quarterback needs to see both at the same time. Very similar concept to the slant - flat combination.
With that concept, the quarterback is reading the same overhang as Stick, but he also has to feel the Safety or Mike threatening the route space of the slant.
It’s the same concept whenever you’re teaching the quarterback to throw that slant: you teach him to throw where the route runner will be, not where he is. Often that simple coaching point fixes a lot of throws behind the slant.
On Stick, many coaches also teach the quarterback to “peak” the vertical. That means they will quickly verify (usually pre-snap) that this route will be/is open. Against 1 high, if the matchup is there and it makes sense in the current situation, the vertical isn’t a bad option.
Against Cover 2, it’s usually the best route if the quarterback can throw that hole shot. Don’t want to be running routes into a cloud corner.
The Drop
This anchor concept also relates to the 1 step drop the quarterback needs to take. That one step drop doesn’t have enough time in it to go through a progression. The quarterback needs to see what is happening on the drop and get the ball out fast. No time to pat the ball here and think.
This play is a grip it and rip it play.
Important to note how much the quarterback’s accuracy matters on this play when throwing the shoot or flare. If the quarterback puts the ball anywhere other than the upfield shoulder, then the play is immediately in danger of being a negative play or only gaining a few yards. The margin for error is small because you’re only going after so many yards. Any ball behind the running back will require him to turn his body and lose valuable time in getting past the first level of defenders.This is why choosing this route based on the quarterback’s ability is vital.
Final Thoughts
Planned on going over the play out of 3x1, but felt this one was getting too long.
If you run the play, let me know if you do anything different in the comments, or pieces of the puzzle that you’ve figured out and want to share.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time —
Emory Wilhite