American Football Playbook

Offensive Formation Design

American football offense begins with formation — the alignment of players before the snap that determines the available routes, blocking assignments, and defensive matchups. CourtDraw lets you diagram any formation accurately:

• Shotgun vs under-centre — show how the QB's starting position changes the timing of handoffs, play-action fakes, and the offensive line's protection responsibilities.
• Personnel groupings — 11 (one TE, one RB), 12 (two TE, one RB), 21 (two RB, one TE) packages each create different blocking and receiving options. Diagram how each grouping changes the defensive alignment before the play begins.
• Pre-snap motion — a receiver in motion before the snap can reveal man or zone coverage; diagram the motion path and the two defensive responses (a defender following indicates man coverage; no follow indicates zone).

Route Trees and Passing Concepts

A passing play is more than one route — it's a concept where multiple routes combine to attack the same defensive zone from different angles:

• Mesh concept — two receivers cross paths in the middle of the field; the QB reads which receiver comes open first based on the linebacker's decision to follow which crosser.
• Smash concept — corner route from the outside receiver with a hitch route from the inside receiver; attacks the cornerback's deep-or-shallow decision.
• Four verticals — all four receivers run vertical routes; the safety's decision to cover one side opens the other; QB identifies the open lane based on pre-snap safety position.

Defensive Coverage Systems

Defensive coverage is the chess game within the game:

• Cover 2 — two safeties cover the deep halves; cornerbacks sink to the flats. Vulnerable to the seam route (between safety and cornerback in the middle depth). Show the seam gap and how offenses attack it.
• Cover 3 — three defenders cover deep thirds; four defenders cover short zones. Vulnerable to the 4-verticals concept when four receivers flood the three deep zones.
• Man coverage — each defender covers a specific receiver regardless of their route; show the leverage position for each defensive assignment.

Red Zone and Short-Yardage

The red zone (inside the opponent's 20-yard line) is where field goal opportunities end and touchdown attempts begin. Diagram the specific plays that work in compressed space — shorter routes, more motion, and tighter formations that create mismatches. Show the difference between a standard passing play and its red zone adaptation, and why certain concepts are specifically designed for the reduced field depth.