---
title: "Football Playbook: Coverages, Routes & Concepts"
description: "Coverages, routes, passing concepts and formations from Crucible, with diagrams and how a quarterback reads them: Cover 1 to Cover 6, the route tree and more."
url: https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/
---

Crucible playbook

# The quarterback’s playbook library

The coverages, routes, passing concepts and formations quarterbacks rep in Crucible, drawn out the way the simulator runs them. Learn what each one is here, then go read it at game speed.

## [Coverages](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/coverages/)

What the defense is doing behind the line: man or zone, one high safety or two, and where each coverage is soft.

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![Cover 1 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-1.thumb.webp)

Cover 1 31 plays to rep against
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![Cover 1 Robber diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-1-robber.thumb.webp)

Cover 1 Robber 31 plays to rep against
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![Cover 2 Tampa diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-2-tampa.thumb.webp)

Cover 2 Tampa 31 plays to rep against
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![Cover 3 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-3.thumb.webp)

Cover 3 31 plays to rep against

[All coverages →](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/coverages/)

## [Passing Concepts](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/concepts/)

Routes that work together to put one defender in a bind, and the order the quarterback reads them.

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![Curl diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/curl.thumb.webp)

Curl Diagonal / Curl
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![Dig diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/dig.thumb.webp)

Dig HB Option / In
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![Drive diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/drive.thumb.webp)

Drive Angle / Basic / Shallow
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![Hitch diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/hitch.thumb.webp)

Hitch Seam / Hitch

[All passing concepts →](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/concepts/)

## [Routes](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/routes/)

Each route’s depth and break, and how it adjusts to coverage.

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![Slant diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/slant.thumb.webp)

Slant

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![Flat diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/flat.thumb.webp)

Flat

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![Go diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/go.thumb.webp)

Go

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![Post diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/post.thumb.webp)

Post

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![Corner diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/corner.thumb.webp)

Corner

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![Curl diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/curl.thumb.webp)

Curl

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![Comeback diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/comeback.thumb.webp)

Comeback

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![Hitch diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/routes/hitch.thumb.webp)

Hitch

[All routes →](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/routes/)

## [Formations](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/formations/)

How the offense lines up, and what each formation forces the defense to show.

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![Bunch diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/formations/bunch-right.thumb.webp)

Bunch 5 plays
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![Double diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/formations/double-right.thumb.webp)

Double 10 plays
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![Empty diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/formations/empty-right.thumb.webp)

Empty 6 plays
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*Diagram: Shotgun diagram*

Shotgun

[All formations →](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/formations/)

## Test Yourself

- [Football IQ test](https://www.crucibletech.com/football-iq-test/)
- [Guess the coverage (new one every day)](https://www.crucibletech.com/guess-the-coverage/)
- [Quarterback reads quiz](https://www.crucibletech.com/qb-reads-quiz/)

## [Comparisons and How to Beat Each Coverage](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/compare/)

Man vs zone, Cover 3 and Cover 4 against trips, and the concepts that beat each one.

## [Flag Football](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/flag-football/)

Coverages for flag and 7v7 quarterbacks, and the plays Crucible drills against them.

[Flag football playbook →](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/flag-football/)

Reading It Is the Hard Part
Knowing what a coverage looks like on paper is step one. Crucible puts you at quarterback against it, rep after rep, until the read is automatic.
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