O n behalf of the University of Colorado,
Head Coach Gary Barnett, and our
entire offensive staff, it is a honor to con-
tribute to this year’s AFCA Summer
Manual. We hope you will find the following
article to be beneficial.
Facts About Y Stick
One of our offensive staples is our
inside three step passing game. In our
offense, the play call is Y Stick. The Stick
play has been one of our most consistent
and efficient plays. In the 2001 season, we
attempted Stick 29 times completing twen-
ty-four for 83 percent completion rate. We
use Y Stick on all down and distance situa-
tions including both normal downs (First &
10, 2 & 4/6), and obvious downs (2 & 7+, 3
& 3/6). The Y Stick play is also a part of our
red zone offense (+20 and in). Therefore, it
has a universal effect on our offense. We
run the Stick concept from multiple person-
nel groups, formations and motions. The
final advantage of the Y Stick are the vast
concept variations that can come from the
base concept with only a protection or tag
change up.
By nature, the Stick concept is designed
to be a very high percentage pass play. It is
a half ball read that attacks the defensive
under coverage with horizontal bracketing.
The passing clock is quick (three and firm),
which both attacks the perimeter with
speed and aids protection. The Stick con-
cept is also an all-purpose play, meaning it
works versus all types of coverage includ-
ing both man and zone. It also holds up
very well versus defensive pressure.
Diagram 1: Strong Right Y Stick
The Concept
The offensive formation is used to set the
horizontal stretch on the defense. The out-
side receiver to the field or strength (2) takes
a wide split (16 yards). The outside receiver
to the boundary or weakside takes a normal
split (6-8 yards). On the snap of the ball, the
number one receiver playside Z (flanker)
runs a go route. He must take an outside
release. We call this release a protection
release. His job versus two-deep jam cover-
age is to protect the flat route and pull the
half field safety deep. Versus any cushion
corner technique he must stem inside to get
Inside Three-Step
Passing Game — Y Stick
outside separation and run to establish ver-
tical stretch on the playside deep coverage.
No. 1 playside should also understand he is
the alert. The alert in all of our pass con-
cepts is the potential deep ball based upon
either coverage technique or coverage con-
cept. The quarterback has the green light to
take the alert any time the situation arises
over his primary read. Versus bump or press
coverage with middle open man coverage
(C-0) or middle closed man coverage (C-1),
the receiver must create a win with his
release, route technique and separation. We
want our Quarterback to take the challenge
versus one on one with no safety help.
No. 2 to playside is the Y (tight end). On
the snap of the football, the tight end must
wall off the C gap. We allow him to take the
best possible release predicated by the
defensive player aligned on him. On the
release, the tight end must get vertical to wall
of the C gap. By walling off the C gap, the
tight end creates outside leverage on the
inside linebacker and inside leverage on the
outside linebacker. The tight end should run
his route six yards deep. At six yards, the
Shawn Watson
tight end uses a rollover speed break to gain
separation off the inside linebacker. If the
Offensive Coordinator/
tight end gets a zone drop from the inside
Quarterback Coach
linebacker, he will separate and settle in the
seam between defenders. If the tight end
University of Colorado
gets a man drop from the inside linebacker,
he will separate and run away. Another key
Boulder, Colo.
coaching point is to get the tight end’s head
and eyes back to the quarterback because of
the three step drop.
Diagram 2: Pro Strong Right Zone
Adjustment Y Stick
Diagram 3: Pro Strong Right Man
Adjustment Y Stick
• AFCA Summer Manual — 2002 •
 No. 3 to the playside is the flat route. The
flat control is run by the formation adjuster.
In our base example it is the fullback. It is
important that the flat route stay flat. We
emphasize width over depth because this
creates outside leverage on the outside
backer which spaces our bracketing on the
zone movement key and creates leverage
on man coverage. The flat route receiver
must get his head around quick. Not only is
he No. 1 in the quarterback’s progression,
but he also acts as the hot receiver in our
strongside scat protection.
Diagram 4: Pro Strong Right Flat
Route
No. 1 backside is the X (split end). On
the snap of the ball, the split end inside
releases working inside toward the ball.
The split end must cross the face off the
first inside linebacker weak and leverage
the inside shoulder of the playside line-
backer. If the inside linebackers are zone
droppers, the split end must zone adjust by
sitting down with his numbers to the quar-
terback. If the inside linebackers move lat-
erally in a man drop technique, the receiv-
er pushes into the defender and strikes
away.
Diagram 5: Pro Strong Right Zone
Adjustment Strike
Diagram 6: Pro Strong Right Man
Adjustment Strike
No. 2 toward the backside is the tail-
back. The tailback is the check releases
back in our scat protection. The back
checks his protection key and runs a wide
swing route. He must gain both depth and
width on his route. We emphasize both
depth and width to create leverage on the
weakside under coverage.
Diagram 7: Pro Strong Right
Check Wide
Our quarterback has five basic coaching
points on every pass concept. The coach-
ing points are designed to give our quarter-
backs a knowledge of our entire offense.
We have found by concept teaching with
multiple variations this kept things simple
and sound for the quarterback allowing him
to be the decision maker. The quarter-
back’s five coaching points are as follows:
Concept Package: Half ball horizontal
read - Read outside/in
Passing Clock: Three and firm
Zone Movement Key: Playside curl-flat
defender
Progression: (Alert) – Go vs. 1/1/
Bump technique (Primary) – Flat/Stick
(Check down) – Spot
Protection Rule: 1 or 2 = Hot (Flat
route)
Diagram 8: Pro Strong Right Y Stick
vs. Cover 44
Diagram 9: Pro Strong Right Y Stick
vs. Cover 44
Diagram 10: Pro Strong Right Y Stick
vs. Cover 44
The quarterback begins by identifying the
defensive alignment: is it a man or zone shell.
• AFCA Summer Manual — 2002 •
Next, we want our quarterback to check
his alert route: is the one-on-one challenge
available. Versus a man shell with no one on
one challenge, the quarterback should antic-
ipate throwing hot and react to his hot key.
Versus no hot read, the quarterback simply
plays his progression Flat, Stick to Spot.
Versus zone shell, the quarterback comes
to the line of scrimmage, identifies his zone
movement key by defensive structure and
makes him wrong with timing and the receiv-
er’s spacing. Below are simple illustration of
the quarterback’s reads. The zone move-
ment key is identified with a square.
As mentioned earlier, one of the great
benefits of the Stick concept is its multiplic-
ity. We will run stick from all of our person-
nel groups by using multiple formations and
motions to change up the look. The only
thing that stops you is your creativity. Below
are just a few of our Stick variations by per-
sonnel group.
Diagram 11: U Strong Right Y Stick
Diagram 12: Tiger Solo Right U
Right Y Stick
Diagram 13: Zebra Far Wing Right
Zebra Right Y Stick
Diagram 14: Zebra Trey Right Zebra
Return Y Stick