Football Library · Plays
Levels· 6v6 Flag
intermediateaka Levels Concept
Two crossing in-breaking routes at TWO LEVELS — low In at 6-8 yds and high Dig at 12-14 yds, both breaking inside on the same side. High-low stretches the underneath LB. LB sinks under the dig = throw the low In; LB drives short = throw the dig. Indianapolis Colts (Manning era) staple.
Coaching breakdown
Levels Right (6v6): in @ 7yd (low) + dig @ 12yd (high) — both in-breaking on the strong side, high-low on the hook/curl defender. clears; checkdown; sits @ 4yd as the eligible underneath.
When to call it
Manning-era staple vs man and zone-match. High-low at two depths puts the corner in a bind on the deep side.
Common mistakes
- Routes flatten out instead of staying vertical at their landmark before the in-cut.
- QB throws the high read first; should read low-to-high — high In is the safety-valve.
- Both routes break at the same yardage; the depth differential is the entire point.
Strong / weak against
Strong against
- Cover 1 — Crossers and mesh — natural rubs spring a man defender
Contested
- Cover 0 — Anything that develops slowly — pressure gets home first Better answers: Four Verticals, Mesh, Slant-Flat, Smash
- Cover 2 — The flats — the corner squats and jumps anything quick outside Better answers: Smash, Four Verticals, Flood
- Tampa 2 — The deep middle — the Mike runs it, so a straight seam is contested (unlike base Cover 2) Better answers: Smash, Flood
- Cover 3 — Deep outside — the three-deep shell caps outside verticals Better answers: Curl-Flat, Slant-Flat, Smash, Flood, Four Verticals, Snag, Dagger, Stick
- Cover 4 — Deep shots — four deep defenders make it very hard to win over the top Better answers: Stick, Snag, Slant-Flat, Curl-Flat, Mesh