Football Library · Routes
Slant
3-yard vertical stem then a SHARP 25°-above-horizontal cut across the middle (angle measured from horizontal — mostly lateral with a shallow upfield lean, NOT a steep vertical-leaning break). Catches at 5-6 yds depth, having gained 5-7 yds laterally (route tree #2). Beats press man (inside leverage fast) and Cover 2 (slant fits between underneath defenders).
Demo rendered on @X (outside WR) at 5yd depth. Only the route runner and the QB are shown so the break stays the focus; the same route family scales to any depth a play calls for, and concepts that use this route may set a different depth.
How to run it
sharp break at the inside hip, catch in stride and turn upfield.
Reading it by coverage
How to run the slant against what the defense shows.
- Cover 0:
- all-out blitz vs man — hot route; slant the inside hip and look fast.
- Cover 1:
- vs press man — rub off the trail-tech corner, eyes inside on the third step.
- Cover 2:
- settle between the OLB and corner — sit vs zone, accelerate vs man.
- Cover 3:
- win inside leverage — sit in the curl/flat window the apex defender opens.
- Tampa 2:
- thread between the MLB's deep drop and the OLB — soft spot at 4-6 yds.
- Man:
- vs press man — rub the trail tech, look fast on the inside hip.
- Zone:
- settle in the curl/flat window — face the QB on the third step.
Concepts that use this route: Slant-Flat