Football Library · Routes
Arrow
Route1-5 yd
RB or slot releases on a CLEAN DIAGONAL toward the flat at a shallow angle (~25° from horizontal). Mostly lateral with a small upfield component — in tackle football it finishes ~2-3 yds deep and ~10 yds out. No break, no settle. Outlet for the QB and a natural high-low partner with a sit/curl over the top.
Example: @X (outside WR) runs the route at 3yd 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
slight angle to the flat, gain depth gradually.
Reading it by coverage
How to run the arrow against what the defense shows.
- Cover 1:
- vs man — outrun the linebacker to the flat; the angle beats his leverage.
- Cover 2:
- arrow under the squat corner — ball out before the flat defender expands.
- Cover 3:
- stretch the curl/flat defender horizontally — if he sinks to the curl, the arrow is open.
- Zone:
- gain depth gradually to the flat — the low half of a high-low.