Backside High-Low Concept

Looking at why a Dig route paired with short underneath routes is the go-to combination on the backside of drop-back passing.

In the passing game, timing is a crucial element. To allow the quarterback to hit all 5 receivers potentially, routes need to be designed accordingly. I don’t believe the quarterback realistically has the time to get past 3 routes, but when concepts are designed correctly the Quarterback can use pre-snap cues and post-snap keys to make all 5 routes viable.

A great backside tag to accomplish this is what is commonly referred to as High-Low. Now a high-low stretch in general is when you isolate a defender and put a route above and below him. There isn’t just one way, but the High-Low concept we are discussing is a Dig route with a flat variation underneath. This could be a quick out, a short in, a whip, a short option, or anything that attacks 5 yards or under.

This concept isolates the Will linebacker if the defense overloads the primary concept side. This can be tagged with any frontside combination. The key is the timing of the backside routes. Dig routes take a long time to develop, this allows the quarterback to read the play side first. If the defense shows their hand pre-snap or the quarterback quickly sees the overload, he can hitch up and get his eyes to the backside.

Quarterback’s Eyes

One crucial aspect of passing that is often overlooked is the natural scan of the quarterback’s eyes. A high-low concept works well because it naturally breaks in the direction of the quarterback’s eyes. The example above is a Snag concept with a high-low to the backside. The eyes of the quarterback naturally scan across the field, which allows him to see the underneath coverage as he works back to the dig-whip combination.

Though a flood or Deep smash concept would have the same timing as High-Low, the quarterback’s natural scan to that backside would not allow him to quickly and properly see the space. The space to the left outside would be the last place his eyes go, taking too much time to be a viable option.

Paid Subscribers get 5 High-Low Variations + Film Cut-Ups