How Incarnate Word Uses Motion to Break Structure and Bait Leverage

Part 2: Zip Motion: Mess With the Picture, Force the Conversation

If “Hop” was all about shifting formation strength and stretching space horizontally, then “Zip” is a more subtle disruptor. It’s motion with a purpose: to break down leverage, force defensive communication, and create space for your most flexible route runners.

Back when we called it “Zip,” it was our Z receiver who was always off the ball, always outside, and motioning toward the core of the offensive formation. That simple adjustment did two things for us:

1. Put the corner in limbo. Are you going with him? Passing him off? Playing off or over the top?

2. Created clean stack or bunch looks without having to align there from the huddle.
   

Incarnate Word has taken that same idea and layered some really smart concepts behind it. Here’s how they do it.

Stick Killer With a Clear Out

We start out of a pistol formation with tight end and wing into the boundary, two wide to the field. Just before the snap, the outside receiver zips from the field toward the core, turning a spread look into a condensed set.

What’s the concept? A variation of stick into the boundary.

• The wing runs a flat route.

• Tight end runs a stick route, working the hash.

• The zip motion man comes underneath it all on a shallow, replacing vacating linebackers.
  

This is a counterpunch to teams that overcommit to stopping Stick with safeties buzzing down, backers widening to flats. That shallow from the zip motion slices underneath, creating a layered high-low that feels more like an option route package than a static play.

If the defense sees Stick and moves accordingly, the motioned shallow just gives them a problem underneath that they can’t solve quickly enough. That's a good design.

Bunching Without a Huddle

Now we’re in empty. Trips to the field with a loose stack look…. two receivers almost stacked, with the outside WR set wide.

The Z (outside WR) motions inside between the other two receivers giving you a bunch without ever huddling in it. This makes it hard on the corner: he’s got to play through the wash or risk playing soft and giving up leverage.

The concept is Follow:

• Z runs a shallow underneath the LB.

• #2 goes vertical to clear.

• #3 runs the follow route — a “short bender” that bends inside off a 5-step, 45° stem.
  

Here’s the kicker: UIW tweaks it. The shallow from the zip motion doesn’t stay flat. After clearing under the linebacker, he turns it up, creating a vertical option that can attack the void if the defense plays aggressive match.

The play breaks down on this rep, the QB gets pressured and scrambles, but the design is pure. It’s a third-and-short winner with potential for a chunk if the defense busts their match.

Double Motion, Double Trouble

The last example gives us a different flavor and a great variation if you want to window dress your motion.

UIW comes out in 2x2. Both outside receivers are on the ball. The slot receiver starts his normal Zip motion toward the core but then stops, reverses course, and returns to where he came from.

This “Zip-Zap” motion (our old term for it) does three things:

1. Forces the defense to show their hand. Zone or man becomes obvious.

2. Messes with their picture. Eyes in the wrong spot = busted assignment.

3. Allows you to re-time the snap to catch someone shifting or rotating late.
   

On the snap, UIW runs a switch release to verticals. The inside WR now bends inside on a seam. The slot receiver (who just zipped and zapped) runs outside on a wheel route, stressing the apex defender and putting the safety in a bind.

On the back side, they give another switch look: a dig from the outside and a short comeback from the slot. Combine all that with a little play action and you’ve got linebackers frozen, safeties peeking, and a shot at the seam.

This is how you teach motion to matter. It’s not just window dressing, this is structural stress.

Final Take

Zip motion isn’t flashy. It’s not orbit, it’s not fly, it’s not jet. But it’s a leverage weapon, a way to break down defensive structure, bait man-match rules, and create route access that’s hard to defend.

You can:

• Run underneath it. (Shallow/Stick)

• Run through it. (Follow)

• Run over it. (Seams + verticals)
  

It’s motion with utility, not novelty. Easy to install. Hard to handle.

If your passing game feels stale, give your outside receiver some freedom. Let him zip.