What Are Money Plays and Why You Need Them
Money plays are your reliable go-to plays that work consistently against most defenses. Think of them as your bread and butter — the plays you call when you need yards and you need them now.
Here's the deal: most players never get past randomly calling plays from the playbook. They pick whatever looks cool or sounds good. That's why they lose games they should win.
Money plays change that. These are tested plays with specific route combinations that create natural advantages against common defensive coverages. When you have 2-3 solid money plays, you always have an answer.
But here's what nobody tells you — money plays aren't magic. You still need to read the defense and make the right throw. And against better opponents, you'll need more than just these two plays to win games.
How to Set Up Flood from Gun Woff Trio Close
This money play comes from the BYU offensive playbook in the Gun Woff Trio Close formation.
The Setup:
- Find Gun Woff Trio Close in BYU's playbook
- Call the Flood play
- Take your ISO wide receiver and put him on a return route
Why This Works: The return route creates a horizontal stretch on the defense. Most zone coverages struggle with routes that break back toward the quarterback — especially when combined with the other routes in the flood concept.
How to Execute:
- Snap the ball
- Make your reads based on what the defense shows
- Look for the return route when the defense is flowing with the other routes
Common Mistake: Don't just stare at the return route every time. The defense will catch on. Make your full progression and take what the defense gives you.
How to Set Up Smash Return
This is your second money play from the same Gun Woff Trio Close formation.
The Setup:
- Start with the base play in Gun Woff Trio Close
- Take your ISO wide receiver and put him on a streak
- Take your point wide receiver (the middle guy) and put him on a deep cross — that's up on the D-pad
Why This Concept Works: You're attacking different levels of the defense. The streak threatens deep, while the deep cross works underneath and across the formation. This creates conflict for safeties and linebackers.
Reading the Play:
- Pre-snap: identify if it's zone or man coverage
- Against zone: look for the deep cross to find the soft spot
- Against man: the streak can beat single coverage
When to Use Money Plays
Perfect Situations:
- Third and medium (4-8 yards)
- When you need a first down to keep a drive alive
- Against defenses showing basic coverages
- When your opponent isn't making defensive adjustments
Don't Use Them When:
- Your opponent has made specific adjustments to stop them
- You're facing heavy pressure that disrupts timing
- The game situation calls for something specific (like a quick score)
The key is not to overuse them. Money plays work because they're reliable — but if you run the same thing over and over, any decent opponent will shut you down.
What Counters Money Plays
Defensive Adjustments:
- Manual coverage changes to take away your primary reads
- Increased pressure to disrupt timing
- Specific zone coverages designed to stop flood concepts
User Defense: Good players will start controlling defenders to take away your favorite routes once they see a pattern.
How to Counter the Counters:
- Have 3-4 money plays so you're not predictable
- Mix in other plays to keep them honest
- Learn to read when your money plays won't work
Common Mistakes with Money Plays
The Biggest Problem: Most players think money plays are automatic. They're not. You still need to read the defense and make good throws.
Other Mistakes:
- Running them too much — mix in other plays
- Not adjusting when the defense makes changes
- Poor execution — these plays still require good timing and accuracy
- Panic calling — using money plays in bad situations just because they usually work
The Reality Check: When you start playing better opponents, if you can't throw your money plays consistently, you're going to struggle. These plays are your foundation, but they're not the whole building.
You need to master the execution first, then expand your playbook as you face tougher competition.