Here me out

Kaimbe516

Contributor
I have one issue with custom playbooks the league stance is it encourages cheese. It doesn't no matter what PB you use if someone won't mix up they won't. Here's what I don't like in my packages I like have a run have a run called to left or right without tipping the D off how can I not tip the D off if my only option is to switch the formation?
 

Kaimbe516

Contributor
Say I have a dive called but the D is cheating if I flip they know it if I could audibe to a play same formation without tipping them off would be more effective what's not sim about that?
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
I hear ya. It's not ideal for sure. But it has worked for us for three years and the downside far out weighs the positives. Appreciate the input. Hopefully EA can get th gam where it's not as much of an issue. I'm working hard to help them get there ;)
 

wyrmreaver

All-Star
Okay Kaimbe516 i really appreciate your enthusiasm and participation, it's guys like you that make this fun because you are so engaged!

With that being said, there are so many things wrong with what you are saying here.....

Here and Hear are not the same thing and I am very concerned about the state of public education in America. :)

Your entire premise is completely misplaced - in clearer terms, what you are saying is that forcing people to use stock playbooks encourages the defense to be cheesy because they know when I am changing the direction of a running play. That idea is really really incorrect.

Translated into what is real - you have just said "when I am predictable on offense, it encourages the defense to anticipate what I am doing and stop me." That's actually true and it's not cheesy at all. Anticipation isn't cheese because it's a real world strategy and it can be anticipating the wrong thing.

Now for a free strategy and coaching session! You may not realize it, but you can flick the switch run switch and make your QB do the animation without actually swapping the play direction. Let me give you some specific ways to combat a defense that likes to anticipate! Let's say it's 3rd and 1 and you come out in the I form with a "power" run play called and the D, anticipating the strong side run has loaded up on that side. You can of course swap the run to go weak side but he might then just overload that direction, but you have many other options. You could hit the flip run action towards the strong side, switching nothing. If you do that he might shift weak and you get an easy 1st to the strong side. You could send the TE in motion to the weak side, making him think you are running weak and shifting away. You could "hot route" doing nothing since it's a run and then sent the TE out wide making him think it's a pass and back off. You could actually audible to a pass play. To take this a little deeper, if throughout the game you do some of those things and other things like hitting the swap direction button on designed pass plays and so on, you will become far less predictable. If you do that, one of two things will happen, 1) you flip the script and the D is predictable allowing you to manipulate them and take what you want.... Or 2) your opponent will be forced to play "straight up" on D because they aren't sure what you will do next.

Now in closing, I can tell you from long experience that allowing custom playbooks requires a ton of additional work and policing from the commissioner team and opens the door to cheese in the sense that people will continually build playbooks based on "what works" rather than sound football strategy. Also, what you are suggesting as preferable from an audible standpoint is actually far less realistic. Like Madden, most NFL teams have one run audible per formation which they check to when they have called a pass play and see an opening, they don't audible from one run to a different run as a general rule. You are actually trying to create an exploit instead of using sound strategy and unpredictable playcalling.
 

Kaimbe516

Contributor
Thanks for the coaching tip and feedback just the fact you took the time to respond means a lot our voices are heard. I fully support the rules of the league and will uphold them.
 

Selke

Prospect
Just show a run switch on passing plays every once in awhile. So when you actually need to switch run side it's not obvious because they have seen you already pass. I've shown hot routes to wrs on run plays. It doesn't make them do anything. It just fakes it to keep defensive system honest. Like when qbs come to line and start pointing at players. Everytime I play it's both a mental and ability game. Just got to get into the opposing players head to keep them guessing and on their toes.
 
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