Well, here’s something you won’t find online: strategic information on football playcalling. At least I think so. Don’t tell me I have to become a high school football coach…
Edit: I’m kind of looking for the Bill James-style broad historical sweep here.
Well, you could always try the manual for Madden 1992 for the Genesis. If I remember correctly, it weighed in at over a hundred pages and took the time to explain the football basics.
If, by some chance, you don’t have access to that, you might want to start with the Madden training modes in the newer versions of the game. They do a fair job of explaining formations as well as how and why you would use them. If I remember correctly, ESPN NFL Football had a good bit of documentation on this sort of stuff as well accessed via the in game manual.
Goto boarders or whatever, found a ton of good books for coaching.
If this is for ESPN 2k4 try these-
offense- Three tight formation, sweep running plays…motion your third tight to the side you are running to…you now have 4 blockers on that side…it is awesome in 3-5 situations.
HB option- 50/50 play if you have a HB with an arm…or if you are a complete nut, set the play up before the game to be your second QB:) playing humans they ususally miss this.
Use FLush formation for no huddle- it is a 5 wide set, has a couple of ok running plays, but great passing plays. You can do the Tom Brady HIKE PASS immediately off the snap. I usually do hike, to L1. good for 3 or 4 yards…don’t do it to many times it gets picked off if you use it too much
Cross and slants rule for high % .
To check D’s look at the following- send someone in motion, if the guy coving him stays with him, it is man to man, if he shifts, but does not follow it is zone. Look at the safeties, if they cheat up towards the line, go deep. If they are staying back, there will be a gap about 10 yards deep around the hash marks, great for crossingpatterns. Using crossing patters right, wait until the cross, and see which defender gts picked by one of your WR, ususally one of the two crossing will break free, choose wisely.
Stay away from screens in this game, the PC is brutal vs them.
Defense it is all about the 3-4 baby! 3-4 for downs 1 and 2 and 3-4 or 5
3rd down deep, nickle D, short- risk the goalline blitz. jams the middle with 2 LB’s
Take control of nose tackle , and swim the center right at the snap- this seems to be the games weakness- i got 35 sacks with J. green on the Pats in my All-pro season. who the hell is J Green?? If you move someone like R. Seymour or Sapp to the middle, it is devistating.
A friend has Madden 2002. How good in comparison is, say, ESPN (2K4)?
Or the next/current Madden?
ESPN 2k4 has a good manual but it is in the game, not a good paper one for say sitting on the can reading.
Here are my hard and fast rules of playcalling:
0-0 score
1st down run or short gain pass
2nd and long same, unless the d is playing run, then go deep- watch the safeties they move up, audible and go deep.
3rd and long- 10 yard pass play
4th - punt unless 4th and 1 then run up the middle or tween tackles.
Ahead- eat the clock- run as much as possible, let the clock run. if you get in a 3rd and long, go for a pass but use trips to flood one side of the field.
behind- use the run just to keep the D honest, but pass on 1st. If it is incomplete, run on second, the D will usually be aligned for pass. run out of passing formations.
Tie- play for field goal range, don’t get risky.
favortie formations- Flush, kings, proset, and the three tight , i forget what the game calls this.
Defense- I try to stick with man to man or two deep almost all the time. i rush with my line, and maybe one linebacker. Sacks are fun, but clogging lanes is better. Coming from the outside try to get your guy where the passing lane to that side is and rush from there. Cheat the line with LB before the sack, or if you have awesome timing, pull them back and rush the line so ou are at full speed when the ball is hiked, this is easyest when the play cock is down inside 10. Flip your formations back and forth, to create movement with your team, this will confuse the other guy trying to read your D. you end up with the same D you called but it will look like an audible to him.
Oh, I’m ok at that stuff. I just can’t find anything on the strategic history of the game - the rise of faster players, the west coast offense, etc.
http://www.footballresearch.com
More about the history of the people/structure of the game, but might be some stuff there. Great site regardless.
That is a neat site.
olaf
“1900: The Worst Season Ever”
Haha. That is a good site, thanks.
http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=4-stratgy
quick and dirty overview.
There is a mention of Massillon, Ohio, if you ever get the chance watch Here comes the tigers on IFC. Shows every reason why I hated playing football. Love the game…but…