NCAA Football 12 News Post

25 New Plays Coming to NCAA Football 12 - Play #8: Pistol Spread RNS Switch Smash

09:53 AM - March 23, 2011 by illwill10

Over the next few weeks, EA Sports will show 25 new plays that you will find in NCAA Football 12.

New offensive plays will be shown every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while a new defensive play every Tuesday and Thursday. Each new play will be accompanied by a screen of the play art and a brief description of why the play has been added to NCAA Football 12.

Play #8 features the Pistol Spread RNS Switch Smash.

Quote:


	"Pistol Spread RNS Switch Smash - Hawaii�s run and shoot offense can now be run from the Pistol formation. The traditional staples such as RNS Switch Smash can now be found in the new Pistol Spread formation. Hawaii and SMU�s playbook also features the run and shoot version of Pistol 4WR Trips."

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Member Comments

# 1 jeremym480 @ 03/23/11 11:15 AM

The Pistol is one of my favorite formations in NCAA 11. I've had great success both running and passing out of it. Now having the Pistol with 4 WR's could make passing that much better and you could sub a TE at the slot if you wanted to run out of it.

Anyway, this play looks like it could be straight money. I can already tell what I'm going to do when I see man coverage, which is move my #1 receiver (or fastest) to the slot (Y). Then hot route the outside receiver (x) to a slant or an in route. Then that side should be cleared out for my best WR against a Nickel Back or Outside Linebacker. Well, assuming that the safety is in man coverage or is slow getting over. Either way it looks good!

Well done

# 2 Knight9299 @ 03/23/11 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremym480


	Anyway, this play looks like it could be straight money. I can already tell what I'm going to do when I see man coverage, which is move my #1 receiver (or fastest) to the slot (Y). Then hot route the outside receiver (x) to a slant or an in route. Then that side should be cleared out for my best WR against a Nickel Back or Outside Linebacker. Well, assuming that the safety is in man coverage or is slow getting over. Either way it looks good! Well done

So instead of just using the routes that are sound from a football stand point, you throw them out? The smash concept on the right is a great concept against cover 2 and works fine against cover 3. In a 2x2 formation QBs look to see which side of the formation has the advantage over the defense and then make his primary reads on the best side. Instead of approaching this play from a football standpoint, you approach it from a video game standpoint, which is fine, but annoys the crap out of me. Also that post on the left side can/will screw with safeties. Take that away and now the defense can smother the smash concept because there is no threat to the MOF.

# 3 jeremym480 @ 03/23/11 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight9299


	So instead of just using the routes that are sound from a football stand point, you throw them out? The smash concept on the right is a great concept against cover 2 and works fine against cover 3. In a 2x2 formation QBs look to see which side of the formation has the advantage over the defense and then make his primary reads on the best side. Instead of approaching this play from a football standpoint, you approach it from a video game standpoint, which is fine, but annoys the crap out of me. Also that post on the left side can/will screw with safeties. Take that away and now the defense can smother the smash concept because there is no threat to the MOF.

Yeah, I get where your coming from. However, I am going to look at it from a videogame stand point because that's what it is.

But, this looks like a very good play even without hot routes and I love the smash concept on the right too. That's one of my favorite route and I'm certainly not saying that I'm going to ignore it. I'm just throwing other ideas out there.

# 4 khaliib @ 03/23/11 12:47 PM

Since we have not had the same communication like Ian & Co has been given Madden folks, I'm just going to post a "I hope they fixed this" to some of these plays, because there was an issue that prevented proper play-out.

With this one, I hope they fixed how "ONE" safety can cover both X and Y because of the Nano-Speed Coverage and the Passing Ball Arc simulating a Punt to either receiver.
Boise St used this alot with Titus Young as the X.

Also, seems like every team with this set will run it with the "Exact" same WR splits again and we can't adjust them.

# 5 Knight9299 @ 03/23/11 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremym480


	Yeah, I get where your coming from. However, I am going to look at it from a videogame stand point because that's what it is. But, this looks like a very good play even without hot routes and I love the smash concept on the right too. That's one of my favorite route and I'm certainly not saying that I'm going to ignore it. I'm just throwing other ideas out there.

I'm guilty of this too, but I do it mainly with the smash concept where I'll motion to 3x1 from 2x2 and make the motion guy run a streak, the middle guy run a corner, and the split run a hitch. It's a concept that I've coached up and is a total cover 2 killer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khaliib


	Since we have not had the same communication like Ian & Co has been given Madden folks, I'm just going to post a "I hope they fixed this" to some of these plays, because there was an issue that prevented proper play-out. With this one, I hope they fixed how "ONE" safety can cover both X and Y because of the Nano-Speed Coverage and the Passing Ball Arc simulating a Punt to either receiver. Boise St used this alot with Titus Young as the X. Also, seems like every team with this set will run it with the "Exact" same WR splits again and we can't adjust them.

You mean a safety shouldn't be able to sit on the post until the ball is thrown then make a play on a wheel route he was ignoring?

# 6 killa2222 @ 03/23/11 03:35 PM

I hope they get the RB/QB alignment right.

Hawaii runs its QB 4.5 Yards behind Center w/ a back 1.5-2 yards behind him -- not the deep back pistol looks that say Ohio/Nevada/Indiana run.

Further, I was hoping that EA would actually implement the true nature of option route-reads off of switch, with X/Y running sit-down/dig/streak/post concepts off of the switch itself.

Back on the side running smash, the modern JJ/Hawaii R&S calls for route adjustments made on a delay basis, allowing for the outside receiver to pivot in, run a fade-stop, and the inside slot to either run a sail pattern, or a deep out depending on safety alignment and how well the outside wideout can occupy a corner - depending on a 2 deep vs 1 deep shell.

What we have here is a simulated switch concept based off of existing off-setting routes within EA's Football play database.

While it's a fairly decent attempt at implementing R&S concepts, I really hope that they fleshed out the scheme much more in game this year.

-as Far as I can recall, only Hawaii operates purely out of a Pistol set, JJ went back to an offset deep back in a SG look running only his unbalanced goal-line set out of pistol.

# 7 killa2222 @ 03/23/11 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight9299


	I'm guilty of this too, but I do it mainly with the smash concept where I'll motion to 3x1 from 2x2 and make the motion guy run a streak, the middle guy run a corner, and the split run a hitch. It's a concept that I've coached up and is a total cover 2 killer. You mean a safety shouldn't be able to sit on the post until the ball is thrown then make a play on a wheel route he was ignoring?

Your 3x1 concept would be best implemented in this game with automotion with the backside/single-wideout running a choice concept locked purely on streak/post/out with an alert-slant option based on a 3 deep shell blitz call.

Hawaii has the ability to run all of its plays with a switch concept in mind- watch some film on when they played USU and NMSU who ran man exclusively - Choice-Special / Go-Special basically flip the inside slot roles out of trips and you immediately create a man beater, while running the same exact plays as base Choice/Go out of trips.

# 8 khaliib @ 03/23/11 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight9299


	You mean a safety shouldn't be able to sit on the post until the ball is thrown then make a play on a wheel route he was ignoring?

Maybe in backyard football.

X is usually the guy with speed to make the safety turn and run to cover the deep post with wheel being 2nd option.
The read is the safety.

Safeties are not corners, they don't sit on anything.
There is no such thing as a safety sitting on a post route.

But to my point.
If it's the same, in the game the Safeties Nano-Backpedal throuhout the whole play. They never turn and run, which void's the scheme of these routes. Even with pump fakes.

I was just saying that I hope they fixed things so that the schemes or these routes can accomplish their respected roles.

# 9 bruinkid626 @ 03/23/11 06:48 PM

Sweet, new pistol plays. I loved the pistol in NCAA 11 even though they didn't make UCLA a pistol team (like in real life). Hopefully UCLA will be changed to pistol offense this year, but I enjoyed the pistol in my Nevada dynasty. Good to see new plays. Hopefully it's even more effective this year.

# 10 blkrptnt819 @ 03/23/11 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrHyde


	Still no shovel pass.Hopefully it finds it's way in,but I doubt it.That would be the icing on the cake.

It's gonna be the last play announced. The shovel pass option.

# 11 BigTone1970 @ 03/23/11 10:44 PM

The original poster saying that he was going to put his #1 WR in the slot so he could line up against a linebacker or nickel back is exactly why this game is broken. If they don't include the option to place your #1 CB on the #1 WR regardless of where he lines up, then the weak defenses will continue to exploit the already pathetic defense. Hopefully EA will put assignment coverages in the game so that the defense has a chance to match up. What I have found out that the more I have played is that the offense can make far more adjustments than the defense and that people come to the line of scrimmage and call 20 audibles and hot routes every play. Not realistic at all. The game should not be a pre-snap button pressing contest.

# 12 BigTone1970 @ 03/23/11 10:46 PM

I meant to say that the weak defenses will be exploit by the overpowered offense.

# 13 SoulAssassin @ 03/25/11 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killa2222


	I hope they get the RB/QB alignment right. Hawaii runs its QB 4.5 Yards behind Center w/ a back 1.5-2 yards behind him -- not the deep back pistol looks that say Ohio/Nevada/Indiana run. Further, I was hoping that EA would actually implement the true nature of option route-reads off of switch, with X/Y running sit-down/dig/streak/post concepts off of the switch itself. Back on the side running smash, the modern JJ/Hawaii R&S calls for route adjustments made on a delay basis, allowing for the outside receiver to pivot in, run a fade-stop, and the inside slot to either run a sail pattern, or a deep out depending on safety alignment and how well the outside wideout can occupy a corner - depending on a 2 deep vs 1 deep shell. What we have here is a simulated switch concept based off of existing off-setting routes within EA's Football play database. While it's a fairly decent attempt at implementing R&S concepts, I really hope that they fleshed out the scheme much more in game this year. -as Far as I can recall, only Hawaii operates purely out of a Pistol set, JJ went back to an offset deep back in a SG look running only his unbalanced goal-line set out of pistol.

^Adding the route adjustments to the Switch packages would be a really nice addition. The generic switch combo we've been given in the R&S playbooks is a nice start, especially since we have some variations to the 2 x 2 Switch, but the receivers running the switch have the options you've listed above to help vs. defenses over playing the deeper routes. It's why Choice and Switch are bread-n-butter plays for the R&S, the potential for the big play is always there but the adjustments allow for 8-12 yard completions just as easily if the defense plays too soft.

# 14 SoulAssassin @ 03/25/11 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killa2222


	Your 3x1 concept would be best implemented in this game with automotion with the backside/single-wideout running a choice concept locked purely on streak/post/out with an alert-slant option based on a 3 deep shell blitz call. Hawaii has the ability to run all of its plays with a switch concept in mind- watch some film on when they played USU and NMSU who ran man exclusively - Choice-Special / Go-Special basically flip the inside slot roles out of trips and you immediately create a man beater, while running the same exact plays as base Choice/Go out of trips.

We need both Choice-Special and Go-Special added too now that you mention it. There's a play labeled as "Gambler" out of one of the trips formations that is somewhat similar to Go-Special... but anyway, if they can add the variations (use of the "tags" like Change, Special, Switch) and some other stuff I've seen referenced but I don't know exactly what they look like ("Nebraska" and "Georgia" If you have any info on these plays please educate me) we should have a really good representation of the R&S.

# 15 willz1985 @ 03/26/11 11:50 AM

this is a great play, i'll be using it often

# 16 killa2222 @ 03/27/11 12:29 AM

Nebraska + Georgia - Special

Straight out of an older, but real Hawaii playbook.

Ask and you shall receive.

So EA, if its in the game, is it really in the game?

# 17 killa2222 @ 03/27/11 12:56 AM

To be thread specific though- EA's current interpretation of the switch/smash concept is a little off --

Heres a basic idea of what it should look like - slightly modified.

A true Switch/Smash Balanced set w/ route options built in.

# 18 redbird294 @ 03/28/11 04:34 AM

This is a nice addition. I like the fact that I'll be able to run the RNS plays from the Pistol in both 2x2 and 3x1. I can already do it from the gun, too. Now all that's needed is being able to run all the RNS 2x2 plays from under center like I can the 3x1 plays like Choice, Go, and Slide. I could play just using those six formations (under center, pistol, and gun) the whole game. A few more of those plays like the ones killa2222 mentioned, like Nebraska and Georgia, would be nice too. I could use something like that in the red zone. I mostly use SG Bunch, SG Tight, and Flanker Close when I get down there.

# 19 killa2222 @ 03/28/11 06:40 AM

The one play that I would love to have in is this : Z/X Choice Switch out of Trips

Basically the same play as your basic X/Z Choice Trips play, but with a switch combo play side w/ X + Y.

One thing that they really need to incorporate is the hot-reads / alert(blitz) route adjustments that all WR's make in the R&S.

Alert Route Adjustments:

For Choice, your inside slot basically makes a quick slant cut - 3yd slant

The single side WR makes a similar 3 yd slant cut.

On this play, the hot read for X would be a Switch-Slant.

The lack of Alert reads + proper route adjustments in NCAA 11 are what limited the R&S more than anything + a proper screen package + associated run game.

I am curious to see if EA was able to implement the Zone-run scheme Hawaii adopted the year out of the pistol.

# 20 SoulAssassin @ 03/29/11 10:21 AM

NICE... Killa thx for the diagrams. I hadn't been able to find those plays until now.

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25 New Plays Coming to NCAA Football 12 - Play #8: Pistol Spread RNS Switch Smash