Offense and defense: How they are positioned against each other

[Kozure]

Something I have been wondering for a long time is, when setting up directional running in FOF gameplans, what part of the defense am I targeting. Meaning, if I am running at my left tackle or around him, what defensive unit or units am I running at?
Well, am not sure if others have wondered this or if this has been brought up before. I'm lazy and didn't look it up. So i researched it myself, setting up gameplans running exclusively to the left and to the right and seeing what defensive players were making tackles. This allowed me to see which defensive players line up on other side of offensive formations.

This is the defensive allignments I have discovered through my tests, so this might help GMs expose defensive weaknesses.

Offensive running directions (This should be familiar to anyone who plays FOF)
ALE: Around Left End
OLT: Outside Left Tackle
ILT: Inside Left Tackle
ILG: Inside Left Guard
IRG: Inside Right Guard
IRT: Inside Right End
ORT: Outside Right Tackle
ARE: Around Right End

Diagram of how defenses line up against offenses

--------------------------------FS
----------------------------------------SS
---RCB---------------------------------------------------------------LCB
------------WLB----------WILB-------------SILB---------SLB
----------------------RDE-----RDT-----LDT-----LDE---------------------

ALE------OLT------ILT------ILG------IRG------IRT------ORT------ARE

-----------------LT-------LG-------C--------RG------RT


In my tests, if was difficult for me to figure out where the SS and FS lined up. No matter what direction I ran, left or right, the SS always got many more tackles than the FS. So, i just put the SS on the same side the the Strong Side Linebackers.

Now that I am using this to target defensive weaknesses, i am finding that it doesn't always work. I am certain through my tests (I didn't document them so you will have to take me by my word :) ) that this the correct allignments. But, i think there has be a varity in the direction that you run. If you focus on one direction too much, the defense will stop you (definately). And, if you are going against a complete front seven, it might be impossible to target a weakness.

Regardless, I hope this helps someems to be working so far for me. I just need to figure out how much to NOT target defensive weaknesses. :p

[jbmagic]

good infomation

i also think your offensive line has a lot to do with how well you run too with their run blocks.

also where TE lines up at on certain formation...if he good at run block you might run his way too and also a good fullback that good at run block too..

[Celeval]

- TE moves from side to side. Check the manual playcalling and the game logs (extended)... strong side (TE) isn't always the same.

- This may be the explanation for the SS as well - maybe the SS is always on the strong side?

[Kozure]

I need to test this, but I believe when you "Playcall" a game, how the teams line up against each other changes. The LDE is now where the RDE is in the diagram i did above. Also, TEs are lined up by default on the left side of the offensive line, next to the LT. In the NFL, it is different. They are to the right of the RT.

So, the weakside linebacker might actually line up against the the TE on the left side of an offensive formation. That might be why it is much harder for WLBs to get sacks. Before the 5.1 patches, SLB were the dominant sack getters in the linebacking corp. Sacks were hard to get for WLB.

[Celeval]

I need to test this, but I believe when you "Playcall" a game, how the teams line up against each other changes. The LDE is now where the RDE is in the diagram i did above. Also, TEs are lined up by default on the left side of the offensive line, next to the LT. In the NFL, it is different. They are to the right of the RT.Not necessarily. Watch a game closely, pay attention to the TEs - they'll line up on either side, depending on the play. Typically the TE is on the strong side of the formation, but not always.

When you playcall - there's a 'Strength = Left', 'Strength = Right' button. This determines which side is the strong side of the formation, and the TE is based off that. For example:

I-Formation, Normal
RB 20 Sweep
(Strong Side = Left)

  TE LT LG CC RG RT SE
FL         QB
           FB
           RB

Play goes outside to left (Strong side)

I-Formation, Normal
RB 20 Sweep
(Strong Side = Right)

SE   LT LG CC RG RT TE
           QB             FL
           FB
           RB

Play goes outside to left (Weak side)

[MrBigglesworth]

This may be the explanation for the SS as well - maybe the SS is always on the strong side?
That's what I always intuitively thought, hence the name 'strong safety'.

[Kozure]

In football, the SS is on the strong side, but in FOF, since the safety gets roughly the same tackles regardless of what direction a team is running, i think he is aligned more in the middle of the field...behind the middle linebacker(s).

The FS, on the other hand, hardly gets tackles regardless of what direction u run.

[Kozure]

Not necessarily. Watch a game closely, pay attention to the TEs - they'll line up on either side, depending on the play. Typically the TE is on the strong side of the formation, but not always.

When you playcall - there's a 'Strength = Left', 'Strength = Right' button. This determines which side is the strong side of the formation, and the TE is based off that. For example:

I-Formation, Normal
RB 20 Sweep
(Strong Side = Left)

  TE LT LG CC RG RT SE
FL         QB
           FB
           RB

Play goes outside to left (Strong side)

I-Formation, Normal
RB 20 Sweep
(Strong Side = Right)

SE   LT LG CC RG RT TE
           QB             FL
           FB
           RB

Play goes outside to left (Weak side)

Sorry, took me so long to reply to this. Havent been on the board in a few weeks.

Your right about what makes a formation the strong side and weakside, but my point was that most plays the TE is aligned next to the LT. In the NFL, TEs are aligned mostly with the RT. Because most QBs are right handed, most offenses are right handed as well. Putting a TE to the right puts another target in easy view of the QB.

Also, i think that TEs are mostly on the left side because teams have much more success as a whole running to the left side, rather than the right side. Sim an entire season and 2 of 3 or 3 of 4 teams will always be better runners to the left.