What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

[jello1717]

My GoogleFu has failed me so hopefully I can find an answer here. I’m trying to decide which OL is better and should be starting. But I don’t know which ratings matter the most. Here’s my best guesses:

1. RBK, PBK: Do these matter while playing? I wanna say in ‘14 these only mattered in the sim engine while the other ratings mattered on the field.

2. PBP, PBF: Are these used to determine the outcome when a defender does a power move or a finesse move respectively?

3. RBP, RBF: Is this the same as #2, but for running plays? Do defenders do power and finesse moves on runs?

4. LBK, IBL: Is LBK simply used when lead blocking? For impact blocking, is that used when you’re blocking on the move (which sounds a lot like lead blocking)?

So if I’m looking at a pass protecting LT and they have these:
T1: 81 PBK, 90 PBP, 87 PBF
T2: 87 PBK, 81 PBP, 84 PBF

which one is better? The better PBK guy, or the better PBF/PBP guy? In ‘14, if I remember correctly about PBK only affecting the sim engine, then the No brainer choice is the PBP/PBF guy. But if PBK means something on the field, the gap in PBK is awfully big.

[Hooe]

What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

This would be something which would be useful to bug Scott O’Gallagher on Twitter about because this has been mystic for a while. In particular, RBK and PBK had not been surfaced to the user in the Madden NFL roster and depth chart UI for years, and in the 360 / PS3 era it was widely understood that those ratings only affect simulated games. Now I’m not so sure!

I’ll share what I think all the blocking ratings do based on how I see ratings distributed to stock roster players (not just OLs but also HBs, FBs, and TEs), but please don’t take this as gospel without some other official confirmation:

RBK - Run Blocking. The ability to secure a run block at first contact with a defender, i.e. how effective a run blocker is at preventing insta-sheds.

RBP - Run Blocking Power. The effectiveness of an engaged blocker while executing a gap blocking scheme, such as Power, Counter, or Duo. Most important for players who are on the line of scrimmage at the snap, such as offensive linemen and inline Y tight ends.

RBF - Run Block Finesse. The effectiveness of an engaged blocker while executing a zone blocking scheme, such as Inside Zone, Wide Zone, or Stretch. Most important for players who are on the line of scrimmage at the snap, such as offensive linemen and inline Y tight ends.

LBK - Lead Blocking. The effectiveness of blocking at the moment of contact from a moving backfield player such as a fullback, sniffer, or H-Back. Also the effectiveness of a pulling blocker on concepts such as Power, Counter, Dart, and Wrap. Whether this flat-out replaces RBK or augments it, I’m not sure.

IBL - Impact Blocking. The effectiveness of second-level blocking by a blocker moving upfield at speed. Especially important for triggering pancake blocks.

PBK - Pass Blocking. The ability to secure a pass block at first contact with a pass rusher, i.e. how effective a pass blocker is at preventing insta-sheds.

PBP - Pass Block Power. The ability of an engaged blocker to prevent a disengage due to a defensive block shed move based upon power, such as a club, rip, or bull rush.

PBF - Pass Block Finesse. The ability of an engaged blocker to prevent a disengage due to a defensive block shed move based upon agility, such as a swim move, spin move, or speed rush.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

I'm also not sure anymore. I actually thought it was the other way around -- the generic PBK/RBK only applies to simmed games, while the finesse/power applied to played games.

[moTIGS]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

I have also been trying to find an answer on this recently. The closest I've come to what seemed legit was years-old Madden info from some kind of MUT leak/code breakdown that essentially concluded run block matters (to counter block shed), run block finesse/power are irrelevant, pass block is irrelevant, and pass block finesse/power matter (to counter finesse/power moves).

I don't know if that was legit, though. If it is, I don't know if that's remained true for Madden. If it is still true in Madden, I don't know if it's also true for this game.

Because the ratings aren't well-explained anywhere in an official way from EA (that I've seen), if I have two closely rated players, I just kinda try them both out in games and go with who seems to play better. The sample size is never big enough to draw any real conclusion, especially considering the numerous other variables that make direct comparisons of individual attributes impossible in such a setting. But it feels more satisfying to give two guys a shot and go with the one who "wins the job" instead of deciding based on a few attribute points. (Not related to OL, but that's how I ended up starting a 74 overall SS over an 84.)

[Playmakers]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Run Block and Pass Block is only SIM ratings

The Footwork Ratings, Impact Block and Lead Block ratings effect actual gameplay.

Awareness also takes effect for OL doing games played.

[delspf]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Run Block and Pass Block is only SIM ratings

The Footwork Ratings, Impact Block and Lead Block ratings effect actual gameplay.

Awareness also takes effect for OL doing games played.

So hows this apply to cpu v cpu when doing slow instead of fast/normal?

That still counted as sim?

[UtahUtes32]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

IBL - Impact Blocking. The effectiveness of second-level blocking by a blocker moving upfield at speed. Especially important for triggering pancake blocks...

Basically this, yep. impact blocking handles blocks in the open field when moving.

[UtahUtes32]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Run Block and Pass Block is only SIM ratings

The Footwork Ratings, Impact Block and Lead Block ratings effect actual gameplay.

Awareness also takes effect for OL doing games played.

I've wondered what pass block and run block did now-a-days, your answer makes sense. Easy enough to test. Set a guy at 0 pass block and run block but 99 PBF, PBP, FBLK, PBLK and see what he does.

[Playmakers]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

So hows this apply to cpu v cpu when doing slow instead of fast/normal?

That still counted as sim?

Slow sim is still using the actual footwork ratings of the OL vs the Power move and Finesse moves of the Defensive players.

I've tested this over the years in madden via roster editing

[moTIGS]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Not directly related to what the blocking attributes do, but I noticed yesterday that every single Power-type OL in my dynasty (for my team and every other team) cannot progress their pass block finesse at all. I don't know if it's a bug to my dynasty, a bug that affects all dynasties, or just how it's intended to work (I doubt the latter), but in their skill group for pass blocking, it includes pass block power, pass block, and then pass block power again. Finesse shows up nowhere. As a result, the PBF rating they have as recruits is the PBF rating they're stuck with for their entire college careers.

This would seem to be a pretty big deal if pass block finesse is the counter to finesse pass rushing moves.

[Playmakers]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Not directly related to what the blocking attributes do, but I noticed yesterday that every single Power-type OL in my dynasty (for my team and every other team) cannot progress their pass block finesse at all. I don't know if it's a bug to my dynasty, a bug that affects all dynasties, or just how it's intended to work (I doubt the latter), but in their skill group for pass blocking, it includes pass block power, pass block, and then pass block power again. Finesse shows up nowhere. As a result, the PBF rating they have as recruits is the PBF rating they're stuck with for their entire college careers.

This would seem to be a pretty big deal if pass block finesse is the counter to finesse pass rushing moves.

That's just EA for you.

And they probably won't even notice it because no one will bring it to their attention

Not a lot of people even bother to observe those types of ratings. They only look at the overall ratings of players

[matt2053]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Reminder that the blocking ratings are combined with STRENGTH and WEIGHT when the game engine is determining blocking outcomes.

[tessl]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

There are more categories now than in 14 but one thing I know because EA revealed it in 14 is impact blocking is when both players are moving.

Educated guess is lead block a play where a lineman pulls and leads the ball carrier through the hole.

[delspf]

Re: What do players’ blocking ratings mean?

Slow sim is still using the actual footwork ratings of the OL vs the Power move and Finesse moves of the Defensive players.

I've tested this over the years in madden via roster editing

So slow sim actually uses all of the ratings. Nice