How do you call plays?

[berad88]

I always call plays by formation except last year I did try something different. In NCAA 09 and in Madden 09 I tried calling plays by using the ask madden feature only so that it would be like a coach calling the play it but it sucked cause it gets caught up on certain plays every game and calls them extremely frequently.

[av7]

I go with formation, I know the Broncos' playbook so it's quick for me to flip through with what I want. This year will be different with McDaniels at the helm now and a different defense scheme.

[PantherBeast_OS]

Asking Madden is a complete joke. All you are doing is asking the AI to pic a play for you that end up been a pic are a likly fumble. LOL don't think so. I use formation only. The most easiest to use out of all of them. Not very confusing.

[MattIntellect]

Quote: Originally Posted by PGaither84

I would disagree and ask how many people actually tried to call plays by play type? I find that "by play type" is so much better than by formation. A friend of mine had a similar attitude that somehow not calling by formation was "the easy way out" or for whimps or some other garbage. It's a tool. You use it to call plays easyer/better. I find myself thinking "I want to call a screen here." Instead of having to choose which exact screen play I want and having to commit the time to scrool down to which base formation [I Formation, Pro/split backs, singleback, shotgun, etc.] and then left and right at which "set" I want [normal, twins, trips, etc.] and then choose which package I want all before I choose which play I want [or want to look for], I can just choose "Screen plays" and find which play I want and I can see what formation it is in [as xanmak said] "from just looking at it." I like to have a mixed bag on Offense where I can attack you with different plays out of the same formation [for example Split backs normal] and/or attack you with similar plays out of differnt formations. If a play type is working agaisnt you, I will want to run it at you untill you can stop it [and run them at you out of every different play that does a similar thing, instead of calling the same play.] Also, I have a mental checklist of which plays I have already called that I know not to call again for a while. Lastly, another great advantage is that I like to see various [say lay actions] that are in my playbook that I may not have ever sceen before and may want to run. We all have plays we like and plays we don't like in our play books. We also have plays we like to call a lot, or in certain situations. I like to take non-crucial downs as opertunities to call "new" plays and try them out while still being ableto go to my "money plays" on crucial downs where I am more practiced at the play and break down. For example, I found 3 new counter plays I had never ran before a couple of weeks before by doing this. In a game of Madden online, you only average about 30-ish plays. There are 5 main types of runs [Dives, off tackle, Pitch/sweep, counters, and draws] in football and in Madden draws are rarely any good because of poor line interactions. I will average 10-15 carries per game which leaves 15-20 pass atempts per game and I have about 10-15 favorite pass plays that give me some wiggle room to call "new" plays this way.

It's okay if you call plays by play-type, but there's no excuses for exclusively using the Ask Madden option. You should start getting use to your play book so that you can develop a game plan, but that's just my opinion.

[MattIntellect]

Quote: Originally Posted by afro_dogg20

+2

+3

[CM Hooe]

By formation, though (echoing the sentiments of others) I've really only been using the Cowboys' playbook since Madden 2001 (first Madden I played), so I know what to expect and where to find what in it by now.

More playcalling options is better, though.

[adembroski]

Quote: Originally Posted by MattIntellect

I always go by formation. If you go by anything else, you're most likely a casual gamer. I understand my team's play book and use that to my advantage against others. My play book is a big part of my game plan.

That's ridiculous. I realize you emphasized "most likely", but I guarantee if NFL coaches played this game, they'd call by play type and player most of the time. You don't see NFL call sheets organized by formation. In fact, the formation usually isn't even ON the call sheets, as it's a situational decision based on what the other team seems to be responding too.

I pick by play type, normally, because I'm usually trying to attack a defense in a certain way. If I call by play type, I get all my inside runs in one spot and I can easily see what I have out of every formation. Otherwise, I'll forget about certain plays because I wont use the formation as much.

I'll occassionally call by player when I absolute want to get the ball to specific people. This is basically a way to ensure I get everyone involved. I have a tendency to forget about certain players when somethings working... you're pushing the ball to Isaac Bruce all day, then I'll go call by player to get something to David or something.

Defensively, however, I do call by formation because I'm trying to respond to how the offense is playing me.

[billyboy316]

I usually ask Madden then choose from one of the plays. However he sometimes gives me some really stupid plays so then I usually go by formation or play type. The main reason I do it that way is to keep me from going with the same few plays over and over.