How do you prefer to call plays?

[leoribas3]

How do you prefer to call your plays on offense? Do you guys prefer using the Coaches Suggestions, by formations, play type/concept, by player?

Ive played Madden and NCAA for the past 15+ years, but being that Im not American, Ive always called plays through Coaches Suggestions and play type. I know the concept of the plays, and understand the Xs and Os of football but never really got into finding a formation I like the best for some reason.

Also how would you guys advise me into finding a formation I like the most? Do you guys mainly use one formation or several? Like having 3 prefered formations or something?

[jello1717]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I run a no huddle offense and when you call from no huddle you’re calling by personnel (basically how many RBs and how many TEs are on the field at the same time) so when I call from the huddle, I also call by personnel.

I’m pretty diverse in my play calling and don’t have a favorite formation (although everything except for my goal line formation is from shotgun). I have 27 formations in my playbook and I use them all.

[dcgc28]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I do a little of everything. I like the quick action of the coach suggestions but when they get stale I'll usually call by concept. I really like Mesh for a single read and Drive for a hi lo 2 read, I ran a lot of Mesh in high school a couple moons ago lol

Then I also like some plays that are just easier to find by player. I also use the Favorites feature. I'm sort of all over the place. I'd say primarily by Concept though for the sake of the conversation.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I saw in some thread the concept of using Coach Suggestions, but picking from those based on down.

Example, on first down use one of the first three plays.

Second down, scroll down once and pick from that set of three.

Third down, third set of plays, etc.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

90% by formation.

On some 3rd and longs I'll call a play by concept because my playbook (UNLV) has 4 variations of shotgun y trips and I have a hard time keeping them straight.

[_-King-_]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

Typically either by play type or coach’s suggestion. I would prefer to go by formation but by the time I flip through everything and find a play I like I’m having to rush to the line to avoid a delay of game.

I think this is why I use so many hot routes. I use coach’s suggestion to find a formation I like and then just draw up my own play when I get to the line.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I like calling my own offensive plays and coach suggestion for defense but I had to ''fire'' the defense suggestion coach and start calling my own defensive plays as well because the defensive coach suggestion don't know jack**** and probably doesn't know his *** from a hole in the ground. I'm expecting improvements from EA next year.

[dcgc28]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I like calling my own offensive plays and coach suggestion for defense but I had to ''fire'' the defense suggestion coach and start calling my own defensive plays as well because the defensive coach suggestion don't know jack**** and probably doesn't know his *** from a hole in the ground. I'm expecting improvements from EA next year.

Agree here absolute train wreck, 0 situational awareness at least on offense on it suggests appropriate down and distance plays. I basically call all defense from the concepts page.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

Agree here absolute train wreck, 0 situational awareness at least on offense on it suggests appropriate down and distance plays. I basically call all defense from the concepts page.

Absolutely, same here, Concepts window for defense for me too. On offense I know exactly what I want to dial up, I stay in the Formations window.

[Haze88]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

How do you prefer to call your plays on offense? Do you guys prefer using the Coaches Suggestions, by formations, play type/concept, by player?

Ive played Madden and NCAA for the past 15+ years, but being that Im not American, Ive always called plays through Coaches Suggestions and play type. I know the concept of the plays, and understand the Xs and Os of football but never really got into finding a formation I like the best for some reason.

Also how would you guys advise me into finding a formation I like the most? Do you guys mainly use one formation or several? Like having 3 prefered formations or something?

I have played and coached football and played football games since I was 4 so I could not fathom ceding playcalling to EA's AI. As a general rule you should never actually use the same formation all the time, especially since your personnel needs change from down to down and every based on the yardline you are on. For example 2nd and short your much more apt to line up in heavy (2 or 3 TEs) inside either set of 20s for due to the compressed size of the field whereas 2nd and short between the 40s you can line up in 10 personnel(4WR/1HB) since you have more space to work with. Formations are honestly more of a feel thing. Knowing the concepts is far more important and ideally one day EA will adapt to modern offensive playcalling where you are mainly calling a concept and adapting it to your formations and not vice-versa. When you hear the term "being multiple" this is what is usually meant, you may have 4 pass concepts but with motions and formations you make it look like multiple plays to a defense while at it's core it's only one play to your offense.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I have played and coached football and played football games since I was 4 so I could not fathom ceding playcalling to EA's AI. As a general rule you should never actually use the same formation all the time, especially since your personnel needs change from down to down and every based on the yardline you are on. For example 2nd and short your much more apt to line up in heavy (2 or 3 TEs) inside either set of 20s for due to the compressed size of the field whereas 2nd and short between the 40s you can line up in 10 personnel(4WR/1HB) since you have more space to work with. Formations are honestly more of a feel thing. Knowing the concepts is far more important and ideally one day EA will adapt to modern offensive playcalling where you are mainly calling a concept and adapting it to your formations and not vice-versa. When you hear the term "being multiple" this is what is usually meant, you may have 4 pass concepts but with motions and formations you make it look like multiple plays to a defense while at it's core it's only one play to your offense.

The Colts with Peyton Manning were a good example of the last part. A lot of fans mistakenly think Peyton had one of the deepest playbooks in the game when it was the opposite. But the plays they did have synergized very well.

I may change formation often but I try to stick to one personnel grouping as much as possible.

I traditionally favor 11 personnel (I really like Peyton's offenses lol) because of how much it can unlock and how it can allow you to drive defenses crazy.

One thing I loved doing in the past that I haven't dived into until I recruit the dudes for it is running a pairing of Shotgun Doubles and Doubles HB WK. Just moving the HB to the other side of the QB unlocks so much

[Spartan Warrior]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

When I first got the game I was doing Coach Suggestions because I wanted to simulate being a head coach and having an offensive or defensive coordinator and not calling the plays myself. But I hated the CPU playcalling. Offense was better than defense but too repetitive. Defensive playcalling was horrible, just seemed totally random. Would try to send me out in Dime on first and ten. I'm only going Dime on first down if they've sent five receivers out.

So I took over the playcalling. I go by personnel groupings on offense. In modern football that's basically do I want three receivers and one tight end, two receivers and two tight ends, or ocasionally four receivers and no tight end. And then I just click through the formations until I find what I want to run.

On defense I tend to mostly play Nickel (or 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 or whatever). On first down or second or third and short I like to play Cover 1 or Cover 3 so that I can stay strong in the box and be able to stop the run. I like the Nickel against almost anything because it's flexible. I have speed on the field, I can cover, but I also feel like I can stop the run as long as I have enough guys in the box.

I value the speed of being able to get guys to the ballcarrier even if they can't make the tackle themselves. Sure, a corner might not tackle the big running back, but if he can slow him down or redirect him to where I have more help that works just fine.

[Haze88]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

The Colts with Peyton Manning were a good example of the last part. A lot of fans mistakenly think Peyton had one of the deepest playbooks in the game when it was the opposite. But the plays they did have synergized very well.

I may change formation often but I try to stick to one personnel grouping as much as possible.

I traditionally favor 11 personnel (I really like Peyton's offenses lol) because of how much it can unlock and how it can allow you to drive defenses crazy.

One thing I loved doing in the past that I haven't dived into until I recruit the dudes for it is running a pairing of Shotgun Doubles and Doubles HB WK. Just moving the HB to the other side of the QB unlocks so much

Peyton Manning is exactly who I was thinking of and I have tried to format my custom PB on a similar setup. The outside WRs never move and are both always on the line, only the 3 inside guys ever shift spots, and it's primarily 11 and 10 personnel. I only use formations with the HB on both sides of the QB as well so I could do the old Oregon thing(they may still do this Ducks fans let me know) where you flip the RB pre-snap to take advantage of a potential overload to run to the weakside with a "jump motion". Even my plays are about 5-7 concepts in every formation spiced up with auto motions

[tpholt]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I generally use coaches suggestion, but like others have said, it gets repetitive, and you end up having the same 6 plays called all the time

[NoleFan]

Re: How do you prefer to call plays?

I saw in some thread the concept of using Coach Suggestions, but picking from those based on down.

Example, on first down use one of the first three plays.

Second down, scroll down once and pick from that set of three.

Third down, third set of plays, etc.

That’s how I like to call my plays since I play my dynasty games like Road to Glory in that I only control the QB and super sim defense.

What I do is call plays from left to right out of the type that’s most represented. So on 1st down, if there are 2 runs on page 1 I’ll call the left most one. Same thing on 2nd, 3rd etc. If it’s a run, a pass and an RPO then I can pick which one I want to run. I look at that as coach giving me the option to make something happen for the team based on what I’ve been seeing in the game thus far.