How use Read Running plays

[funfootball]

There is a new type of running play this year called the read. I think the concept is read the hole that opens due to overpursuit. But I usually get blown up because Dline don't flow with the play but penetrate. What defenses is the play designed for? Or has anyone had any success running this play

[seanmac]

I've seen a lot of complaints about this play and I don't know why. I love it. You can run it three different ways. If the blocks hold, you can take it outside like a normal toss or off tackle play. You can cut upfield against the overpursuit, which usually will net you at least a solid three yards. Or, and this one can work very well, you can run it as a sort of manual counter trey, in which case there is often a lot of open field. Go to practice and try running the play against different sets. I think you'll be able to get it to work.

[Bronco]

There is a new type of running play this year called the read. I think the concept is read the hole that opens due to overpursuit. But I usually get blown up because Dline don't flow with the play but penetrate. What defenses is the play designed for? Or has anyone had any success running this play
funfootball,

the 'read' play is a simple zone concept. The idea is for all the blockers to flow in the direction of the play - it's the run version of single gap pass protection. The blockers will engage the first man in their gap.

In other words, each lineman will slant to the call side, and advance to the second level when applicable. Usually you will have a initial double team on a Dlineman, but one will have better leverage...the one that doesn't will advance to the LBs.

The reason these plays don't work as necessarily as their real life counterparts is that the Olineman disengage too quickly. They DO work on occassion though.

The other reason the play could be improved is the depth of the back in the game isn't deep enough. These plays generally should have the back at 7.5 - 8 yards deep so that the back has time and vision to make his read...EA has the back depth at 5.5 - 6 yards with the back slanting forward on an angle. So by the time he gets the ball, he's roughly 3 yards from the LOS. That's too close to make a proper read...or rather, you can make the read, but you're too close to react in time.

In actuality, the back should flow laterally, maintaining distance for reasons stated above. If you really want to see this play work properly, watch Edgerin James or Eddie George (when he was with the Titans). Manning and McNair have to almost sprint to get the ball to them, because they're running away from the QB, not to him.

[mad_bomber]

Very good info as usual Bronco! :)

[Farmer]

Very good info as usual Bronco! :)


I agree. :)

[K Freeman]

Good info Bronco. Terell Davis was famous for this as well correct?

[GaryGuanine]

Terrell Davis was the man with the read/cutback run. That's how he got lots of his yards, and how the cut-blocking Denver offensive line got its reputation.

You can see the Eagles, with Brian Westbrook, run it from time to time too.

Gary

[mad_bomber]

Nebraska when Tom Osborne was the coach was an excellent zone team. Everyone thinks of Nebraska with the option, but their zone blocking schemes and runs were lethal. Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green, and others were constantly hitting the cutback on those plays for long td runs.

[kbell97]

Hey Bomber, it will be weird to see the new Nebraska Cornhusker offense. Bill Calahan preaches he will run the ball, I just remeber the season when the Raiders went to the Superbowl with him as the coach, he must have thrown it 75% of the game. I remember C. Garner had something like 900 + yds on only a little over 100 carries, correct me if I am wrong. I like the spread offense in college football ( its great), but I dont like to see the likes of Nebraska and a Notre Dame change offensive philosiphy. Option teams have proven to win, look at the huskers in the 90's. Maybe its hard for me to see those power running teams switch their philosiphy because I ' m so used to seeing the way they play power football for so many years. I guess we will see,

[Bronco]

Hey Bomber, it will be weird to see the new Nebraska Cornhusker offense. Bill Calahan preaches he will run the ball, I just remeber the season when the Raiders went to the Superbowl with him as the coach, he must have thrown it 75% of the game. I remember C. Garner had something like 900 + yds on only a little over 100 carries, correct me if I am wrong. I like the spread offense in college football ( its great), but I dont like to see the likes of Nebraska and a Notre Dame change offensive philosiphy. Option teams have proven to win, look at the huskers in the 90's. Maybe its hard for me to see those power running teams switch their philosiphy because I'm so used to seeing the way they play power football for so many years. I guess we will see,
KBell, concur. However, I believe the reason some programs are willing to 'sell out' and install pro style offenses is that there is a perception that it will attract players with asperations for playing on Sunday. Certainly, NFL scouts are more impressed with a QB like Carson Palmer rather than an Option QB...is this fair? No, of course not...But I think this has factored BIG TIME into recruiting.

[kbell97]

Very good point Bronco. I just am used to the old style that Nebraska and ND used to play, and I like to watch it, I guess I am just being biassed. I agree with wanting balance on offense, its just hard to see some power running teamas such as Nebraska becoming extinct. You pove a very valid point though, even better with the pro style attack , you have pro coaches(head and assistant) who will draw big time recruits such as Carrol, Groh, Saban and even Callahan had a decent recruiting class becoming the head coach of Nebraska pretty late in recruiting. Do you think being one of these coaches linked to the NFL helps recruit player Bronco? And don't get me wrong , I like the spread , west coast offenses, but I still think we need those power running teams , which is the beauty of college football, VARIETY.

[Bronco]

Oh yeah, I think recruiting NFL talent players and offering a prostyle offense is currently going to be more successful than telling a guy 'come run the option for us'...

I love college football for all the different types of offenses you see...

[mad_bomber]

Another thing that's factoring into the changes in offensive philosophy is the alumni and the fan base in general. For the casual football fan running the option offense is somewhat looked upon as being boring and dull. I think this perception factors into the hiring process when an AD looks to hire a head football coach. You'll read quotes from AD's making comments such as "We want someone with an imaginative offense that can rekindle the interest of our fans". Personally if I was going to run a college offense, I'd install a system very similar to that of Utah. They spread the field with four and five wides and use different option concepts within their offense. The play diagrams that I recently posted in the forums with the running plays from the gun are plays that Utah and others use.

[seanmac]

Running the option is self-defeating because you are guaranteeing yourself that players who are serious about a pro career are not going to come to your school. And frankly, I'm fine with that. The only reason the option works on the college level is because the teams that play with it have a talent advantage (that's not entirely true, it also works when the other team is sufficiently bad, which is why it will remain in vogue in places like the Patriot League or with the service academies). When an option team runs up against top level college teams that are filled with future NFL teams, the option crashes and burns (see Nebraska against any school from Florida throughout most of their history).

When the talent is even (or against you), junky offensive philosophies get exposed, as I'm sure Steve Spurrier can tell you. It's one of the things that I love about the NFL- if you've gotten away with junk in the past that has worked simply because of a talent gap, you are not going to get away with it anymore.

[Mr Wiggles]

You guys really know your football.

But back to the part about the option being boring. Someone needs to tell EA this. "THE OPTION IS DEAD" that is old school football. Defensive lineman and LB's are just too fast in todays game. Last year I laughed at all those people who would run their little options for 4yds here and 5 yds there. I got so bored with them and their little audibles where they are switching plays real fast at the LOS, going for it on every fourth down, and going no huddle with 5 different options as their audible. I'd just watch a football game on my other TV while I was on defense and I'd just let them score so I could play offense. Then I'd score in 3 or 4 plays without my QB ever leaving the pocket. Now that's fun! I'd shoot myself if I ever resorted to that option BS on a regular basis in a video game. It's supposed to be fun and high scoring. That's why they call it video game #'s when someone really has a great day. Nobody wants to play a video game that is a defensive struggle. I'd rather sleep or even better yet pull my teeth out one by one.

I don't want it to be exactly like the real game. There should be a lot more broken tackles. for ex. If BMW catches a ball with one UCLA defender on him it should be a broken tackle and a long gain every time, Did they not see him put up 180 yds in one half against them last year. He didn't even play in the second half. So in the video game he should be just leaving one on one coverage in the wind. If he's not doubled he should be "AT LEAST AS OPEN IF NOT MORE OPEN IN THE VIDEO GAME AS HE IS IN THE REAL GAME" I shouldn't have to just throw him jump balls to get big chunks of yardage. If he's got one guy on him he should have significant separation on every route he runs.

[PhilIvy16]

Well you say the option is boring but to me there's nothing more demoralizing to be playing someone who has a lead on me and is gaining good chunks of yards because they do a good job of running the option. Meanwhile the clock is ticking down and I'm frustrated not being able to stop the O on 3rd and short 2 or 3 times in row. It's just as satisfying when it's me, and I'm sealing the lead by pounding the rock and chewing up time on the clock.

[mightypharaoh]

I don't use read running plays that much. I have more success with counters. however any play that nets u 3-4 yards a pop leaves u with 3rd and 2-3. I like those odds.

Mr. Wiggles some would question your style of play or perhaps label it a dairy derivative. But u are right this is a video game and there should be some fantasy element 2 it. There is that joy I get when I put up 110 points on the cpu. But I also like that feeling of WHEW that was a close one in a 15-10 nailbiter

That being said I do believe the option does have a place in the game. Not as the focus of the offense but some elements of it. I run option in my dynasty but only in certain situations and depending on the personnel I have on my team.

[dmy365]

I LOVE the new zone plays in this game. I've been hoping EA would add the zone to the game and we finally have it.

Now I've found the zone to be the most effective in this game from the ace normal and ace slot formations. Out of the ace normal, I can just audible at the line of scrimmage to run away from the safety that moves up to become the force player out of the 4-3. Or if the defense stays in a cover 2 shell, I'll run it to the wide side of the field, or look for good matchups, etc.

In the ace slot, you want to run the zone to the weak (2 WR side) of the formation, but ONLY if the will LB leaves the box to cover the slot. You key on the Mike LB to decide whether to cut it back, take it outside etc.

Some more tips:

If the DLine shifts one way or another, always run the zone at the 1 tech (the DT that lines up in the A gap). If you try to run it at the 3 tech, that backside shade (A gap player) is going to cause you problems with penetration or tie up blockers so they can't reach the 2nd level defenders.

Try to run the play AT the better of the two outside LBs. The reason? You can hit the big play when a poor/uncomposed backside LB overpursues and gets caught out of position for the cutback. You can have everything set up perfectly, but a backside LB that plays disciplined will ruin the play.

[mad_bomber]

You must be a coach with the way you described the zone blocking schemes. Spread offense teams look to run the zone read play towards the 1 technique for the same reasons you mentioned. I've been using the PA Rollout passes as a compliment to the zone play. It's basically a bootleg play off a similiar run action.

[cant-stop-ricky]

i cant ever get any yards when i dont cutback my rb is 90 oline 80's .sum help please thnx

[LjSnUo]

off topic but it looks like you can stop ricky, with weed.
low blow my bad

[K Freeman]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: