Man Shift Coverage? Bump-N-Run? Basic questions

[strawbear1]

Hello, I'm new here, and new to the game this year. I've watched football for a good long time, but never understood football theory -- I just watched. But, I've found this game to kind of eye-opening as to the strategies and so forth in football. It's been a real learning experience and most of all a lot of fun.

I've got a couple questions about the game, if someone wouldn't mind enlightening me. The first has to do with "Man Shift" coverage. I noticed that one could audible into a "man shift" coverage by calling coverage audible and moving the stick to the right (with some setting set to "manual"?). What exactly does this do for you? I tried experimenting by turning the controller setting to manual from auto on this setting, and I didn't notice much of a difference when I called Man Shift. What am I missing? What's it's purpose? And, what does it do for you?

The other question is about Bump-N-Run coverage. How exactly do you get into it? Is it by calling a coverage audible and moving the stick down for tight coverage? Is that correct? And, can you get in B-N-R coverage in a zone defense, or is it only in man-to-man coverage?

Sorry for these probably basic type of Qs, but I'm a noob, and I don't mind admitting it. Thanks in advance for any help.

[TrojanNole]

U can call BNR (bump-n-run) even in zone defenses. U have the Man BNR look, but at the snap of the ball, ur plyers drop back in zones.

The man shift audible moves ur plyers into better position to cover the WR's, like the slot reciever and etc...

Usually, I will call the BNR audible and then call the Man Shift audible so my CB's can be in better position to cover.

[strawbear1]

so, the "tight" coverage audible is the same as bump-n-run?

[TrojanNole]

Yes, I believe so, I think its the same in one. The man shift audible is very good when u face someone with a short passing game. I have notice my DB's "were there" in covering the slots and outs better when I use it. Often, without the "man shift" is not used. My DB's would get beat on the "out slant" or "out route" while covering the slot WR cause he set too inside of the box to cover the WR on his cut.

[strawbear1]

thanks for the help. I'm still trying to see how the man shift audible affects the coverage and exactly what it is.

What's the point of changing the setting from "auto" to "manual"? If it's on auto, then I'd assume the CPU makes the "man shift" change for you automatically. I'd assume that you'd want put the setting on manual if you want more control over when "man shift" gets called. I'd assume that you'd want to put the setting on manual so that on certain plays when the CPU would automatically do a "man shift" (whatever that is), and in those times you'd rather not have a "man shift"? Or, are there times when the CPU doesn't "man shift" automatically when the setting is on "auto" but you want to put a "man shift" on?

Sorry, but I'm not getting exactly what is a man shift audible. I've set the controller setting to manual. And, I've tried running coverage audibles in practice mode to see if I can tell a difference in coverage when I have called a "man shift" and when I have not. I can't see a difference. (The offense formation and play I've been testing it against is "I-Form-Slot, Check".)

[mad_bomber]

In the controller settings the man shift usually only affects the linebackers. Basically if the offense has a slot receiver and if you have it set to Auto, a linebacker will align over the slot receiver giving the appearance that he's covering him. If it's set to manual then you have to shift your linebackers manually to give that same appearance.

The Man Shift audible is useful when your safeties are responsible for covering the slot receivers. It puts them closer to the line of scrimmage and in better position to play coverage.

[strawbear1]

"The Man Shift audible is useful when your safeties are responsible for covering the slot receivers. It puts them closer to the line of scrimmage and in better position to play coverage."

thanks for the response, ... but I haven't noticed this, and in fact noticed the opposite.

There was a defensive play in the filmroom, and among the enhancements was to call B-N-R and then Man Shift. I think it was 4-3 thunder green. I tried doing this play in practice against the I Form Slot. I got it to work, but didn't see any difference in the outcome in calling Man Shift or not. I think Man Shift was the last enhancement called for in that play. I tried to watch the players in instant replay to see what they did when I called Man Shift and when I did not. What I saw was that calling the BNR caused the CBs, FS and SS to move up quite bit. The CBs were within a yd or so of the LOS, and the FS and SS were up near a LB position. They were close to the line. When I then called for the man shift coverage audible, the CBs moved back a yard or two, and the safeties moved back a significant amount, almost back to where they were before I called BNR. So, I didn't see the purpose of Man Shift, and saw exactly the opposite -- the Man Shift caused the safeties to drop further away from the LOS.

And, because the CBs dropped off the line a little from the BNR positon, the Man Shift made it much harder and less likely for the CBs to actually bump the receivers. It seemed to me that calling Man Shift hurt the play in that respect.

[mad_bomber]

If you use it multiple times it will reset the defensive backs to their default positions. In my opinion it's not a perfect system and could be improved upon.

[rhombic21]

Other than disguising blitzes, is there a reason to have this on manual at all?

[mad_bomber]

I keep it on manual because if it's set to auto your linebackers will align over slot receivers. This of course depends on the defensive play call. When I see the linebackers leave the box like that it generally tips me off to the possible coverage that's being played. I'd rather keep my linebackers near the line of scrimmage.

[strawbear1]

I can't seem to get Man Shift to work, I guess. I still don't see it doing anything. (If I call BNR and then Man Shift, it just seems to return the coverage players to their normal like positions.) I'm wondering if it even works on xbox? I hit Y and then right on the d-pad (or right on the left joystick) and nothing happens. I've tried in different scenarios (zone and man Ds with differing Offensive pass plays) to call it to see what adjustments it makes, but haven't seen it.

So, if anyone can point me to an example where I could call a D against a specific Off play and call Man Shift -- that shows an adjustment for Man Shift, ... I'd appreciate it.

[djwill13]

try this, go into practice mode with 2 controllers. select one to be on offense and one to be on defense

pick any play out of shotgun trips, or hail mary packages

pick 4-3 as your defense

now you should notice a difference. man shift lines your players up to better be in posistion for the area or man that they are assigned to cover more so in man to man than zone. say you are in man and the offense come out in trips right. your SS will "shift" over to cover one of the trips guys.

[strawbear1]

dj, .. thanks, I tried your suggestion with the two controllers and went into a 4-3 on D, calling Thunder Green. For the offense, I selected Shotgun Trips.

What I discovered is that there is an error in the instruction manual that comes with NCAA, at least with the XBox version. I had been doing what the instruction booklet says to call Man Shift. The booklet says on page 7, that you hit Y for coverage audible and then move the Left joystick to the right (or hit right on the d-pad) to call for Man Shift, if the controller setting has been set to manual. When I hit Y and R on the left joystick, it didn't do anything.

The booklet says you move the left stick (d-pad) up for loose coverage; down for tight coverage; left for normal coverage; and right for Man Shift. All I can say is that is not entirely correct. Moving the stick (or d-pad) left OR RIGHT puts normal coverage on. Contrary to what the booklet says, hitting Y for coverage audible and right on the L joysitck (or right on the d-pad) does not put Man Shift on. What I learned was that moving the L joystick to the left (OR R) puts normal coverage on.

I fiddled around with it some more, just trying to hit buttons. I finally found the combo that appears to put Man Shift on for the XBox. That combo is Y for coverage audible, then the "A" button. When I did this the strong safety moved in much closer to cover the middle Trips receiver, and the Middle LB moved over, just around to the outside of the LOLB to get a better coverage position on the inner most Trips receiver. That was the movement you guys had described, but I had never seen it before because I was trying to follow the instructions in the booklet for Man Shift (which are WRONG.)

For XBox, to call Man Shift .. you hit "Y" for coverage audible, then the "A" button for Man Shift. The instruction booklet is in error.