Player’s Guide By William Carter and Arlie Rahn

Edited by Steven Ellis

RECRUITING

First thing you need to do is check out your Defensive Coach (DC), Offensive Coach (OC)

and Special Teams Coach (ST). Remember, you do not have to get 5 star players

immediately; you can get 3 star players and your coaches can develop them into better

players. You want to create a stable program over the long haul that attracts recruits, not a

short-term and unstable program that will not be attractive to potential recruits. Always

think long-term.

For Offensive Coach (OC) selection, O-line development is critical because they are the ones

who will open up holes for your RB to exploit and protect your QB in order to have the time

to complete passes.

For Defensive Coach (DC) selection, cornerback development is most important because

teams will throw on you no matter how good the defensive line is so you want to have

fantastic pass defense, as well as using the cornerbacks to stop the run if they do not throw.

So, now, once you have gotten your coaches, then you start recruitment.

If you are a big name football program with high prestige then you can go after those 4 or 5

star recruits because you might be attractive to them. This is where building a stable

program over the long haul comes into play- stability and high prestige can be very

attractive to recruits. If you are a lower level program without a lot of prestige, go after 3, 2

and 1 star recruits because with your coaches will be able to develop them over time.

How to Pick Recruits:

Pick recruits by their interest level, NOT their stats or chip color. If they are not interested,

you will just be wasting money and scholarships for little return. Also, you more than likely

will only be able to get recruits from your region, especially if you are a medium-or-lower

level program because you don't have that recognition yet.

When picking a player, it's best to pick one who:

1) has high interest in your program

2) is in a position of need

3) You can give a scholarship to (those are enticing).

Regarding “position of need”, this does not mean only the number of players in a specific

position but players than can be developed to fill needs. Let’s say you have an offensive line

that is all composed of players who are all rated 2/4. You might think I need to recruit more

offensive linemen. You don't. Your OC can develop them, and you can play ball to their

strengths. In that case, the OL is not a position of need. But let us say in the defensive back

position, you only have 5 CB/S. No matter if they are all 5 star people, you need more than

5. So this is an area of need, and an area you would recruit in.

Also, and this goes for big name schools as well, only pick players that you would have

some sort of chance to get. Someone in Arizona being offered a scholarship by both Arizona

State and Arizona would be safe bet to recruit and sign. A recruit from California getting

offers from Ball State, NC State, Virginia or another program located in the East would

probably decide not to commit, even if you used every cent of recruitment money and all

scholarships. It is clearly easier to recruit within your state and region- so keep that in

mind.

When it comes to scouting them out to see what it is to make a player happy in order to get

them to commit to you. Look to start recruiting and scouting processes as soon as they are

on the watch list. The more you spend on recruiting a player, the quicker you find out what

they are looking for in a school and what motivates them- allowing you to tailor your

recruitment pitch more effectively.

Make sure you do not throw a pitch to a recruit too early, even if it is 8 weeks into the

process. Just keep contact and wait until you find the most effective method to make your

pitch. Do the work and invest the time/money until you know for sure what the recruit is

looking for- then make the pitch.

Finally, when it comes to development, skills trump conditioning because in some cases

even highly-conditioned people can be outplayed by those with skill.

Recruiting “Chip” Color Code Key:

These appear next to a recruit or player’s name and is used to show the player’s or recruit’s

skill and athleticism. A “Blue Chip” prospect/player is considered one of the elite

recruits/players in the country- so expect the competition to recruit him to be fierce.

Blue Chip - Excellent

Green Chip - Good

Yellow Chip - Above Average/Average

Orange Chip - Average/Below Average

Red Chip - Below Average/Poor

DETERMINING SCHOLARSHIP USAGE

With a limited amount of scholarships, you want to get the most “boom for your buck”. At

some positions, there may be a clear need- i.e. you have no or too few QBs, so you must

recruit for that position.

But in some situations, you may not need to do that. For example, you have 7 OTs, 4 OGs,

0 Cs on your OL. You may think you must expend a scholarship on a Center. This is when

the 'change position' button is your friend. Take one of those OT or G and make them a C

(during week 6 of the Preseason).

That way you can use a scholarship on something else. Same for DBs. If you have many FS

and not many CB, convert some (FSs seem to covert well to becoming CBs). Those

undersized DEs (around 6'4”, 245lbs) can make good TEs if you need them.

Make sure that the player you convert has a good Adaptability rating, or attempting to

convert a player will NOT work too well.

FBs make good RBs, however, RBs don't make good FBs unless you got a good blocking

one.

Kickers and Punters really don't switch well.

Always attempt to give your OL some adaptability training because I've found that you can

switch them up between positions and they do fairly well at any one.

PLAYER TYPES (BY POSITION)

Offensive Players

Quarterbacks

1. Pocket Passer QB - usually have incredible arm strength but slow as molasses. Get this

one if you have a good offensive line or you will get sacked a lot because they suck at

escaping pass rush.

2. West Coast QB – These QBs are the ones on the low end of pocket passer strength and

can scramble a little.

3. Mobile QB - Can really run. Some have great arm strength and some have middling. Get

this one if you want to run some option or have porous offensive line.

4. Balanced QB - combination of 1 and 3. Most times these types of QB do one better than

the other (either is good on passing and low on running, or opposite)

Running backs

1. Inside RB - these are the ones that run up the middle against the linebackers and

defensive lines. Size is good. Speed may be fast, or it may be in the middle. Average is like

4.5-4.7 40m dash. What they lack in speed they make up for in size. Best size for an RB

you want to use to run inside is 5'10-6'2, 200-235lbs. If they are too big they will be fatigue

easily and if they are too small they will not break tackles.

2. Outside RB - these are the fast, smallish RB/HB that runs to the outside. Typically they

have high 40 m dash. Also I find them to be great receivers if they have good agility

because they can break tackles. Size anywhere from 5'8-6’0”, 165-200lbs.. If they are too

big they may not have the quickness.

Wide Receivers

1. Speed WR - These are the fast, deep, vertical threat receivers who use their speed to

beat defenders. Route running and hands should be above average if possible.

2. Possession WR - have good speed around RB speed, but their strength is their ability to

hold onto balls. Route running, along with hands, should be above average.

Keep in mind that any receiver, no matter how fast or how well he can run routes, will not

help you if they can’t catch a pass. Optimal size for any receiver is 6'0-6'6 + 180-230 lbs. A

converted, undersized TE would be good as well

Offensive Linemen

1. Finesse Lineman- these ones are usually not as big as the other type of linemen (6'1-6'6,

260-290lbs.) and they rely on skill moves and blocking to hold the line or make holes.

2. Power Linemen - these are the large ones (6'1-6'7, 300 + lbs.) that rely more on

strength to do stuff, although they have skill as well.

I prefer to have a mixture of both finesse and power men. OTs should be more Finesse to

hold off that good pass rush while OGs should more be Power so they can knock people

over to make holes for RB.

Optimal size and skill set trend for OL:

OT - 6'3 280-300 and trends more to finesse

OG - 6'3 320-340 and trends more to power

C- a hybrid of size, power and finesse

Tight Ends

1. Blocking- they block for runs

2. Receiving - they catch balls.

Blocking ends tend to be bigger and stronger than receiving tight ends that tend to be

quicker and more agile.

If you are short of TEs, an undersized and quick DE with high adaptability can be converted

into a TE.

Defensive Players

Defensive Line (DT and DE)

1. Pass rushers - usually have good agility and speed, this is how they outmaneuver

offensive linesmen to get sacks.

2. Run stoppers - less finesse, more brute strength to blast into the backfield and lay the RB

or QB out.

Optimal size for DEs is 6'1”-6'3”, 265-280lbs.. With that size he is small enough to get

under the large linemen and would still have decent speed for his size.

Optimal size for DTs is same height but 290-300+ lbs. You want NTs to be relatively short

and big, so I can use them for a big body to plug holes. Good size is about 6'3”, 330+ lbs..

Linebackers

1. OLB - the outside linebackers must be good in coverage with decent size and speed, for

they usually cover tight ends and RBs on screens. Good size for an OLB is 6'0”-6'3”, 240lbs.

with above average coverage skills. I prefer to have a mixture of run stopping and coverage

OLBs

2. ILB - the inside linebackers need to be large and excellent at coverage. To me, run

stopping is secondary with them. Optimal size is 6'3 250 or so, but with about 4'7 40m dash

so they can match up with TEs if they must as well as chase down backs.

Defensive Backs

1. CBs

1.1 Cover corners - these are the ones that will cover man to man

1.2 zone corners - these are the ones who cover in the zone defenses

Cover corners are a premium. The problem with zone corners is that if a CB has to cover a

certain zone, there is no certainty that the receiver that ends up in that zone is a favorable

matchup with him. This is why it is advisable to recruit all cover corners so even if you play

them in zone they are experienced at coverage.

2. Safeties

2.0.1 Blitzing Safeties - these ones love to charge the line. If you are a player who wants to

generate more pass rush.

2.0.2 - coverage safeties- they cover people much like CBs.

2.0.3 - run stopping safeties - these tend to be SS who patrol the line or blitz the RB.

2.1 FS

*see CB above

2.2. SS

Preference is having blitzing SS when playing in Nickel or Dime defense. A blitzing safety

may be just what you need for more pass rush but you will want to use your FS in

coverage. However, it is best to have a coverage SS on the depth chart in case the team

you play has no real running attack or/and is pass happy.

Special Teams

Kicker and Punter

Accuracy is better than power for FG kickers and power is better for Kickoff specialists. This

is why some coaches have two kickers on the roster.

Return Men

Advisable to recruit some red chip, very fast, undersized WR or CB as a return man to avoid

using starters/premium players (who may get injured running back punts and kicks).

Optimal size is like under 6 feet with very fast 40m. Dash time.

Coaches

General

When looking for a coach, there are a few things to consider. But overall, for any coach

(besides his position development rankings) there is something that is most important. That

is motivation. A coach with high motivation ability can get the best out of his players and he

can improve a player’s Work Ethic rating (which might therefore help enrich development).

Since coaches play such a significant role in your program’s prestige and player

development, making sure they are paid well and happy is critical. Invest in your coaches if

you want to keep them.

Offensive Coordinator

When hiring an OC, make sure at the least he has the best development in OL. The offense

starts and ends with O-line. OL opens holes for the backs and gives QB time to throw the

ball. It is better to have substandard QBs and RBs operating behind a great line than great

skill players behind a poor O-line.

On average, this is what I would try to get as an OC:

Good at OL dev.

Average at QB, RB, WR dev.

Defensive Coordinator

Cornerbacks are at a premium on defenses. If a team is a primary running team, you may

have to stack 7 or 8 to stop them. This is why it is essential to have a DC that can develop

DBs well. Make sure your DC has his highest rating in CB development.

Holding on to Coaches

Good coaches will receive job offers from other schools. To protect yourself from losing a

highly talented coach, make sure you are paying them enough to stay on your staff.

TRAINING

There are four skill sets in Bowl Bound College Football that can be developed during off-

season training camp by your coaching staff.

Football Skills: These are the bread and butter of a player and directly impacts performance

on the field. If a player has low football skills, he cannot play effectively at all and will be a

liability.

Strength and Conditioning: Somewhat used to help develop better endurance, but mostly

used to make the players bigger and stronger.

Academics: Academics are as important as Football Skills. A star player is useless to the

team if he cannot keep his GPA up and is on Academic Probation.

Adaptability: Used when either training a player in another role/position or having to play

him out of position- i.e. you have 4 FB and 2 RB so you want to switch a FB to RB OR if you

have multiple CB but 1 FS maybe you might end up having to play a CB at FS. The higher

this skill is, the easier and quicker the player learns and adapts to his new position/role.

Now, to set training, look at specific skills based on player position:

WR, QB, CB, FS, - these are positions in which skill is most paramount. Set most of your

training camp time for skill on these players.

ex. WR Joe Smith: Ht. 6'3 Wt. 215lbs. Current Wt. (225lbs. Ideal Wt.), 60 Hands, 75 Route

Running, 60 Endurance, 2.35 GPA

It would be advisable to train him at 60% Football Skills, 10% Strength and Conditioning

and 30% on Academics. His skills are pretty high so you don't need to use all my points in

that area. A couple extra pounds would be good for him to build up. Even though his GPA is

over 2.0, it could take a nosedive and you need him on the field, so devote a chunk of his

training to that.

ex. CB Jack Black Ht. 6'1, Wt. 201lbs Current Wt. (207lbs. Ideal Wt.), 75 Coverage. 70

Tackle, 68 Speed, 75 Instincts, 50 Jumping, 3.1 GPA

Train him at 100% Football Skills. All your training points would be used for his skillset

because his GPA is fine and his weight is fine (you want WRs and DBs to be within 5lbs of

their ideal weight) so devote it all to skills to hopefully improve his jumping ability.

OL, DL

Size is most important in these positions, esp. in the middle of the line (OG, C, DT) DTs

need to be big so they can clog the middle and OG and C need to be big so they can push

those big DTs out of the way. DEs are usually smaller than DT and OG/C is usually bigger

than OT.

ex. OG Jim Smith: Ht; 6'3 Wt. 290lbs/345lbs Run Block 75 Pass Block 78, GPA 2.6

Train him at 60 Football Skills and 40 Strength and Conditioning. His GPA is fine, his skills

will do, but his weight is really low (at 290lbs for a OG). So you needed to beef him up. And

if you are stacked at OL then you won't need him to be out of position. But do not spend too

much on strength otherwise you will get an overweight sucky player.

HB, LB

Size and skill are important for these two positions.

Some RBs, esp. from the Atlantic East and Midwest regions, are very large (ex. 6'2, 250lbs)

so the linebackers must be large. I like my linebackers to be 6'1 or taller and at least 250

lbs. Halfbacks are different. If you want to run up the middle more you need big,

steamroller-like halfbacks. Speed/scat backs need more speed, instinct and agility to get to

the outside, beat a LB and break off a nice gain.

ex. HB David Bloom: Ht. 5'11, Wt. 205/235lbs., Running:60, Route Running:65, Hands:59,

GPA 3.51

Train him at 70 Football Skills, 30 Strength and Conditioning. His grades are good. His skill

set is average so that can be used to beef him up a little. But his big weakness is lack of

size, and so using a small amount of Strength and Conditioning points to bulk him up is

good. But don’t use too many Strength and Conditioning points otherwise he will bulk up

way too much.

DEPTH CHART

Setting up the proper depth chart is one of the most important things in this game. If you

do not have a player well-suited for a specific position or role, you will suffer the

consequences during the season.

QB

One does not necessarily have to have a QB with an arm like a howitzer because you don't

need to go deep all game. Even a QB with middling 45-50 strength in the arm can do short-

medium passes. A QB’s Instincts is also critical because plays will break down and he will

need to improvise well. Does he check down? Does he scramble? All the skills in the world

means nothing if the player has no idea how to use it.

Mental fortitude is very important at QB. You also want a QB to have the athletic base to

run, but they do not have to be a true scrambler.

So, if you have a QB who lacks the arm strength and skills of other QBs on your team, but

has much greater instincts, start him.

Example:

QB1: 75 Arm Strength, 82 Accuracy, 80 Touch, 40 Instinct

QB2: 64 Arm Strength, 72 Accuracy, 73 Touch, 76 Instinct

Would recommend QB2 as the starter. Their skill set is close enough to each and QB2’s

higher Instincts will be a difference-maker over the course of the season.

RB

Size and Instincts are the two most important here. For an inside RB, you need him big.

Speed may not be the best, but he needs to be able to break tackles using his strength. For

outside HBs, they need to be fast, instinctive and agile, so they can make the corner and

deke a LB or DB for a nice gain.

WR

Speed and Hands are the most important for them. Speed to gain separation and hands to

hold onto balls. That is what receivers do, run to catch balls and hold on to them. So, in

setting the depth chart, wideouts be speed guys while slot men are hands guys.

Wideouts can pop the top while the slot men go underneath. Speed for FL, SE, usually 4.40-

4.55 while speed for slot guys are usually 4.50-4.75.

TE

TEs should be generally balanced- strong, good at blocking and with a good set of hands.

OL

OL must be large. Tiny OL won't get it done. Discipline is equal to skill in importance as well

to avoid drive-killing penalties. A player can be 90 Run and Pass Block, 6'3, 350lbs- but if he

has 30 Discipline he’s going to be a flag magnet. All the penalties he would get to back us

up would not be worth it. You would be surprised how many times a sure TD had to become

an FG because of a false start.

So, for example, between two people fighting for the LT spot:

OT 1: 6'3, 325lbs, Run Block 83, Pass Block 89, Instincts 70, Discipline 45

OT 2: 6'1, 298lbs, Run Block 79, Pass Block 81, Instincts 60, Discipline 81

OT 2 is the starter. Yes, he is smaller, and a little less skilled. But when we need him to not

get a penalty to kill a drive, he won’t.

DL

Skill and speed is most important for DE and size and skill for DT. A DE does not necessarily

have to go stomach to stomach with an OT or OG like a DT, so Pass Rushing and Endurance

(for those long 5 min drives) are the most important things to look for in a DE.

For a DT you want them to have good size and Point of Attack ability, because they will

have to attack that interior line to get QB pressure or to stuff a RB in the backfield.

LB

You have Inside (ILBs) and Outside LBs (OLBs). I want my ILBs to be the best at both Point

of Attack and Coverage, because they could be called on to do both. They must have size

and speed, size to cover TEs and speed to get in for tackles or chase RBs. So they must

have good Coverage and Point of Attack ability.

OLBs I want to be better at Pass Coverage (drop to cover an RB or TE) or rush in from the

edge to hit that QB, so they must be better at Pass Rush Moves and coverage.

DBs

Your PCB and SCB must be good cover cornerbacks- especially when you are up against

teams with a balanced pass vs. run attack. You may have to stack the box to stop the run

so your corners must be able to cover whoever the hell comes at them, body to body. They

must be tall and fast. Instincts play a part, but I don't worry about that too much if they

have the physical skillset. Nickel and dime backs I prefer them to be cover corners, but they

can be zone as well as a lot of those two defenses are zone plays. FS, I play deep as a cover

man while I prefer my SS to be balanced, so I can blitz the man or drop him in coverage. A

big SS who has coverage skills is best there.

Kicker and Punter

Whomever can kick the longest and most accurately, start him.

KRs and PRs

Fast, small, and agile. Recommend NOT using starters for KR or PR since it will increase

their chances to become injured.

THE RUNNING GAME

First thing: Your OL is the key.

The running game starts and ends with OL. Poor OL equals no holes for your awesome RB

to run through. So, check your interior OL- specifically RT, RG, C and LG since they are

critical to successfully running the ball. Are they under 300 lbs? Do they have high skill

ratings? How high is their Strength rating?

Size is important with Offensive Linemen because they must be able to move these big DTs

and strong LBs out of the way to create holes for your RB to attack. If you have an OG that

is 6'3 and 250lbs it's going to be hard to run behind a line that is small like that because

linebackers can just knock them over. This is why it is essential to use Strength and

Conditioning training on OL in order to beef them up, even if they lose a bit of skill. You

need Size.

Also, are they slow. Sometimes if a lineman is so slow a faster DE/DT or LB can just flat out

beat him to the point of attack. Therefore, the OL cannot be too slow.

Prototypical interior OL: Ht. 6'1+, Weight 310lbs+, Speed 4.8-5.1 40m dash, Run Blocking

75+.

He has the big body to block DTs and LBs, and he has the speed to keep up with most DL

and LB. You don't want to have a run blocker under 70 because his other skills are usually

below average as well- but they make acceptable backups. (This can be adjusted for

conference - e.g. where 310lbs is necessary for the SEC or Big 12, maybe a 280lbs lineman

might work if you are in the ACC).

Also, it is better to have the interior line be run blockers over pass blockers. The only true

OL position that needs more emphasis on Pass Blocking is your LT.

Second Thing: What type of RBs do you have?

Look at your RBs. Are they small? Are they fast or slow? If you have a 5'9 210 lb RB speed

53/100 and you keep trying to run him outside....that won't get you anywhere except if you

get lucky once. He's too slow for that.

Also, if your O-line and FB is not great, don't try to keep sending a 5'8'170 lb up the middle.

1 and 2 yard gains will be your result. Also, FB is really important. You need a good FB who

can run block very well. I like to recruit some run block FB and some ball catching FB and

put the run blocker as main FB and the receiver in Pass Down FB. Also, don't forget that

your FB has legs as well. He's more than just a run blocker, get him involved. Throw him

some balls out of the Flexbone. Call a play for him out of the I-Form. He runs too.

Prototypical Inside RB - 5'9-6'2 210-245lbs, Speed 4.5-5.0 40m. Dash, 65+ Instincts. They

do not have to necessarily be fast, just be big and be able to break tackles

Prototypical Outside HB - 5'9-6’0, 175-210lbs, Speed 4.5-4.6 40m. Dash, 65+ Instincts.

These guys need to be very fast to beat these LBs to the corner

Prototypical FB - 6'0-6'3, 240+ lbs, 4.9-5.3 40m. Dash, 65+ run block. These guys do not

need to be fast, because they mostly block, however, they need to be big so they can be

successful in short yardage situations.

Playcalling the Running Game:

Well, here it is. When it comes to actual play calling, the most important thing is rotation.

Rotate your backs. They get tired. A RB who was at full energy at the beginning of the drive

probably will be worn out at the end of a 7 min. drive. Don't let the computer do it for you,

you do it. Rotate your backs when they get to 65% energy unless it is something such as

1st and goal at the 2 then use him to get it into the endzone. Make sure you try to get

multiple RB so you can do this.

Check what kind of backs you have. If you have small, fast backs, don't always call up

inside run plays. Don’t work from the Single Back formation either with small backs, as they

are too small to power through the line on their own. If you want to run him up the middle,

get a nice solid FB in front of him and then try it. If the RB is too small, he needs blockers.

If you want to do outside runs, make sure you have fast OTs otherwise the DEs will just

beat them to the attack point and it will be -4, -3 etc. rushes.

Another thing you must do is find out which plays certain OL have success with. If you have

some OG who are all power men who go full speed ahead to knock people over, maybe it's

best to call straight ahead over the guard run plays. If you have OG who are finesse men

with high agility and speed ratings, they might be better suited for trap and pull blocking, so

call lots of trap and counter plays. You must match play calling to the line's skill.

Pick away. That is the 2nd most important thing you must do. Find their weak spot and go

at it. Switch your O line to create mismatches. If their LDE is weak, maybe switch OTs and

then run it over the RT/RG. If the NT is weak, maybe insert your run block center over your

pass block center. Keep doing it. If you get a 3 yard gain the first time, maybe switch

formations and try another of the same play type (e.g. I-Form HB Power RG and then Single

Back Power RG). Once you find that weakness, milk it for all it's worth.

If you've been having success running over the center- keep it up! Switch backs and do it

some more. The holes your OL will open will get bigger and bigger as they wear down the

DL. If their weak spot is the DTs, run it up the middle with FB a lot, to get them worried

about FB then hit them with the RB. You must continue to pick away and give their defense

no time to rest. This is when a good FB is paramount to take some pressure off of the RB.

DEFENSE

Types of defenses found in the game are:

3-4 Defense: 3 defensive linemen and 4 linebackers (hence the 3-4 name) 2 CB, 1 FS, 1

SS.

4-3 Defense: 4 defensive linemen, 3 linebackers, 2 CB, 1 FS, 1 SS

3-3-5 defense: 3 defensive linemen, 3 linebackers, 2 CB, 1 FS, 1 SS, 1 extra defensive back

(hopefully a safety that can play run and pass).

4-6 defense: this defense is a bit different. It is not named for the number of position

players but more for the number of players along the line. There are 4 defensive linemen

(the 4- part) and 3 LB, 2 CB, and an S (6 total players, the other 6 part, hence 4 and 6)

crowding the line behind the DL. The 11th player is usually a FS playing deep.

4-2-5 defense: 4 defensive linemen, 2 LB, 2 CB, 1 FS, 1 SS, and another safety (possibly

the most balanced one) to play the pass and the run

Nickel defense: named for having 5 defensive backs: the players are the same type as in

the 4-2-5 but this is a primarily pass set defense.

Dime defense: has 6 DB. total of 4 DL, 1 LB, 4 CB, 1 FS, 1 SS. This is a primarily pass

defense

5-2 defense. 5 people on the defensive line area, 2 LB, 2 CB, 2 S

4-4 defense. 4 defensive linemen, 4 linebackers, 2 CB, and a safety. The safety needs to be

very good in pass coverage and in tackling, so I'd suggest either a tall, large FS with good

tackling abilities, or a balanced S.

DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

Defensive Line

RDE, NT, LDE: these are three of the defensive line positions on the depth chart. These are

the positions in which the 3-3-5 and 3-4 Defense are set from.

RDE: lines up against the opposing LT. Should have good speed, strength, and high pass

rush* abilities.

LDE: lines up against the opposing RT. Should have high speed and good POA** skills

NT: More a big body than anything else. Needs size and especially ferocious point of attack

skills. I usually put here the DT with the best point of attack skills, whether he is big or not.

*pass rush (PR): a skill on your player's card. How good he is at charging the QB

**point of attack (POA): how good a player is at getting to the hole the QB/RB/whoever is

coming from to plug the hole.

4-3 DT, Pass Down DT, Pass down DE

These are the positions that all the defenses that have 4 or more defensive linemen are run

from. I am not sure the 4-3 DT is even used, so whoever I insert in 4-3 DT I also insert in

Pass down DT. The two DTs here should have high POA and pass rush as they may need to

block holes from the RB and take many blockers. The DEs, I prefer to have speed and pass

rush ability to get pressure, even if they do not sack.

LINEBACKERS

SLB: Strongside linebacker. Lines up where the TE is. Should have decent speed and

strength but also be very good in pass coverage.

WLB: Weakside linebacker. Lines up on the other side where the TE is not. Preferably

should have high speed/pass rush for QB pressure and good PR ability to cover a back out

of the backfield. Blitz this guy more than anything as to put extra pressure on the LT

MLB Inside Linebacker on the 4-3 defense. Needs to be able to do it all. Pass rush, speed,

be strong, be big, have good coverage.

3-4 ILB (2): In the 3-4 defense, you have two inside linebackers. It would potentially be

best to have one blitzer and one coverage linebacker. One of the 2 ILB should have high

pass coverage and good speed. The other ILB should have high pass rush and point of

attack.

Defensive Backs

PCB and SCB

The two starting corners. The PCB usually covers the opposing SE and the SCB usually

covers the opposing FL. Speed, jumping and coverage to be the traits most important in a

CB, when trying to match with a WR. So, for example, if the upcoming team has a FL that is

65 speed, and 51 jumping and is 6'4 I'd try to match him up with a CB that has someting

such as 75 coverage, 63 speed, and 60 jumping. Jumping is important as so many plays in

the game are something like "The QB throws it a little high" or "the WR leaps and makes

the catch over CB X"

FS

This man usually plays the pass middle or deep. He should be fast, with high coverage and

high tackling abilities.

SS

This guy usually plays the run, but he can be called on to blitz or to pass cover, esp. in 3rd

and deep situations. He should be fast (if you can get one) but most importantly have very

good tackling skills to stop the run.

Nickel and Dimebacks

Typically these guys are your 2nd best CBs, sometimes it will also make sense to put an FS

in that spot but not often, and usually want them to be good in zone coverage as most of

the nickel and dime plays are from zone. But being cover corners, again, works well if they

have high speed and jumping.

#5 in the 425:

Usually a SS (#2 in the SS Slot) who has high coverage and speed, strong and good

tackling.

RUN DEFENSE

I will list the defenses that are good at the defending the run, in no particular order.

4-3 Very good at defending the run. Even better if you have 4 very good DL. With such, one

or two of the DL can take on double teams thereby freeing up the other DL and the LBs to

come rushing in to get tackles for loss. Also if you rush them in at an angle it can catch the

RB off guard and cause an even bigger loss.

4-4 I think the best at defending the run. It has the 4 DL necessity at POA like the 4-3, but

it also has 4 fast, hard hitting LB to come in if the DL cannot get the stop. This defense,

however, is vulnerable to passing so don't use it too much unless a team is clearly inferior.

4-6 Also very good at defending the run. There can be potentially 10 men at the LOS to

overwhelm the O-line, and if not, to at least stop the RB from getting many yards. However,

if you are caught in 46 run defense and it is a pass, there is wide open space behind you.

5-2. Good at defending the run, but it is a must that you have fantastic DL in this set,

because with only two linebackers if the RB makes it to the 2nd line of defense, there will be

trouble.

Tips for Run Defense:

You don't always want to send everyone blitzing. When everyone blitzes, they lose their

lane and gap discipline right quick and that can be exploited by the RB heading upfield as

everyone tries to stop blitzing and turn around.

If they do more outside runs, you want to switch to a defense in which there are enough LB

to cover the outside area, so a 4-4 or a 4-6 in which the DL can push men inside, forcing

the RB out, at which time he can get hit by the OLBs.

If they do more inside runs, maybe a 4-3 or a 5-2, or even a 3-4(with good DL) with some

good ILB that you can send up the middle to plug the holes.

PASS DEFENSE

Pass defense is best well served when you have a good DL and some very good CBs. The

defensive line must be good to generate excellent pass rush while the CBs must be good to

be able to cover.

As a general rule, you want on the field one more player than the opposing team has

receivers lined up. So if they are coming with the quads formation, you will want to have

some Nickel or 425 or some type of defense.

CB matchups

You want to create the most favorable matchups for your CBs, and recommend going into

the opposing team's depth chart before the game (as part of scouting) and see which

receivers they have lined up at which spot. The PCB covers the SE receiver and the SCB

covers the FL receiver. Look for in CBs with good jumping and speed abilities. The CB must

have good coverage skills, speed to keep up with the WR and jump high enough to contest

catches with him.

example:

FL: 6'5 210 Jumping 58 speed 65

SE 6'3 188 jumping 70 speed 75

WR3 6'3 190 jumping 44 speed 65

vs

CB1 6'4 201 coverage 70 speed 70 jumping 65

CB2 6'1 198 coverage 60, speed 60, jumping 55

CB3 6'1 205 coverage 70, speed 65 jumping 80

Have PCB as CB3 covering the SE

6'3 188 70 jump 75 speed vs 6'1 201 65 speed 80 jumping

*While the WR is faster, the CB can jump higher and he is not much slower, so that can be

offset by playing press coverage and bump/run

SCB as CB2 covering FL

6'5 210 jumping 58 speed 65 vs 6'1 198 speed 60 jumping 55

The two are about equal in skillset with the CB having a small advantage on speed.

CB1 would be covering WR3.

Defending Screens:

Screens have the capability, in this game, for making a short pass go a long distance. But,

they are highly defendable. With a screen, one must not blitz, as blitzing opens up areas in

the secondary for the receiver to go to. This is when short zone (SZ) defensive calls come

into good play. 34-SZ normal is a good one, as well as goal line SZ pass defense. The

reason for this is that a screen is a short pass depending on the receiver to get YAC. Well, if

all the defense has dropped into only a short zone, they can swarm the receiver and stop

him from advancing.

Defending Deep Balls:

Many times in games one team is losing and time is running out so you know they have to

go deep to get yards quickly. So to defend in this type of situation, you should use defenses

with 5 or 6 DBs. I have found the nickel, dime, and 425 to be best. Using these types will

overload the receivers and reduce the time the opposing team has to score. If the opposing

offensive line is weak, maybe send in some blitzers. If not, keep them back because you will

need all the LBs to stop passes to TEs and WRs

Creating Pressure:

Although it is not represented in the play-by-play in the game, if you go into the game log

you will see things like this:

"QB James Johnson threw an incomplete pass to WR Dave Howard. DT Billy Earl

Jamison hurried the QB."

The reason that was incomplete was because the defensive line got good pressure. If they

can move a QB out of his comfort zone, the whole play can be ruined. This is why getting

pressure is a must and why you need to have good defensive line. If you have to depend on

your LBs to create pass rush pressure then your defense will have a problem because your

DTs aren't strong enough to get into the backfield or even push the OL backwards. It''s best

if your DLs are strong, as well (they probably won't ever be as strong as OL), but if you can

give them strength and conditioning up to where their strength is 55 or so, it will be good

and work wonders.

Passing Offense

The Offensive line

The offensive line must be very good at pass blocking.

LT- on average, between 300-350 lbs. Must have high speed (hopefully under 5 40 m dash)

and agility to beat the speed pass rushers. They also must be strong but do not have to be

incredibly strong (Bench press number in the recruitment panel gives an indicator of their

strength ability).

LG and RG- You want them big and juicy to pass block here. When pass blocking, the

interior line does not have to move forward to make a hole, they have to stand fast and

take the rush. So you want them big (310lbs or more: an offensive tackle who switched

positions can be good here) and strong (400+ bench press). They do not necessarily have

to be fast if you can exchange speed for strength and bulwark.

RT- to pass block well, you want your RT to somewhat be a clone of your LT, but he does

not have to because you have RG there as well. He needs to be able to pass block, but can

trade agility for strength.

C: You want your C to be the most athletic man on the line. They are between 280-300lbs.

He needs to be athletic because he is the one who has to snap it off and immediately

engage a blocker. So his 40 m. dash should preferably be in the 4.8 region. He also needs

to be strong because the two DT might double up on him.

Quarterbacks

Good arm strength is paramount. Use the bench press values for qualifying that. Also, it is

good for them to have at least a 4.7 40 so they can extend plays in the pocket. Durability

should be high because otherwise your QB will always get hurt and his play will suffer

Runningbacks and Fullbacks

The backs must be good at pass blocking and receiving because they will have to pick up

blitzes(usually from LBs) or catch play-action passes. Usually most backs have a blocking

rating on their player card, but you can also look at speed, strength and agility for it. Best

blocking are big, and strong with high agility so they can hold off LBs.

Hands and agility rating are important for receiving; hands shows how good the back is at

catching and agility shows how good they are at making people miss in space.

Tight End

You want to have both blocking at receiving TEs. Blocking ones will have a block rating

(both run and pass-block). These are usually bigger (6'5 250+) and can also catch. The

receiving TEs are usually smaller (6'5 220 or so) but they have usually better speed and

agility.

Wide Receivers

The types of WR you should pursue depends mostly on what kind of QB and OL you have.

Types:

Speed WR - these ones are usually the fastest ones. Some of them become great at

catching, and some do not.

Possession WR - these ones are usually bigger and have greater catch spheres at

(sometimes) the expense of speed.

So who should you get?

First off, if the man cannot catch the ball, he is pointless. The duty of a WR is to receive

balls. So make sure he can catch. Also, make sure he is durable, as he will need all the

playing time he can get.

If your QB is noodle armed and your OL is holy, you will need WRs who can pick up yards-

after catch. These receivers need to be strong and agile to get those YAC. The jumping

statistic as well as the bench press weight on the recruitment player card should show those

characteristics.

If your QB is strong armed and your OL is stalwart, you can afford to get flashier, faster

guys as your QB will have more time to throw and WRs have more time to get behind

defenses. So WRs here can have faster times and lesser hands ability, because frequently

he can get behind defenses and make catches that are less contested.

However, receiving is not the only thing WRs will do. They should also be called on to run

block down the field. This leads up to my 3rd type of WR

Runblock-Posession receivers

These are undersized TEs. Frequently you will see a TE who is 6'5 220 who got a 4.55 40 or

something like that. So he has great receiving ability. However, he can also run block at a

higher level than most WRs. He will be the big guy who goes 10 yards downfield and blocks

the CB out of his shoes, and for a team that wishes to run a lot, this is important. Most

standard WRs have run blocking ratings of 5 or 6, well, these undersized TEs will have run

block skills of 30 or 40, good enough when facing up to defensive backs. So recruit some of

them and convert them during week 6 of camp.

ADAPTABILITY

Everyone has noticed that players have, as part of their attributes, an adaptability* rating.

That is the rating that determines how well a player is at playing out of position, meaning

how adaptable they are. For example, an OG with an adaptability rating of 90 could be put

into the Center spot, or a big HB with adaptability of 90 could go in the FB spot. But another

thing that adaptability can be used for is player conversion. You do this in training camp,

where you can outright move a player to a different position (WR to CB, for instance).

RUNNING BACKS

there are three types of players I'd convert to running backs, in order of preference-

linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks.

For linebackers, when you recruit them, look at their high school stat sheet, if you see

rushing yards as well as defensive stats, these are the best ones to convert because they

have at least learned to run the ball. Usually linebackers are big (over 210 or more lbs) and

strong, so you'll end up with a big, maybe fast and instinctual power back. Strength is an

under-appreciated attribute in running backs because it doesn't matter how fast you are if

you can't plow some guys for short yardage or push a pile.

For tight ends (whom I rarely convert) it's usually the small stubby ones (6'2 225 or so)

that you want to convert. A 6'7 260lb RB just isn't feasible. But the thing with this is that

these players may never develop to full potential.

Fullbacks- if you can find a fast, undersized one, maybe without the greatest run blocking

you can convert him to a RB.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide receivers in this game are on average small. Not too many of them crack the 200lb

mark. For anyone who knows the college game, a staple of a lot of offense is the big 220lb

type receiver blocking on the perimeter. So what do you do to remedy this? Get a tight end.

Find some random 6'4 220-235lb tight end and convert him. Now, they won't always be the

fastest or jump the highest but they can more make up for that with their body size as they

can fight for the ball. A big, physical outside receiver with low jumping skills is still good and

useful though.

LINEMEN

Go from OL to DL, not the other way around. If you are trying to do an internal position

change (like from guard to center) just slide the guard into the center spot rather than

change his position totally.

For some reason in this game, though, defensive linemen are not that strong or big. You

can recruit some low class lineman and he will come into the program with average 50-55

strength and good hands. Linemen on average weigh over 300 lbs even if they are short;

but to find a DT over 300 lbs he either is lousy or rare high ranked talent. Just turn an OL

into a DL if you need to.

Keep interior linemen on the interior (so an OG to a DT) and bookends on the ends (OT to

DE, for length). What will happen is you get some big 330 lb guy to clog interior lanes. You

don't need this guy to develop into a beast pass rusher because you just want to clog

running lanes.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

You really don't need to do anything with DBs except interchange them (e.g. converting a

CB to FS or something). Convert tiny linebackers to safeties and put them in the nickel or

5th safety spot. Take some tiny 6'2 225 linebacker and convert him.

The most important thing to do is develop players. Just because a player was 3/5 at another

position doesn't mean he will automatically be 3/5 in the other one, especially if he never

played that other position before.

If you have the luxury of doing so, then, redshirt them. That way they can be developed

and do not have to be thrown in action immediately. Most times when you switch a position

the ratings will be poor but the redshirt year allows them to grow.

For example:

OG 6'4 325 who is rated 3.5/5.0, switches to DT DT 6'4 325 and is rated at 1.0/1.0 in his

new position. After a redshirt year and development you end up with a DT 6'4 330 rated at

3.0/4.0.

But if you are desperate at a position, put them in to improve on the fly.

KEY SKILL BREAKDOWNS (BY POSITION)

Here are the major skills that impact a player's performance at a given position. Some other

skills may still play more of a minor role, but this will give you a better idea. Skills are listed

in order of overall importance (but may change based on situation):

QB

Football skills (passing): pass accuracy, arm strength, pass touch

Football skills (running): running

Other skills (passing): instincts, agility, intelligence

Other skills (scrambling/running): speed, agility, acceleration, instincts

RB

Football skills: running, hands, route running

Other skills: speed, strength, agility, acceleration, instincts

FB

Football skills: running, run block, hands, route running

Other skills: strength, aggressiveness, instincts, speed, agility, acceleration

WR

Football skills: hands, route running, run block, running (end around)

Other skills: speed, acceleration, instincts, strength, agility, aggressiveness, jumping

TE

Football skills: hands, route running, run block, pass block

Other skills: strength, speed, acceleration, aggressiveness, instincts, agility, jumping

OL

Football skills: run block, pass block, hands

Other skills: strength, aggressiveness, agility, instincts, acceleration

DE

Football skills: pass rush, point of attack, tackling

Other skills: strength, aggressiveness, agility, speed, instincts, acceleration

DT

Football skills: point of attack, pass rush, tackling

Other skills: strength, aggressiveness, agility, instincts, acceleration, speed

ILB

Football skills: tackling, point of attack, pass rush, coverage

Other skills: aggressiveness, strength, speed, instincts, agility, acceleration, intelligence

OLB

Football skills: tackling, pass rush, coverage, point of attack

Other skills: aggressiveness, speed, strength, instincts, agility, acceleration

CB

Football skills: coverage, tackling, hands

Other skills: speed, acceleration, agility, aggressiveness, instincts, strength

FS

Football skills: coverage, tackling, hands

Other skills: speed, agility, instincts, aggressiveness, acceleration, strength, intelligence

SS

Football skills: tackling, coverage, hands

Other skills: speed, aggressiveness, agility, instincts, acceleration, strength, intelligence