I remember about 10 years ago on another site writing on this topic of "The Box" to an audience of negativity and discord. I thought then that "EFLers" were slow to change and why waste my time. At that time, I thought I would be gone from the game and many coaches would be missing out on something that could enhance their league for many years to come. So I will take the time here to explain this subject one last time in hopes that this information will be archived for all that may want to have a league where elements of reality become more attainable.
My first experience with "The Box" came about 16 years ago when I met Roddy Garcia. This was one of the early groundbreakers in the game of miniature football. I remembered he'd ask if I would visit him in Houston to play against his Vikings. I did so mainly because I liked Roddy but also, because he bought a Metrodome from me and had filled the stadium completely with people. I thought "WOW, how realistic could you get". So Roddy and myself began to go over rules when he said, "Reg, I do things like have injuries, penalties, and fumbles". I thought, "How in the hell does a plastic figure get penalties or holding or a fumble?" He then reminded me of a game many of us use to play called "Strat-o-matic" and "Paydirt". He reminded me of these 3 concepts that were used to keep a kids interest. I thought to myself, brilliant idea! So that must be said as I think it is important to give credit where it is due.
When I introduced this concept to the DFW League back in 1995, they were not immediately beholding to it. My league was like most leagues, stuck in the 20th Century on everything. I was one who always wanted the advancement of the game! So I essentially force-fed the league on this concept. Now, they act like they've been playing this all their life. Later on, the ACEFL would impact enhancements to the rules.
I remember in the late 90's, there was a discussion about the Colts and some team had played in the first perfect game, no penalties, fumbles and injuries. But throughout time, any football game that you watch, has some type of action that has happen, whether it's a fumble, penalty, or injury. These types of actions bring intrigue and excitement to the game of football. It can have a drastic impact on the course of a game and the fortunes of a team's season. Because this potentially can be felt on every play from scrimmage, my vision saw that possibility in miniature football on every play. But I also knew, this must be done quickly and with great efficiency.
A concept like this also distinguishes veterans from rookies. In the NFL, most expansion teams are more error-prone, turnover prone, and go through more players than well-established teams. At the beginning of a season, they struggle more and become progressively better by year's end (for the most part). In miniature football, we create this relationship by allowing the coaches to request the shake of "The Box" at their own discretion. For the most part, veterans know when to shake it and rookies tend to forget. As the season goes alone, they sharpen their MF skills because like in reality,
O-key-Dokes are harder to pull off on a rookie because he then has become of age.
Another part of this concept that we love to talk about in the DFW League is the impact of injuries. One of the great things we love to talk about is how an injury will impact our team. For instance, I can be talking with Michael Robertson about how Marion Barber, III pulled a groin and will be out for 6 weeks! Wow, what a devastating blow for the Cowboys. But this is where you finally get to use those reserves that many MF's never use in the game! I now have to show faith in a guy who has never had to make plays for me.
Another scenario may impact the course of a championship game. For instance, your starting OLB may get injured for the rest of the game. He goes down in the 1st Quarter. You send out your second-teamer who gets hurt in the thrird quarter. But you can only carry 54 on your roster and you never planned for your top 2 backers to go out with injuries! What do you do? Championships can be lost on key injuries. This is one I know because I lost to Michael Robertson because an OLB who averaged 3 sacks/game got hurt early.
In a playoff game, a coach lost his starting QB with a major injury in the opening moments of the game. I knew he had never practiced much with his second-stringer. So like any good coach, I stacked the line by putting 8 in the box and I had cover corners who were quite reliable. I knew whenever he went back to pass, he had no faith in that QB, just like in reality. I sat there patiently for him to make his throws to finally give up the ghost. By game's end, he went 4-22 passing and lost to me 42-6. The game was the NFC Championship that I played against Michael Robertson. The next year, Mike had acquired a competent back-up and third-stringer that he felt he could win a championship with. From that point forward, Mike would win 4 straight titles and go down as one of the legendary coaches in DFW history.
The excitement that comes out of the DFW is genuine. One of the things I remember Corey "Mr. National" Johnson telling me is that he regretted that he did not get the chance to "Shake the Box". But imagine going for your first Super Bowl and you battle back in the waning moments to go ahead 34-28. Then the other team has 48 seconds to go 83 yards to go back on top to win? Great scenario, huh? This happens here a lot! This happened in one Super Bowl between Mike Robertson and Oscar Woodard. Robertson fought back to take the lead and Oscar Woodard went 83 yards and at the end, his Yancey Thigpen caught a pass (in heavy coverage) from Steve McNair in the corner of the endzone. This was a 33 yard toss with DBs touching Thigpen and Oscar having a small window to throw into (with Raymond James Stadium surrounding us). Oscar makes the throw as the pass clock counts down to the roar of 30 coaches! Incredible drama! This could not be written any better! Michael knew he had only one chance to sop the onslaught. He asked Oscar to "Shake it Up"! The Box came up 6-6, with a 1 for the team, and a combination of 5/8 on the two 12 sided dice. Michael immediately erupted in joy because he knew that said "Pass interference, on the offense" and it told us the player was the "Wide receiver". Mike erupted in unadulterated joy! Everyone there was in a state of pandemonium! Mike would have to stop Oscar one last time in the drive but the emotional pendulum had definitely swung in Michael's favor.
I have lost 2 Super Bowls by having a runner stripped of the ball while going in on a 70 plus yard romp at the end of the game. It becomes deja vu! But you live with it and die with it. But it is fun, actually the lifesource of the excitement in the DFW League.
Take another scenario where you may have a drive rolling and as you are about to score, you have a holding penalty! What a bummer! How do you handle the emotional turmoil that something like this will put on you? The great coaches play through it and the others think about that penalty the rest of the game. This is symbolic of what happens in the NFL.
"The Box" can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It all depends on how often you use it to your advantage. I always tell people always use "The Box" when it works against you. "The Box" can be in play on every down. It can be shaken only one time in a possession and twice in the course of a change of possession.
But "The Box" concepts do not work well if your league is not governed by timers. We play with the aid of the 35/45 second clock. We use a 20 second pass clock. Our kick-offs are governed by the clock and a certain combination of dice which determines where the kick is at and the time it takes to get down on coverage. I would not suggest "The Box" to leagues that do not use clocks because games could stretch for meaningless hours. A regular DFW football game last 3 hours and we get anywhere from 90-110 plays (based on the experience of the official). But "The Box" is that part of football you really can not account for in MF called luck. Sometimes you have good luck with no injuries or bad luck with a fumble occurring when you least expected. Whenever any of our coaches in the DFW are watching real football such as high school, college, or pro, we always relate the injuries, penalties, and fumbles to "The Box". Just like in reality, these occurrences don't happen on every play but the potential for them to happen on every play is there. So like in reality, "The Box" can be shaken on every play. Whether something happens depends on the combination of the 2-6 sided dice. If Doubles are shown, whether it's a 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, some type of action has happened! That's when the coaches energy level rises. In the DFW League, the offense is the one who governs "The Box". The defense can request a shake or the offense request a shake. Personally, I let the official shake it up for me. I have no time to stop concentrating on the task at hand to turn my head away to see what "The Box" says. If something happens, they will tell me!
In all there are 2 6-sided dice which tells you whether something happens. Then there is a middle one 6-sided die used to determine if it is on the offense or defense. There is a third compartment of "The Box" that has 2-12 sided dice, 1-multiple of 10 sided dice (00, 10, 20,...80, 90), and 1 10-sided (0, 1, 2,3,4,...,9) dice. All of these dice work in conjunction with one another to give the different scenarios.
What I would suggest is that you go to:
http://www.footballfigures.com/My_Ho...s/Page138.html
and click on the Texas Shootout Rules pdf file. There is a section detailing Injuries, Penalties, and fumbles. It will show you the charts that we use. Charts have been updated to include some things that the ACEFL brought regarding kick-offs and more defined injuries. Also, we have amended combinations such as adding a 2-2 for dropped passes. Guys here throw so well that Don Hudson, one of our champions, thought to bring the drop pass concept into the league.
But this is a subject near and dear to our hearts in the DFW. Without the concept of clocks, you are wasting your time. You do not get the type of excitement that you saw Beenut going through in claiming his first TSO championship. Beenut was drenched in sweat by the half. The intensity of the game and dealing with "The Box" were things which made this championship for him very special. Many people in the past pushed this concept off as ridiculuous! Some reading this still probably think it is. But ask yourself, is your league dying or growing? This is one way to grow a league and bring in an exciting element to the game. "The Box" does not discriminate. It does not play favorites. It does not create one rule and then change it for your convenience to win. I have heard of guys who play by a certain rule set. The rules always work for them. But when the other team uses the rules and they work against the former, that person then says that is not the right ruling. That's how you destroy interest in the league and in the game. "The Box" does just the opposite. No coach knows going in whether he's going to have an injury, penalty, or fumble in playing a game. We can not account for that. We know its a part of the game so we make sure our teams are ready to play, inspite of those type actions. The similarities to real football is true to life.
I will stop here. If you have other questions, I have no problem in answering them. I just know that on any given day, with the aid of "The Box", a great coach can lose to an average coach. That is the beauty of "The Box"