Keeping customs fair for play

[NEW CASTLE HiTMEN]

This topic has been discussed plenty of times but before I spend time and money I would like to know what other coaches think. I have seen O and D linemen whose arm stretch out way past the base. Do you think this is fair, or should a custom be just that , a custom for play? Your thoughts please.

[TVsCHACHI]

The way I've played with customs, in the instance of an arm or body part stretching beyond the base is that the body part must remain behind the LOS, even if that means the base and fig are back 4 yards off the line.

It's touchy, some tournaments offer an 'anything goes' style of play, within reason, there is always a weight limit. But they'll approve the use of custom men, all kinds of bases, etc. Whereas other tournaments have specific guidelines, whether it be for the singular promotion of product or to simply level the playing field in hopes that a newbie will compete along with a seasoned champ.

I've been working to have a full squad O & D, Home and Away, stock-poses, and unaltered, for universal play, so I can get down anywhere. And other squads that are mixed up, with customs, for an all-time, anywhere resource-bag of get-down tricks!

Hope this offers you a little insight.

...that although "customs" are sweet, there will ALWAYS be parameters to adhere to i.e. height, width and weight. In the 3 or 4 leagues and /or Tournaments that I have a vote in, the general consensus is to keep the same standards:

• height of the tallest figure in production today (ff.com's Blitzer)
• width of Miggle/Tudor's DB and
• the standard weight for all events other than this year's MWEFL Pro and ARENA Seasons, The TSO and The DFWEFL, is 3.2 grams (2.0 max on fig, 1.2 max on base).

We - MWEFL - just bumped up to 4.0 grams and we're loving it! Faster board speed, faster action. It's a thing of beauty.

So, suffice it to say, you can't go outside of the standards without taking the chance that your works of art won't be able to play. Keep within the standards and they should be allowed anywhere. Also make sure not to give your HUMAN guys 2 or 3 elbows and/or knees like I've seen elsewhere. DL scratching the OL's butt before the snap shouldn't be legal anywhere -

NO PART of ANY player should extend beyond the LOS and/or Neutral Zone...

...but they also shouldn't have more body parts, or longer than normal body parts, hanging over the platform than any of the stock poses do.

I say, "If you wanna play Super Heroes, anything goes. If you wanna play football, dress-right-dress!"

[Coach K-LO]

jimbo,

add to your list of tournaments/leagues that are other than 3.2 is BEFL action is currently 3.4 limit.

As for custom figures, most of the points that have been made are dead on.

[Kansas Bill]

Originally Posted by Coach K-LO

jimbo,

add to your list of tournaments/leagues that are other than 3.2 is BEFL action is currently 3.4 limit.

As for custom figures, most of the points that have been made are dead on.

I'll echo K-LO's comments on the custom figures. I think Jimbo's take on the figures is a fair way to define the limits. I might go with the Miggle Wide Arm being the maximum height, but that would eliminate the FF.com Blitzer.. Course.. If you can get that blitzer to run well, I'd probably be inclined to say power to ya..

On the weights. The 3.2 limit is a bite at times.. Even the standard Miggle TTC's with the dial intended for use with them, do NOT come in at 1.20 the majority of the time. And then you spend too much time chopping the snot out of your bases.. And with so many people using different dials in different shells.. And coming in at the 1.30 or higher weight.. a 1.3 limit on bases might just be the way to go. It certainly would aleviate some hassles.

That being said.. Maybe I shouldn't have.. Cuz our Tornado Alley bases ALL come in at below the 1.20 weight. Which means we are the only dialed base you know you aren't going to have to be slicing and dicing once weigh in starts in a 1.2 / 3.2 format. In a heavier format, At least we have a hole in the top you can add some glue or small locknut and it'll still come in below a 1.3 weight.

I really just wanted to comment on the custom figures, and now I've turned it into a sales pitch. BUT.. Even though I am not one with the artistic talent to make a cool looking custom figure.. I like the idea of them being allowed, especially when they make weight.

[Reginald Rutledge]

Coach,

I could not wait to get home and chime in on this topic for as you know, I am one of those leading advocates of custom figures. My premise is simple and I will take it from two angles:
1. League, and
2. Tournament

DFW League Perspective
The DFW League has always stood front and center as pushing the envelope on creative spirit. When I conceived the DFW League, my thoughts were that no two athletes were ever going to be the same. I felt that as long as you had height and weight restrictions, allowing guys to use what they felt most comfortable with is up to them. The reason being is that you may not like FF.COM figures and I may not like Miggle, or SIW, or any other vendor. However, that should never stop us from playing together. If it does, its usually out of fear from one party for whatever the reason or EFL politics.

With that being the premise, if an equal supply of information or product is available for anyone who so desire it, why should I limit them to water down their game? I am one who definitely believes in equality in every sense of the word and knowing that you can equally have what I have then makes it a matter of choice or dollars and sense.

If a certain type of man on your team steadily is kicking my butt all over the field, if I know I have access to getting that man too, I should have no problem with that.

In the DFW League, one of the greatest aspects of what we do is allow every manufacturers products in. Everybody has access to all the same information. Over the course of a year, its great seeing how all these great athletes matchup to one another. Fortunately for my team, we are a perrenial power. I prefer FF.COM figures and I like the customization of them because great functional customs can be created.

Every coach tries to create their players in the image of real athletes ranging from pass-blocking linemen to slashing runners. Whether its using Miggle, SIW, or FF.COM players, a coach's passion comes with the team he can put on the field. That's very important and should never be taken away.

We all have our images of how football is supposed to be played. If one company's linemen are limited in its range where as another company's players have a much greater range, do we limit the company's who blockers has greater range or say that one company has players with better athletic skills.

One of our favorite arguments is for our Blitzer pose created from Bruce Smith actually leaping in the air to sack the quarterback. That player is restricted under our height and weight standards but my argument would be is this, "He's jumping in the air making an athletic play". Every player does not stay cemented to the ground! Plus, we have observed in crucial games that this player can be a difference maker.

In a league that has an equal amount of teams using Miggle, SIW, and FF.COM players, we've been pleased with our accomplishments for not only FF.COM teams but for all teams in general.

From a tournament standpoint
I will never hold a tournament that does not allow a person to use whatever he wants in terms of manufacturers. I have every reason too as I know the other manufacturers do not allow FF.COM products to be used. If they do, it is only in recent years because of pressure from people who want to use our products.

I personally see no reason of going to any tournament that I can not be allowed to play with what I think are the best athletes I can find. I am not stopping you from using what you think are the best athletes that you can find as evident by the team that you field.

I think when you worry about what the other person have, you are immediately looking for excuses if you happen to lose. If you are confident in what you got, all you worry about is execution on your part. If you think your athletes are subpar, improve them or as Bobby Bowden and Bear Bryant said when referring to Michael Vick and Wilbur Jackson (played in 70s at BAMA), "I've got to go get me one/some of those".

Also the DFW and Texas Shootout plays at 4.0 grams.

Reg

Just another Miniature Football Coaches Opinion,
Reg

[NEW CASTLE HiTMEN]

This was the type of responses I was looking for. I am planning on using Haiti repros, buzzball and FF.com figures. bsically just moving some parts around. Like arms and a torso or two. I have been doing some surfing to get pictures of the players I want to do. My offensive tackles will be the haiti wide arm player with the buzzball "HAMMER" arms, the haiti guard figure with haiti tackles arms for guards and center will be buzzball "LT. LOCKDOWN" with a "THUNDER" figures arms. THANKS GUYS!!