General Passing Question

[raiderhp]

I love to hear about all the various styles of play and suggestions to improve or add some new flavor to leagues.my guess is this is what helps to keep the hobby alive and thriving.New twists keep the game from getting stale.In our league we use passing sticks for a minimum of one half and then have the option to use the TTQB in the other.Passing sticks help the newbie to be competitive in league play so defenses don't just crowd the running game if they can't throw.Also,it allows the defense to make a play and even possibly take it too the house!!! in addition to this is our rule concerning a designated fumble guy on Defense and Offense who can make a play and be a game changer.I know we are in a new league but some of these situations have already made a big impact on the outcomes of some games.


raiderhp

[pit couture]

I do not have much experience as an ef player. But I enjoy games. Formula one games, dice baseball games, table hockey games, axis and allies, diploma cy etc. I really love playing and usually I try to make the rules reflect the reality.

But above all, what is the most important, to me and my playing friend's, is that we agree on a set of rules and that we have a great time playing with these rules.

We played an extensive week end of ef football. We already have adapt some rules to reflect the reality of pro football, especially regarding the kicking game. At the same time we use the buzzball passing stick and to us this is great and we are having fun doing it. These rules are our rules and we enjoy playing according to them. I do not wish the they become everybody's rules.

I love playing ef and I love it beacause I have fun playing it.

[MplsTom]

Why is it that many coaches don't wan't to play the way they view it on T.V.
No offense at all on your post...this is good dialogue.

Basically I want this game to resemble "football" but it does not need to mimic it. The more stops you allow, the more a flow of a play gets lost. To me there is something pretty cool about a well designed play where the hole gets opened or the receiver gets open all off one switch or one stop.

Do I want to force more into it than one stop can offer? I have no problem if anyone answers yes to that...for my preference it is no.

If it were my only option, maybe. But here, the bevy of "games" have evolved. Video games allow for those types of things in one continuous flow. I can design plays, customize, create a route or a play, and do a lot of things real-time.

So the point of my post is that EF does have some limitations that the real game does not and EF also has some limitations that video games do not. It still resembles football, has definite strategy at play, and has a flow to it.

Is a vibrating board with bases that are not set to go in multiple directions the best vehicle to go beyond a certain level of stops/flow? My point is simply that there is likely some diminishing returns that you give up to try to achieve it on this surface. Doesn't mean we don't like football or understand its intricacies.

[jimmie]

This one is old come on most coaches like the snp because it gives a level of fun and skill though its pretty easy, because u stop the game and throw and a statiionary player its a way of phyically being a part of the action on the field.When I was a kid what atracted me to the game was a tv commerical of efl kicking a field goal!!The type of action that Ant has found is neat in its own right in fact I use the turning of players after the catch is from some of his rules!!I think the game is always open for design of what want to achieve!!

[Tomkat]

Try this, I think it will bring you alot closer to reality than you speak of. In the Bluegrass Electric Football League, we use both the passing sticks and the TTQB. First, the receiver must run to the magnet. At the same time, the defender covering him and any defenders on magnets (up to 2), are also going for the magnet. This gets your "hang-time" for the ball in flight and gives the defenders a chance to intercept, or close in. If the receiver hits the magnet, a passing target is used and the coach needs to use the TTQB to complete the pass. If a defender hits the magnet first, the defensive coach must use the TTQB to hit the target and complete the interception. If the receiver hits the magnet, but then the coach hits a defender with the TTQB, it's an interception. Once a completion is made, all unengaged players not adjusted before, (the receiver and 3 defenders), are now adjusted for the completion of the play. Sometimes you have an open lane to throw through, sometimes you have to arch your pass, sometimes the receiver is so covered you throw it away. Try it, tell me what ya think.

[mantaraydre]

ATT TOMKAT,

that's pretty interesting. In fact that's the most innovative approach i have heard since THE MPFL SYSTEM. I like the fact that if the defender gets there first the defensive coach gets to pass to make the pick. At least in this scenario the defense gets to make a play on the ball. "pretty interesting". I wonder if others considered this is they are going to use the ttqb. What if the defensive coach hits the receiver while throwing to make a pick. Is that considered the WR knocked the ball down to save the interception. nione the less, at least the D is not standing around. pretty good


MANTARAYDRE

[Tomkat]

If the pass from the defensive coach hits a receiver, it's incomplete. We get mostly short passes, less than 20 yds, but there still are the long ones, just not many. Also, if the receiver is within the distance of the longest passing stick, the pass can go directly to the receiver without the use of the sticks. This way you can have screens and slants. Either way, pass completion or interception, they have to hit magnet then coach has to hit target, except when offensive coach hits defender throwing to target.

[rjackson]

EF is a fun game...it has the ability to challenge the mind and stimulate the creative juices.

I do take a bit of an offense to the logic that we have to evolve EF to account for "combination routes", etc.

To those of you that take that viewpoint, I'll ask you, "OK, how do you account for players jumping and diving?" Simple answer, no matter what you do, those types of things won't be accounted for.

As a vessel, EF can be played, strategized, and at some point there is some diminishing returns when you try to jam too much into this game. There are some interesting twists (dice, multi-stops, etc) that certainly can be done...but should we try to jam too much into this soda can?

Our kids would say that Madden and the other games account for those things much better and one can get creative with play design, combination routes, skill levels, customization, etc. One can jump, leap, dive, twist, spin, etc. They can play their friend who is in Pennsylvania in a live game, trash talk on the headset, and do this all in real-time.

I play EF competitively and enjoy seeing some of the twists and turns. But to turn this thought into much more of a "guys that don't play the way that we play just haven't evolved" is doing a bit of a disservice.

I too want the defender to make a play on the ball and favor some sort of pass simulation or ATTAC method for that reason (I'm a good passer so it isn't out of any sort of competitive advantage/disadvantage)...but because I haven't adopted some of the other things doesn't mean that I haven't evolved...it's simply that I choose a different vessel for my football gaming that would require some of the things that EF can't easily do.
__________________

MplsTom I agree with you bro. It's my way or the highway has become such a cluster! that it has gotten downright ridiculous. Man play your way and have fun, why is it always a roundabout way of saying the way we play is the best solution and what you guys are doing is old and we haven't evolved.

Jimbo you supposed to be my man and you say this:

It's all a matter of time, knowledge and experience. You and me and an increasing few are at a more elevated level of playing. No matter how many DVDs we do, most in this hobby are happy playing the way they play

Come on loco, I have seen yo game man........
No comment I will leave that right where it is. My boys in the LAEFL can vouch for that. All I can say is that some like playing one way and others like to play another way and that should be it. People tend to grasp one way of playing because either they can't be competitive in a certain style of play or it bores them!! Either way it shouldn't matter how one plays but how much fun and how much fellowshipping is going on. Forget the DVD's and all that other garbage on trying to promote your way because you think it is the best.

Quite frankly this looks like another way of getting this board roused up again and I think this is headed down the same road that it has in the beginning. Football is all in one motion there is no stoppage of a play when the ball is snapped unless there is a penalty or time has expired. The game is played to the whistle folks and that to me is the way I want to play. If this was the way to play Miggle, Coach Rip (Winter, Summer, ETC), Don Smith and the Brawl, The Bash and other tournament holders would start playing this way.

[GUTTMANN]

Looks like I've seen this thread before? 6 months ago? A year ago? 18 months ago? 24 months ago? Do I sound like a broken record?

[rjackson]

....you are right we have been down this road before!!!!