Custom Play Policy Discussion

[Dean-Atlanta]

You can't recreate a play with all the details from just watching it so the thought that you can isn't totally true,

True. But you can see how the play works on game video and then create a similar play that does the same thing, and your version will be different enough to NOT be a clon Likewise, you can scout a play from game video and create defense to stop it also. This is more real football than simply being able to simply use the exact play ONE week after a team used it the first time.

[Dean-Atlanta]

Jerry raises a good point. This is football, so how do we effectively add this benefit for play designers without upsetting the competitive balance of the league for the non-play designers in a way that doesn't require a ton of extra time per week?

This is football...when we add one thing we have to look at how we can counter that one thing in order to maintain the competitive balance.[/quote]

I addressed the time issue above, this will NOT increase the need for time. Also, it will enhance competitive balance by allowing some who prefer real coaching over doing mass simming and being good data clerks to be competitive doing real football coaching instead of skillful data manipulation.

The idea is a win win on ann counts. Nothing to lose ands a lot to gain by doing it. There is no trade-off here.

[Jerry-Redskins]

It is 100% fact it increases time to be at the same level of preparedness each week. The only way to see restricted plays will be to see them on a tape that does not even show the whole play. Heck does not even show the patterns run for pass plays. Almost creating a closed play file in some respects. The NFL has every aspect of any new play completely dissected for the next weeks game. They are paid to make it happen as it is their job. Plays are not secret. It's how they are used and when that matters. Every minute of time needed to actually view film, which will become mandatory to scout to the same level in the PNFL, is added time each week not currently needed. This is a jump in advantage to those with more time and increases overall time requirements to perform at the same in the league. To state the opposite about the added time, is just like a politician looking me in the eyes and saying the opposite with a straight face. It is disingenuous to say otherwise and I can't believe a see the statement in this thread.

Let me say this right now just to get it out there. I do not need teams with more free time, which in itself is already an advantage but just part of the nature of life (life is not fair), wanting to squeeze even more advantage out of it by mandating even more time to compete and looking for a way they believe will counter the other folks with more time who use it differently to prepare.

For the record, I do not have additional time to allocate to the PNFL. Definitely not watching tape over and over to figure out what is going on with individual plays. I went away from simming to have more fun and not do tedious monotonous activities. Now there is a want by some to add create more tedious activities. No thank you in my opinion to this change. No more replies from me in this thread unless I get some incorrect directed comments.

[Rich-League Officer]

Without being pro/con on the idea because it makes no difference to me....

This is not an additional headache for me because whatever plays are sent in will continue to go into the same exact folders they always do.
The only difference is, I would not send them out weekly. Maybe it's monthly.
I would never create team folders where you all have to match that.
That would be a nightmare of play not found.

As far as competitive balance goes, while it is true one team could almost create a completely unique plan that nobody would see for many weeks, it is unlikely to change anything on the field.
With all due respect to the play makers, this idea you are holding back your genius because you only get one exclusive week is silly.

This sword cuts both ways, you might have a unique plan that sucks and loses badly each week. That is more likely than creating a plan of gems. Not because you are idiots but because I don't think after 25 years there is much to be discovered. So all the answers to whatever is created are already in the play folders.

Seems like a good compromise or start of one is to allow more than just the one week of exclusive use. While I think it's reasonable to reward the custom play creators, perhaps season long use changes what this league has been all about for 48 seasons. So, any increase over 1 week seems like a win for custom play creators. Perhaps its a phase in over time to see how it goes. I know Dean hates slow but it ensures we avoid disaster, major upheaval and anger by other coaches who do not approve.

[Dean-Atlanta]

It is 100% fact it increases time to be at the same level of preparedness each week. The only way to see restricted plays will be to see them on a tape that does not even show the whole play. Heck does not even show the patterns run for pass plays. Almost creating a closed play file in some respects. The NFL has every aspect of any new play completely dissected for the next weeks game. They are paid to make it happen as it is their job. Plays are not secret. It's how they are used and when that matters. Every minute of time needed to actually view film, which will become mandatory to scout to the same level in the PNFL, is added time each week not currently needed. This is a jump in advantage to those with more time and increases overall time requirements to perform at the same in the league. To state the opposite about the added time, is just like a politician looking me in the eyes and saying the opposite with a straight face. It is disingenuous to say otherwise and I can't believe a see the statement in this thread.

PLays are no more secret under this proposal. You can quickly see the 4 times a new play is called in the log file, view them on the game video, and quickly design a defense to counter it. This takes little time for a skilled coach. Both your time and "secret" arguments are non-sequitur and easily refuted. Again, not a matter of how much time but HOW you choose to spend your time. If the [prposalmakes theleague lesssimming centric, it may REDUCE the time for some who spend time creating new plays RATHER than simming.

Let me say this right now just to get it out there. I do not need teams with more free time, which in itself is already an advantage but just part of the nature of life (life is not fair), wanting to squeeze even more advantage out of it by mandating even more time to compete and looking for a way they believe will counter the other folks with more time who use it differently to prepare.

Nothing in the proposal is mandated. Completely voluntary and optional. This argument is also non-sequitur.

For the record, I do not have additional time to allocate to the PNFL. Definitely not watching tape over and over to figure out what is going on with individual plays. I went away from simming to have more fun and not do tedious monotonous activities. Now there is a want by some to add create more tedious activities. No thank you in my opinion to this change. No more replies from me in this thread unless I get some incorrect directed comments.

You won't NEEDmoretime, you will just have more choices from which to decide HOW you spend the amount of time you CHOOSE to dedicate to coaching your team. If coaching takes too much time, perhaps a GM only league, and they do exist, is an option.

[Dean-Atlanta]

I don't like slow because an incremental approach that is too slow is barely more effective or consequential than not doing it at all.

IMagine if a doctor diagnoses someone with a bacteria infection that went septic and the required treatment is high doses of broad spectrum antibiotics. If the doctor give a tenth of the dose spread out over ten times as much time as normally done, do you think the patient survives the infection?

The PNFL has survived and thrived precisely because it has changed and evolved over time. If the "get off my lawn" crowd had always prevailed and the league hadn't changed, it would no longer exist.

[Jerry-Redskins]

I said to plan to the same level is more time, which is a 100% fact. Without more total time spent, any time spent on looking at video and deciphering is either additive or in my case less time to spend some where else. There is zero argument. It will be more time to get from point A to point B. So you are saying I have to plan less each week over the current to get a so called limit on simming. I do not care about the simming. I have always appreciated the work you put in designing and will never say different, but that does not mean I do not see what is a supposed move to try to hurt simmers and gain for play designers occurring with the rest stuck in the middle. Your own poll showed 100% of the respondents don't sim much. If simming is the issue them what is the issue? I may be wrong but I believe you want something you think will help you win more and not simmers are hurting the league.

I'm also tired of the get off the lawn crap. Your statement that if you aren't changing you are some how losing is wrong. You change when needed as as things show a need to based on known or upcoming facts. Change for change sake creates disasters. Change must be timed correctly and done smartly. Ask Coke about changing without thinking or a reason. Don't break something that works just because you are inpatient or see a perceived reason to break it. Determine a need, Plan, get buy in, and monitor.

I always trust Charlie and will in this case as well. I hope more folks chime in because maybe I'm the only one with my issue and he needs to know the actual league opinion/impact, just don't feed me crap and tell me it taste like chicken.

[Rich-League Officer]

I don't like slow because an incremental approach that is too slow is barely more effective or consequential than not doing it at all.

IMagine if a doctor diagnoses someone with a bacteria infection that went septic and the required treatment is high doses of broad spectrum antibiotics. If the doctor give a tenth of the dose spread out over ten times as much time as normally done, do you think the patient survives the infection?

The PNFL has survived and thrived precisely because it has changed and evolved over time. If the "get off my lawn" crowd had always prevailed and the league hadn't changed, it would no longer exist.

Dean, you also do not give a patient chemo if they do not have cancer
The PNFL is strong and from what I see the coaches are enjoying themselves.
So, when talking about a rule that only "benefits" the few, it's a wise decision not to cram things down others throats.
Ultimately, Charlie will decide what to do with custom plays but you are asking to change a 48 season policy.
So, I would think you and the few others should be happy to get an increase of any kind.

[Matt-Jacksonville]

We are four weeks into the season, I'd say starting with week 5 we allow an expansion till the end of the season. I was originally envisioning releases of custom plays at week 8, 12, and 16, but Charlie/Rich can determine what is best here. Then we evaluate the impact in the offseason and decide if we want to make that permanent as is, modify, or go back to the way things are now. So effectively I say we expand the period they are proprietary on a trial basis.

[James-Eagles]

THis proposal isn't realistic. NFL team have people who are paid to break down tape. NFL is a very much a copy cat league and it generally takes a week or two max for another team to copy. I get the desire I just don't think it is realistic