Play Design Rule for Roll Out Plays

[Dean-Atlanta]

I designed a new roll out play, and before testing iy, I checked the rules to be sure it is "legal" before even testing it. I noticed this rule:

6. All blockers 'outside the Box' must be within 4 yards of the LOS. Blockers 'inside the Box' can be up to 10 yards behind the LOS.

My play as drawn up had a blocker outside the box that was about 5-6 yards behind the LOS. Every single existing rollout plays I looked at were also in violation of this, including roll out plays submitted by other coaches this season. Is this a rule that is overlooked and not enforced in play approvals?

And what is the purpose of this rule. Is it an AI Buster somehow if a FB rolls out, woth the QB, 5-6 yards behind the QB in order to protect the QB?

If this rule has a valid basis for being there, every rollout play (and there are not that many of them) should be edited to comply with it. Or, if this rule is not needed, why not remove it?

What do you all think?

[Tim-Colts]

One thing I do remember about blockers are they seem to acknowledge incoming rushers when they are in closer proximity to the QB. This applies to being in the backfield or rollouts. I do know there is also some logic that can cause a DB to drop assignments if a QB that is not planning to run get too close to the LOS outside the box. Not sure either one of these applies or hurts the functionality of rollouts, but the blockers most likely help being closer for blocking.

I have not really tried doing any play design since joining this league due to the small size of the game on my screen. With a hi-res monitor it makes the game really small and hard to click precise in the play editor. It would be interesting to hear from the guys that are making new plays regularly to see if they have noticed anything strange about this alignment causing AI problems.

[Charlie-49ers]

I just read the rule again and there does not appear to be any logic to the 10-yard and the 4-yard provisions to which you refer. Since I approve all the plays, I am pretty sure that I would spot an AI buster, especially since I actually test each Custom Play submitted. If you are making new roll-outs, send them in so I can see the new design. Any roll-outs in the current play pool are valid unless we spot a QB moving toward the LOS that freezes defenders, which would be an AI Buster and would be deleted upon detection.

[Dean-Atlanta]

The part of that I was wondering about is blocker being within 4 yards of the LOS and all the rollouts I viewed have blockers further back and closer to the QB for pass protection. Maybe this is something that yuo may want to change in the written rules if blockersd are allowed to be further than 4 yards from the LOS outside the box, and they are in most of our rollout plays. I don not see an AI issue with that, I think most of our rollout plays do that because it makes them more effective as pass protection.

[Steve-LA Chargers]

That rule only applies before the snap. After the snap, players may move and block anywhere in the backfield. Someone was reading too much into it I think.

[Dean-Atlanta]

That rule only applies before the snap. After the snap, players may move and block anywhere in the backfield. Someone was reading too much into it I think.

Is that true Charlie, that part of the rule applies only before the snap? Maybe language needs to be added saying this is before the snap, as some of our other rules makes that clear, such as those in the formation rules.

[Bryan-Rams]

In previous discussions about the throw-a-fake logic, it seemed that defenders with higher IN and DI as we seem to have in the league are less prone to being affected by the throw-a-fake. Wouldn't the same thing apply here as well with regard to how far the QB advances toward the LOS?

[Jerry-Redskins]

The QB part is not in question. The AI is horrible with a QB inside 5 yards. It is true in real life that it puts defenders in limbo, but in FBPRO, you can scheme a player open 99% of the time. It is a clear AI issue. The other stuff Dean is discussing is more aesthetics and NFL realism which we do try to maintain as well.

[Dean-Atlanta]

The QB part is not in question. The AI is horrible with a QB inside 5 yards. It is true in real life that it puts defenders in limbo, but in FBPRO, you can scheme a player open 99% of the time. It is a clear AI issue. The other stuff Dean is discussing is more aesthetics and NFL realism which we do try to maintain as well.

Jerry is right. That part of the rule is there with very good reason. When the QB runs closer to the LOS than 5 yards, the DBs drop coverage, regardless of IN and DI, and pursue the QB as a runner, leaving WRs wide open for easy catches. The roll outs were obscenely effective when that was allowed.