Allowing timed passes 15-25 yards in PLR

[Dean-Atlanta]

Taking from Steve's ideas about "making PLR great again" I suggest this idea.

The problem is the lack of successful PLR plays and the tendency to over use PRD as a result of this.

Proposed solution: allowing timed passes, still limited at 50% of PLR used (minimum 2 of 4) up to 25 yards. Reason for 25 on PLR is because PLR should be primary plays for conversion of 3rd and 15+ and a 15 yard timed pass is insufficient for convertinsing 3rd and 20-25, which leads to coaches calling PRD in those situations. If we want to define PRD as "hail mary" plays, a 3rd and 20 is NOT a hail mary play situation.

What do you all think? Maybe this can be part of the PRD change?

[Jerry-Redskins]

I think part of the issue is that while we probably all do use PRD sometimes for that, we actually should not. The smartest people in the world (NFL)on football, outside true end of game scenarios, throw way shorter passes and run in 3rd and 20/25. If they get YAC and the first down, great. If not, they are simply taking the 10 yards or so and punting. I think many of us do not consider field position as we should. I also think our plays are already exceeding the NFL rates potentially. It looks like the NFL is under 10% and runs a third of the time with almost some success. I need to look at some logger results. We appear to be ahead. Not that we need to line up exactly with the NFL as YAC is always a difference. FBPRO is terrible at that.

https://medium.com/@jamiewelsh121/crunc ... bdcdfbe8d3

[Steve-Buffalo Bills]

If we do this we start with lobs. I think we can then push it out to the 29. I'm reluctant to allow any bullets beyond 15 in any category because when this has been allowed historically in any league it has gone poorly for the league. As Jerry said, it can get dangerous. I'll send the two plays I sent to Charlie to anyone who wants me to send them to also test out.

[Matt-Jacksonville]

Well, first let's identify the problem. I would suggest that maybe the problem is underutilization of PLR which has seen PRD used to compensate. So, why is PLR underutilized? Quality of deep passing plays? High rate of sacks for those plays? One thing I would suggest before we look at how to go deeper is people start fixing the pass protection in this and other pass categories. It's something I've wanted to undertake for some time now, but keep getting distracted from.

[James-Eagles]

I like to see the data on prd last season and which teams call them. I think people might be surprised how many of the better teams don't use PRD outside of the final minutes. I just don't see this as need at this time. I think I might have tried it for a game or two and dropped it quick. I don't think turning PLR into a mini PRD is the right call.

[Brian-Broncos]

I'd like to see the data on prd last season and which teams call them.

Sounds like somebody isn't taking advantage of PdbToExcel.



Shows numbers of attempts.

[Steve-Buffalo Bills]

Thanks for compiling those numbers. Interesting that most playoff teams use them the least especially the champs.

By the way rule P09 states the following for PLR: the end spot of the Primary receiver's route should be at least 20 yards from the LOS unless the Play is a screen.

If we allow timed lobs in PLR, the end spot of the timed must be at least 20 yards from the LOS, not 15. This means the end spot for a PLR timed lob would be between 20-29 yards from the LOS. That’s quite a narrow space. This benefits the defense if it covers this area at all.

[Brian-Broncos]

The receiver breaks his route when the ball is thrown, so it's doable, but I agree it's not a cohesive pair of rules.

Current primary receiver route rules:
PS: <10 yards
PM: 5-20 yards
PL: 20+ yards (no timed passes)
PRD: 25+ yards

Currently, PLR requirements are just five yards shorter than PRD, but without timed passes. No wonder they aren't effective.

Adding timed passes I think would be successful initially and then as defensive plays adjust, those plays will eventually become much less effective and we'll end up with this same problem. I think this has already happened with the PRD timed lobs.

Instead of timed lobs, seems a better solution may be to move PLR requirements a bit closer to PM than PRD, meaning just change minimum route to 15+ yards. It seems odd to me there isn't any overlap of yardage already.

New primary receiver route rules:
PS: <10 yards
PM: 5-20 yards
PL: 15+ yards (no timed passes)
PRD: 25+ yards

[Jerry-Redskins]

I don't see a need to change, but I would go the opposite way and make PRD start higher I think

[Charlie-49ers]

PRD Timed Lobs are a minimum of 30 yards from the LOS.