Reading Defensive schemes

PADRAIC.M

Hey lads, just looking for people's thoughts on what their key reads are when the go to the line of scrimmage.
As in the defensive alignment that in front of them.

The_Gatsby

PADRAIC.M wrote: »

Hey lads, just looking for people's thoughts on what their key reads are when the go to the line of scrimmage.
As in the defensive alignment that in front of them.

First thing I look at is how many men are in the box. Then I look at how many safties are deep. Then I look to see if there's obvious pressure coming from a particular area of the field and then I try to determine if it's man or zone by looking at the alignment of the defensive players. It's hard though because some plays can disguise zone as man and vice versa so I'm not really sure if there's a definite way to tell between man and zone?

PADRAIC.M

The_Gatsby wrote: »

First thing I look at is how many men are in the box. Then I look at how many safties are deep. Then I look to see if there's obvious pressure coming from a particular area of the field and then I try to determine if it's man or zone by looking at the alignment of the defensive players. It's hard though because some plays can disguise zone as man and vice versa so I'm not really sure if there's a definite way to tell between man and zone?

Yeah I do similar -this offseason I have spent some time trying to read zone/man blitz etc,
This year in madden 13 it's alot more difficult, I have noticed cover 4 zone and cover1 man is the exact same look..
But key is to first read your safeties (2 deep for 2 under etc or 1 deep for cover 3) then check you CBs are they in bump coverage? Then looking to down linemen eg. 3/4 down linemen and are the MLB showing blitz (who is is the box) and are the edges sealed

Berty44

This is probably the best Madden yet because of how it disguises defences. It is pretty much impossible to tell what the defence pre snap. In previous Maddens it was easy using certain offensive formation to tell whether the defence was in man or zone, not any more.

Example, come out in Cover 2, show blitz, look now, that looks nothing like a cover 2 and that adjustment can be made long before the players get to the LOS. Many Cover 3 defence even look like Cover 2 by default.

To make things even more difficult, when you meet the really top players like some of the guys at maddenpfl they are often doing multiple adjustments to counter what they think you are going to do.

You really have to make your reads post snap. If you are passing and you don't do that then you are looking at interceptions. Presume nothing, do not have preconceived ideas of who you are passing to.