Creating Offensive Balance

This article was reproduced with permission from our friends at MaddenUniversity and the author TNT713

The minds of Madden players are often faced with the dilemma of how to strike a balance in their offensive attack. While finding balance may seem difficult, balance is simple to achieve. Balance doesn't need to be a 50/50 mix of runs and passes. The real key to balance is setting up opposing threats. Any offense can have a measure of balance, without actually striving for even play calling. The nature of balance in play calling is merely to keep something in the back of an opponent's mind so he will have to think hard about which attack to defend against.

Many Madden players tip their hands with the formations, motion, personnel, etc... Players usually figure out tendencies late in games that make maintaining drives difficult. Any number of 'tells' inform the defense of what is about to happen and allows them a split second to react. Offensive players should work to limit the number of 'tells' they give the defense by using one tendency to setup another. In doing so, they will achieve some balance, even when play calling is lopsided.

One of the easiest methods to establish balance is to use a single formation. While this may not seem creative, it provides the offensive player with the advantage of using one play to setup others while staying with the same look. With a single formation, players may run or pass without the defense being able to setup for either. The drawback for the offense is that a single formation will severely limit the ability to attack specific tendencies in the defense...

Conversely, Madden fans can also create balance by using several formations in combination. The common West Coast practice of scripting plays from varied formations to see how the defense reacts works as well in Madden as sticking with one. As defenses move to adjust to new formations, offensive minds can make moves to exploit each new alignment. The resulting effect is balance as long as the offense uses opposing threats to keep the defense on their virtual heels.


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