Madden 13 Rules - aka less then 8 simple rules

These are the rules we are going to start the Madden 13 season using - As the need for new rules presents themselves, we will make additions....


Rule 1

• 4th Down, Punting & Kicking
  If the ball is scrimaged on your 49 (or closer to your end), you must punt on 4th down. Only exceptions:
  a) You are behind three scores at anytime during the game (that means down 17 points or more...)
  b) You are behind in the 4th quarter
  
  On the extra point or field goal inside the 20 Rule you cannot manually control or manipulate any players.
  
  Squib kicks are only allowed in the last minute of the 2nd and 4th quarter.
  
  Surprise onside kicks are allowed but only one every few games.
  
  Pooch Punts are prohibited - these are punts where u kick the ball on angle INTENTIONALLY short (where the returner cant catch it) - then the ball bounces downfield for an outragously long punt...
  
  
  
  Note: When receiving a punt, you are not allowed
  to take an extra blocker off the D-Line and bring him back near the
  punt returner. You are allowed to bring a player back beside the kicker
  or move the players over-top of the Kick coverage team's gunners.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Rule 2

• Glitches and Illegal Blitzes
  The
  use of glitches and illegal blitzes is illegal and any violators will
  be prosecuted. Any manipulation to gain an illegal advantage over a CPU
  is considered a glitch. Examples of such things are nano blitzes, spy
  glitch, inside out return (IOR), motion glitch, stacking your MLB to
  purposely confuse the OL..etc. These kind of plays will be updated on an
  ongoing basis (new glitches and nanos present themselves all the time)
  and we will try to provide specific written discription of each and
  where possible video footage of the play.
  
  You can only manually
  (joystick) move one player that rushes the QB. You can shift as many
  pass rushers as you want using the 'shift' system with L1 or R1. A
  player that manually moves more than one player that pass rush the QB
  could be trying to confuse the CPU so this practice has been outlawed.
  
  
  Note:
  There are many blitzes that may appear as nano blitzes to some, while
  others see them as sound strategy. A blitz will be determined illegal if
  there is no reasonable and easy way to defend the blitz. Seeing that
  after falling victim to a blitz, a player should easily be able to find
  its counter on subsequent plays. Of course this counter is not
  relatively obvious and easy to implement than an illegal blitz.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Rule 3

• Quarterback
  The
  QB is prohibited from doing unrealistically long drop back and sprint
  outs on pass plays that are designed to be thrown from a standard
  pocket. A QB cannot drop back farther than 12 yards from the line of
  scrimmage. The QB cannot move laterally (as a preplanned sprint out)
  more than 5 yards outside of the pocket in pass plays which are designed
  to be thrown from a standard pocket.
  
  
  
  Note: The
  lateral movement does not apply to on the fly QB scrambles but the
  distanced dropped back in the pocket applies regardless of pressure and
  scrambling ability.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Rule 4

• Pass Rush
  You must pass rush a minimum of two players every play,
  this means no "gay" defense. You are prohibited from moving a defensive
  linemen off the line of scrimmage to a traditional LB starting position
  before the snap. If you want to play with less DL and more LBs or DBs
  than call a defense that has such a strategy implemented.
  
  
  Note:
  Players in SPY or CONTAIN count as HALF OF A PASS-RUSHER - therefore if you have 2 DE in contain and a LB in spy - u still need to have at least 1 more player rushing the passer
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Rule 5

• Player Positions
  Players
  played out of position must be reasonable and SIM like. The most
  obvious example is that you cannot play offensive players on defense and
  vice versa. Unless in an emergency situation where injuries and
  fatigues demands this switch from a depth chart perspective.
  
  
  Note:
  You are responsible where your players lineup on audibles. All audibles
  are subject to these rules. Therefore, if you come out in a 5 WR set
  you can not audible down to a 2WR, 2RB, 1TE set because obviously you
  would have WRs playing the two RB spots (HB and FB) and a WR would have
  to play TE. This is clearly un-SIM and against the rules.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  The acceptable changes of positions are as follows:
  
  
  
  Offense
  HB to FB, HB cannot have a speed greater than 89
  HB to WR, HB cannot be in the WR depth chart higher than 3
  TE to FB, TE cant have a speed greater than 89
  TE to SLOT, SPLIT-END or FLANKER, TE must be an "inside reciever"
  OT to TE/G/C
  G to OT/C
  C to G/OT
  
  special note: to be clear - this m,eans you cant play a WR at TE (regardless of his size and speed...)
  
  
  Defense
  DE to OLB/DT
  DT to DE
  OLB to DE/MLB
  MLB to OLB
  SS to FS/CB/OLB, SS cant be greater than 88 speed at OLB
  FS to SS/CB
  CB to FS/SS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Rule 6

• Repetitive Play Calling
  Mix
  up your plays. We all have our go-to plays (AKA Money plays) but dont
  over use any one play. The exception being basic fundamental plays that
  are 'main stays' of all offenses (i.e. Dives, off tackle, sweeps, blitz
  counter passes..etc.) If a defense dictates that a blitz counter pass be
  used because the defense continues to blitz, the offense is not responsible to mix it up as his play call is actually dictated by what the defense calls.
  

* This principle applies to running NO HUDDLE - its ok to run no huddle as a "change of pace" tactic (ran one series per half...)... You cant use NO HUDDLE exclusively - (exception of course if you are down 3 scores or more,,,)

As far as running the clock goes - this is harder to interpret... But often you know it when you see it... We don't play 15 minute quarter - so running the clock as a "ball control" style offense is suspect... I cant think of a rule that would allow us to prohibit this tactic - but i do say if you run clock - you are gutless!!!!