5. Gameplan Rules

Offensive Gameplan Tables

5a. Offensive Game Plan Requirements

• These are MANDATORY and MUST be in your gameplan:
  1. Your plan must include at least FIVE of each of the following categories of plays with different names:
     • Pass short left
     • Pass short middle
     • Pass short right
     • Pass medium left
     • Pass medium middle
     • Pass medium right
  2. Your plan must include at least TEN of the following with different names:
     • Run Middle (no inside or outside restrictions)
       
       
  3. Your plan must include at least FOUR with different names:
     • Pass Long Right
       
       
  4. Special Teams Plays: Each owner will include a Kick Off, Squib Kick, Onside Kick, Free Kick, FG/PAT, and Punt in their Offensive Game Plans from the Special Teams plays in the PNFL and/or XFBS play pools. Note: the Onside Kick was designed specifically to give some opportunity for the kicking team to recover the Kick. The Stock plays do not account for this possibility.
     
     

• These requirements apply only if you use these categories in your plan:
  1. If you include Run Right plays in your plans, you must have at least FOUR Run Right plays in your game plan with different names.
  2. If you include Run Left plays in your plans, you must have at least FOUR Run Left plays in your game plan with different names.
  3. If you include Goal Line Run your plan must have at least TWO Goal Line Run plays with different names, but no more than FOUR.
  4. If you include Goal Line Pass your plan must have at least TWO Goal Line Pass plays with different names, but no more than FOUR.
  5. If you include Pass Razzle-Dazzle your plan must have at least TWO Pass Razzle-Dazzle plays with different names, but no more than FOUR.

5b. Offensive Game Plan Restrictions

• [New in 2023] QB Runs: No more than 50% of the plays in any running category can be QB runs. [This is far different from the PNFL on purpose because QB wildcats/keepers are a bigger part of the collegiate game]

• [New in 2023] Timed Passes:  The number of Timing Passes (regardless if they are bullets or lobs) allowed in any passing category may not represent more than 50% of the passes in that particular category (NOTE: ANY SCREEN PASSES THAT USE TIMED PASSES COUNT TOWARD THE 50%). This rule applies to all pass play categories in the XFBS.  For example, if you have 5 PML plays, 2 can be timed passes; if you have 6 PML plays, 3 can be timed passes. [This differs from the PNFL only on PLR and PRD]
• Rollout passes: The number of Rolling Passes allowed is NOT restricted in the XFBS. [This differs from the PNFL. A limit in the XFBS does not make sense as rollouts are seen more often in college football.]

RECOMMENDED

Coaches are encouraged to use "unique" plays in each category they use on offense. Keep in mind that overuse of the same plays could ultimately be a weakness for your team. Any coach that is effective at scouting can easily exploit this behavior. Use of unique plays makes you more difficult to scout. The only reason this rule is not required is that it takes too much effort to enforce.

Flipped plays ARE unique plays on offense because they attack different zones on the field.

Plays duplicated in the same category or across different categories are not unique plays. Using the same play in the same category with the only difference being the name of the play equates to increasing likelihood of the play being called. This is common but risky.

Similar offensive plays are considered "unique" if:

1. the run/pass blocking scheme is altered,
2. the primary “white” route is altered on checked receiver passes,
3. the end point of a timed pass is different, the route of the primary receiver is altered on the timed pass, or the type of timed pass is different (i.e. lob vs. bullet)
4. the ball carrier is different on a running play (e.g. FB1 or HB2 is substituted for HB1), or
5. the primary receiver is a different player type (e.g. a TE is substituted for a WR)

Defensive Gameplan Table

Defensive Play Category Determination Requirements (usually more accurate than the table)

1. Play Type Rules:
   • Pass Razzle Dazzle: Must have at least 6 DBs and at least 7 Players (ANY) must have PASS FOCUSED defense (i.e they fall within the 'Always considered pass focused' rule and don't fall within the 'Always considered run focused' rule). Can have 2 DL, 3 DL or 4 DL only.
     • No more than 4 defenders can have Blitz, Pass Rush, or move to logic across the LOS;
     • No Run Rush logic. Players can Pass Rush, Blitz, Read, Zone, or m2m logic;
     • No more than three players can have "Bump at the Line" logic, none of which can Bump RBs, and they cannot be deeper than 10-yards from the LOS.
   • Pass Long: Must have 5 DBs and at least 6 players (ANY) must have PASS FOCUSED defense (i.e they fall within the 'Always considered pass focused' rule and don't fall within the 'Always considered run focused' rule).
   • Pass Medium: Must have 5 DBs and at least 5 players (ANY) must have PASS FOCUSED defense (i.e they fall within the 'Always considered pass focused' rule and don't fall within the 'Always considered run focused' rule).
   • Pass Short: Must have 4 DBs and at least 5 players (ANY) must have PASS FOCUSED defense as their primary duty
   • Run Left: Must have 4 DBs and no more than 6 players (ANY) can have RUN FOCUSED defense as their primary duty
   • Run Middle: Must have 4 DBs and 7 players (ANY) must have RUN FOCUSED defense as their primary duty
   • Run Right: Must have 4 DBs and at least 8 players (ANY) must have RUN FOCUSED defense as their primary duty
   • Run Razzle Dazzle: Must have at least 3 DLs and at least 7 Players (DLs, LBs, Ss) must have RUN FOCUSED defense as their primary duty (e.g., 3 DLs and 4 LBs; 4 DLs and 3 LBs; 5 DLs and 2 LBs):
     • No Pass Rush or Blitz logic. Only Run Rush, Read, Zone, or m2m logic allowed;
     • At least 2 DBs must be Safeties, as these are the hard-hitting, run-stopper DBs
     • No more than three players can have "Bump at the Line" logic, cannot Bump RBs, and cannot be deeper than 5-yards from the LOS.
   • Goal Line Run: Must have at least 3 DLs and at least 7 Players (ANY) must have RUN FOCUSED defense as their primary duty
     • Must be less than five yards for a 1st down or TD to call GLR;
     • No Pass Rush or Blitz logic.   Only Run Rush, Read, Zone, or m2m logic allowed;
     • No more than three players can immediately "Bump at the Line" logic; Players can Bump any 4th and/or 5th receiver after a “Stop and Wait” for 0.5 seconds.
   • Goal Line Pass:  Must have at least 2 DLs and at least 5 Players (ANY) must have PASS FOCUSED defense as their primary duty
     • Note: The PNFL will require 3 DL but we will only require 2 DL for our custom GLP;
     • Must be less than five yards for a 1st down or TD to call GLP;
     • No Run Rush logic. Players can Pass Rush, Blitz, Read, Zone, or m2m logic;
     • No more than three players can immediately "Bump at the Line" logic; Players can Bump any 4th and/or 5th receiver after a “Stop and Wait” for 0.5 seconds.
2. Commish Review:
   • When the XFBS commissioner reviews your play, he will look to see if sufficient defensive players demonstrate defensive focus toward the run at a minimum. This means for a RR play, the commissioner will look for at least 8 players to be oriented toward stopping the run. For a RM play, the commissioner will look for no more and no less than 7 players to be oriented toward stopping the run. For a RL play, the commissioner will check to confirm that only 6 or less players are oriented toward stopping the run.
   • Distinction between Pass Short and Run Left: Depends on how you plan to use the play. The main difference is that Pass Short is required in 3rd 2-5 situations, but there is no requirement to use Run Left in your profiles. Considering all defensive plays in your game plan must be unique plays, you basically must decide when you save the play if you want the play to always be eligible to be called in 3rd 2-5 situations (PS) or not (RL).
   • Any plays already in the XFBS play pool that do not meet these requirements is considered an exception until the commish or submitting coach corrects or deletes it the following offseason

What does it mean when the description says: "oriented toward stopping the run first (either Rush or Read logic)" or "run defense as their primary duty" or "considered as primarily run stoppers"?

It means when the XFBS commissioner reviews your play, he will look to see if sufficient defensive players demonstrate defensive focus toward the run at a minimum. This means for a RR play, the commissioner will look for at least 8 players to be oriented toward stopping the run. For a RM play, the commissioner will look for no more and no less than 7 players to be oriented toward stopping the run. For a RL play, the commissioner will check to confirm that only 6 or less players are oriented toward stopping the run.

ALWAYS COUNT TOWARD RUN FOCUSED TOTAL:

• Any player executing read logic within 7 yards of the LOS is always considered run focused.
• Any player executing zones preceded by stop & wait logic within 7 yards of the LOS is always considered run focused.
• Any player executing stop & wait logic within 7 yards of the LOS is always considered run focused unless he is executing man2man logic without bump-at-line logic.
• Any player executing man2man with bump-at-line logic is always considered run focused unless it is preceded by stop and wait logic of 0.5 sec or longer.
• Any player executing a 'move to' toward the LOS by a player that takes them within the area between the LOS and 5 yards from the LOS.
• Any player executing a 'move to' over the LOS by a player.
• Any player executing executing a zone that crosses the LOS into the offensive side of the field if the zone box does not go beyond 7 yards down-field from the LOS.
• Any player executing run rush within 10 yards of the LOS.
• Any player executing move to logic parallel to the LOS if within 7 yards of the LOS can count as additional run focused players for RDR, GR, RR, RM plays if needed, but the play must have at least 5 other players matching other run focused behaviors described above.

ALWAYS CONSIDERED PASS FOCUSED:

• Any player further than 10 yards from the LOS is not considered 'run focused' even if they execute obvious run-focused logic. Why? Because they really are too far away to do more than stop a big run.
• Any player executing man2man pass coverage  (non-backfield, backfield, or either) is always considered pass focused, unless that coverage includes bump-at-line logic that is not preceded by stop and wait logic of .5 sec or longer.
• Players executing stop & wait for 0.0 seconds before executing man to man non-backfield (only if they do not precede this logic with 'move to' logic listed above as 'always' counted as run focused). Players executing zones or reads after any stop & wait within 7 yards of the LOS are always considered run focused.
• Players executing any logic that includes 'pass rush' or 'blitz' will NOT be counted toward the run-focus player minimum as their primary duty is truly pass focused even if they execute logic listed above as 'always' considered run focused.
• Players executing a zone are considered pass focused if the center spot of the zone is 5 yards or  more from the LOS and the zone box doesn't cross the LOS into the offensive side of the field (only if they do not precede this logic with logic listed above as 'always' counted as run focused).
• Players executing a zone that crosses the LOS into the offensive side of the field will be counted as pass focused if the zone box extends 8 yards or more down-field from the LOS on the defensive side (only if they do not precede this logic with logic listed above as 'always' counted as run focused).

If I make a play with 5 or more DBs and 5 players (any) are PASS FOCUSED should I save it as Run Left or Pass Short?

Depends on how you plan to use the play. The main difference is that Pass Short is required in 3rd 2-5 situations, but there is no requirement to use Run Left in your profiles. Considering all defensive plays in your game plan must be unique plays, you basically must decide when you save the play if you want the play to always be eligible to be called in 3rd 2-5 situations (PS) or not (RL).

5c. Defensive Game Plan Requirements

• All defense plans must have 36 unique plays. These are MANDATORY and MUST be in your gameplan:
  • Each defensive plan should contain at least SIX of each of the following categories of plays with different names:
    • Run right
    • Run middle
    • Run left
    • Pass short
    • Pass medium
    • Pass long
      
      
  • These requirements apply only if you use these categories in your plan:
  • If you include Pass Razzle Dazzle your plan must have at least FOUR Pass Razzle Dazzle plays with different names.
  • If you include Goal Line Run your plan must have at least FIVE Goal Line Run plays with different names.
  • If you include Goal Line Pass your plan must have at least FIVE Goal Line Pass plays with different names.
  • If you include Run Razzle Dazzle your plan must have at least FIVE RRD plays with different names.

5d. Defensive Game Plan Restrictions

• 2-DL Plays:  The XFBS does not restrict the use of 2-DL plays. [This differs from the PNFL.]
• Unique plays only in defensive game plans:   You cannot have more than one instance of the same play.
  • Flipped plays are not unique plays and are not allowed.
  • Plays duplicated in the same category or across different categories are not unique plays and are not allowed.
  • Defensive plays must have an obvious and significant differentiation from other existing or new plays. The following qualify as a significant and obvious differentiators:
    • A complete change in a player's MAIN defensive logic (e.g. player changes from man to read to zone to blitz or to run rush). Fake blitz, stop and wait, and 'if pass/run'  logic are not considered 'main' defensive logic.
    • A complete change in a player's defensive focus (i.e. player now falls within pass focused rules vs. run focused rules or vice versa) thus likely affecting the category of the play.
    • A complete change in a player's position type (e.g. substitute LB for DL, LB for DB or vice versa) Note: S for CB or DT for DE and vice versa do not qualify.
    • A complete change in the location on the field of any players (looking at it from a grid zone perspective including:
      • (1) Relocations parallel to the LOS from between the hash marks and field numbers to outside the field numbers or between the hash marks or on the field numbers to on the hash marks and vice versa.
      • (2) Relocations perpendicular to the LOS including on LOS itself to the field zone 2-5 yards from the LOS to the field zone 6-10 yards from the LOS to subsequent 5 yard zone separations beyond 10 yards from the LOS.
      • (3) Man2man players only qualify as relocated for play differentiation if the relocation is perpendicular as stated in (2) - parallel relocations do not qualify for them.
    • A complete change in move to logic (i.e. must be visually obvious as different when viewed in the editor - e.g. redrawn parallel to LOS vs diagonal to LOS vs perpendicular to LOS or starting and ending in the different field zones as mentioned above)
    • Any change in the end spot or box size / location of a zone. (must be visually obvious as different when viewed in the editor)
    • Any change in DL spread/location near the LOS by a full player sized space (e.g. DE1 is next to DT1 in one play and is either separated / further back by a full player sized space in another play).
  • The following are not considered sufficient differentiators going forward because they are not obvious and significant enough and require too much effort for the commish to review for play uniqueness.
    • Changes in 'if run, pursuit is...' or 'if pass, coverage is...' aggressive/balanced/conservative logic.
    • Changes in stop and read logic usage and timing.
    • Changes to man to man pass defense logic including type of shade coverage and the player #/rating/type they cover.
    • Changes in run rush defense logic from aggressive to balanced to conservative.
    • Slight changes in the location of players on the field - especially LBs or DBs who only move approximately one full player sized space on the field.

5e. Special Teams Plays:

Each Owner MUST also include one of each of the following plays in each Defensive plan from the plays located in the Sierra/FbPro98/PNFL/Special Folder or the XFBS/playpool/Special folder.

• Kick Return
• FG/PAT
• Punt Return
• Squib Kick
• Free Kick Return
• Onside Return. 
  Note: the Onside Return was designed specifically to give some opportunity for the receiving team to recover the Kick. The Stock plays do not account for this possibility.

5f. Game Plan enforcement

• Minimums not met: When the commish reviews newly submitted game plans for compliance with minimums, and violations are discovered, he will inform the coach so they can fix. If they do not respond before the game time deadline, the commish will either reject the game plan and use the coach's last good game plan OR add enough plays to fill the gaps.
• Play not founds: When the commish reviews newly submitted game plans for compliance with these rules, he will also check for 'play not founds.' If 'play not founds' are discovered, he will inform the coach so they can fix. If they do not respond before the game time deadline, the commish will first identify if the play is an old play now deleted or moved. if so, he will restore the play in the XFBS play pool with a PN_ or XF_ prefix. If not, he will reject the game plan and use the coach's last good game plan OR add enough plays to fill the gaps.
• Stock special plays: When the commish reviews newly submitted game plans for compliance with these rules, he will also check for stock special plays.  If any are discovered, he will replace them with the xfbs_ prefixed special plays. He will also inform the coach so they can fix. If they do not respond before the game time deadline, the changes he made will be used for the week.
  
  

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