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 Madden Playbook : The Running Game
| The fundamentals of the running game |
There are two ways to move the ball in football - running and passing. A successful team will use a reasonable balance of both in order to break the defense down. Running the ball traditionall averages fewer big yardage gains however than passing the ball, so there are situations when it is better to run the ball and other circumstances where it is better to pass.
For the running game to be a success, a good running back is not only essential but also a good offensive line. A running back typically relies on his offensive line to create holes for him to run through and to block defensive backs from reaching him to make a tackle. A small, fast running back will use his speed to accelerate away from approaching defensive players and spin or juke his way out of a tackle. A larger running back will take a more direct route up the middle of the O-Line and use his power to push the tackling defenders back.
It is therefore essential to find out what type of running back you have and adjust your gameplan accordingly.
The vast majority of running plays will include a fullback in the formation whose role is to act as a blocker for the running back. The fullback will normally lead the running back, pushing or blocking defensive players out of the way and the running back behind will be left with a hole to run through. Occasionally the fullback will act as a decoy to fool the defense with the running back running in the opposite direction to that taken by the fullback.
A running back can also catch the ball and double as an extra wide receiver. In Madden NFL 10 passing to the running back in the flat is a particularly effective way of advancing the football downfield.
Remember, however, that a balanced attack is normally the best way to advance the ball against any defense and a mix of pass and run will usually work best. |
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