Offense Rules

Specific routes have completion restrictions to prevent unrealistic concepts and exploit usage:

• Slants & Texas: Must be thrown before the receiver crosses the QB's face.
• Drags / Crossers / Shakes: Available as primary read only — they cannot be progression reads.
• Exception: Mesh concept — both drag routes are primary and both are allowed.
• Drag window: Relaxed to "inside the numbers."
• Comeback & Deep Comeback: May not be completed inside the opponent's 25-yard line. The ball cannot be caught inside the 25 on a comeback route.
• Conservative Catch: Banned outside the numbers, except on passes caught inside the end zone.
• Legal uses: routes inside the numbers, or any end-zone catch.
• Penalty for illegal use: Must punt immediately on the next play. Repeat violations = 4-game suspension for the QB and WR involved.

Play-Action and RPOs are only allowed when the run threat is legitimate. Both must remain "on schedule" and reward balance — not serve as bailout plays.

• Allowed situations: 1st & 10 • 2nd & ≤6 • 3rd & ≤4 • 4th & ≤2 (4th-down rules permitting)
• Not allowed: 2nd & 7+, 3rd & 5+, or any off-schedule down (1st & 15, 2nd & 12, etc.)

Offenses that stay ahead of the chains keep full access to PA and RPO concepts. Those that fall behind lose them until they reset field position.

Pre-snap adjustments are limited to elite QB–WR duos for authenticity. True field autonomy must be earned, not assumed.

• Only one hot route per play.
• Must target an outside receiver (X or Z).
• Either the QB or WR must be 88+ OVR.
• Allowed routes: slant, hitch, quick out, fade.
• Not allowed: deep posts, corners, drags, or multiple changes in one play.
• Always allowed: Any player may be hot-routed to block at any time.

• Standard no-huddle: Let the play clock run to :28 before snapping.
• True hurry-up exception: Inside 2:00 of Q2 or Q4, you may snap earlier.

• Allowed: Anytime in the 4th quarter when leading by 17+ points.
• Disallowed: If the score gap drops below 17, chew clock must be turned off immediately.
• This rule applies to CPU games only.

Decisions to go for it on 4th down are restricted by field position outside Q4.

Q1–Q3:
- Own 40 to midfield: 4th & 1 or shorter
- Opponent 50 to goal line: 4th & 5 or shorter

Q4: User discretion — go whenever you want.

Fakes: Fake punt and fake field goal are allowed at any time, in any quarter.

On non-designed rollouts, the QB must wait at least two (2) seconds before leaving the pocket. No instant bail-outs.

• User Playmaker: Not allowed.
• Swerving with receivers: Not allowed.

Goal-line offensive formations may only be used inside the 10-yard line or in inches-to-go situations.

Running backs may account for no more than 20% of total team receptions.

• Safety Valve badge exception: If the RB1 has the Safety Valve badge, the cap increases to 30%.
• This mirrors real-world usage — even elite receiving backs (e.g., Bijan Robinson) average around 25–26%.
• Review: Receptions are reviewed at season's end. Teams exceeding limits may face stat corrections or other penalties.

Ensures realistic offensive identity. Applies to all schemes — option, spread, Air Raid, etc.

• No team may exceed 69.9% in either direction (run-heavy or pass-heavy).
• Review weeks: 4, 8, 12, and post-season.
• Correction window: Any team over the limit must rebalance within two games.

Wide split formations and certain QB run plays are restricted near both 25-yard lines (driving toward the red zone or backed up near your own end zone).

Banned inside either 25-yard line:
- Wide Split offensive formations
- QB Blast, QB Trap, QB Power from 4 WR & 5 WR formations

To run QB Blast / Trap / Power inside the 25, you must use one of these personnel packages:
- A. 1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR
- B. 2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WR
- C. 2 TE, 3 WR
- D. 1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR

A TE is defined as a player attached to the line of scrimmage with either his hand in the dirt or in a 2-point stance.

You are allowed one (1) pass to the flat receiver per game on the All-TE Flat RPO. The play may otherwise be run as designed, under the same rules as the standard RPO guidelines.

The following plays are only legal between the 25-yard lines — banned in either red zone:

• HB Direct
• HB Screen
• Wide Split offensive formations
• QB Blast, QB Trap, QB Power from 4 WR & 5 WR formations