One of the most beautiful plays I've ever seen on here (from the pure context of what was already stated in this thread):

https://new-age-nfl.myfootballnow.com/watch/1404#249335

If I put NO goal line defensive plays in my playbook for the week, since the results of all of them are terrible, would the computer end calling any anyway? Oh yeah, AND customizing my formations to remove it entirely. Or will it still call it if the offense is in a goal-line formation?

Interesting question. If it's not in your playbook, I doubt whether the AI will call a play.

Your best bet is to put in a couple of rules dealing with 2RB/3TE and 3RB/1WR/1TE formations in obvious pass situations. Unless your opponent always runs out these formations, play Nickel/Dime and trust your DBs to tackle a ball carrier before he gets a 1st down/TD.

No, it will go base defense .

I looked at the high-scoring high rushing yards games in my league this week, and it's mostly because of these Goal Line Attack defensive calls. The offenses are using goal line formations from any point on the field, the defense obligingly responds with a goal line defense they're being penalized for overuse on (offense never penalized for overuse), and if a back or receiver gets to the second level, there's nobody there, long touchdown.

I repeat:

Your best bet is to put in a couple of rules dealing with 2RB/3TE and 3RB/1WR/1TE formations in obvious pass situations. Unless your opponent always runs out these formations, play Nickel/Dime and trust your DBs to tackle a ball carrier before he gets a 1st down/TD.

Otherwise, play a base defense unless you're at the goal line or face a critical 3rd or 4th down and 1 (or 2). You can also choose to play a run defense out of the non-goal line defensive formation if you still want to protect against the run in a medium or long distance situation.

Simple enough.

So a few things here.

1) You don't actually incur overuse penalties when you run a GL defense against a GL offense. There is a bug that causes it to show up in the play-by-play text, but no penalty is actually incurred.

2) As everyone has said, you can build good rules to switch to normal defenses against the GL to battle most of this. It's incredibly effective and doesn't take much time to do.

3) If you want to use GL defenses effective, you're going to have to sink a lot of time into overrides and figuring out what player should go where. The GL defense are a default 5-3-3, which is just dumb. I end up playing them like a 3-4 with the LBs close on the line. This allows you to get better cover players on most of the positions.

4) Scouting an opponents offense allows you to determine, quickly, whether you need to pull your GL defenses or which ones to call. If a team primarily throws out of the 221, the 3 Deep, Cover 5 GL defense with proper overrides shuts those passes down. If a team runs the 311 bomb, I still recommend the normal double WR1 defense against it though.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHY I'M POSTING

Why I'm posting is the accusation above that GL offenses or GL defenses should only be used near the goal line. All the 221 and 230 do is bring players closer to the ball at the time of the snap. With overrides, you can play those sets just as you would a 212.

Do you complain a lot during an NFL game when the team runs the flexbone 60% of the time? Probably not. Because no team actually runs it like a flexbone. Instead, they run it like a spread with the WRs tight to the ends.

How about the Wing T that has gotten to be so popular again. Again, probably not because no one plays it like a Wing T.

Point is a formation is just a formation. You have to defend it how a team runs it.

This of course is designed to exploit the default defensive calls. (Just like the 113 Counter offense - is it still called the Setherick or Infinity offense since neither one of us has run it in years - was designed to exploit the nickle defenses.)

If I know my opponent is going to run a lot of the GL Attack #3, I load up on 221 passes. Why? Because of hot reads to the FB or RB.

If I know my opponent is going to run a lot of the 3 Deep, Cover 5 GL defense, then I pitch the outside pitches all day to exploit the edge.

I was thinking of just running a whole game of nothing but 2/3/0 just to exploit the goal-line defense, although if I did that and it worked like I think it might (maybe I'm wrong), I suspect everyone in the league would be furious for me exploiting the game engine.

Looking at some of the game results from our leagues, it was like pouring over Tom Osborn era Nebraska box scores from the 70s.

It's not effective. You can build an entire game plan using the 221, 230, and 311, but you need the right playbooks to get the good 221 plays. You also have to be careful with your overrides. And even then it limits you offensively.

Love deep strat sessions. lol

...first person whom tries to sneak me in an high profile playoff matchup by running the PA Drag on loop....it'll get real personal, real fast.