What's the latest in people's lives?

[McAvoy]

That is my point. Not only are receivers running routes but they have to run them at a certain pace and a certain route. Sometimes QBs do not even have time to check where their recievers are when running the route before they throw the ball. For example, my team the Giants. Eli Manning's bulk of his interceptions come from recievers running the wrong routes. Also he has a tendency to have some freak mind boggling interceptions. Like on bouncing off the top of a foot and into the other teams hands.

Also you have to give the QB time to throw when needed. Which is where the offensive line comes in. Also you have specific players like a TE or FB or a HB who are hybrid players who are trained not only to catch or run the ball but to protect the QB when needed.

[Nutso]

Broncos fans gave up on the Super Bowl real early.

[McAvoy]

Interesting stat there.

[Lt. Staplic]

I disagree. Soccer is just as much a team sport as Football. Your right that soccer comes down to a lot of 1-on-1's, but all/most 11 players have to win their 1-v-1's for the team to win. The same can be said in Football. Every linesman is in a 1-v-1 with the opposing side, each trying to win their particular match to protect/sack the quarterback. The receivers are in a 1-v-1 with the safety's to get open+catch/stop the pass+intercept. Any team sport can be broken up into individual 1-v-1's of which a majority of the team must win for there to be success.

I'm not an expert with Soccer. Actually, I'm not an expert with football either, but knowing it isn't at all a bunch of one on ones is pretty basic (and probably the first thing you have to know to appreciate the sport, at least it was for me).

You could do a google search on football plays, or watch the clip above. Here lemmi link something to make this quick.



The point of all that is that it isn't people going one on one. It's a play set up that leaves players on the other team completely free (and ideally some confused but that isn't so likely on this one) while setting up 2 on 1's or 3 on 1's at the critical points on the field. If one of the guys on the line gets confused and just goes up against the guy across from him it could easily ruin the whole play. The success of the thing depends on everybody executing their designated maneuver.

It's almost usually like that with recievers as well. They aren't just running around randomly trying to get open. They've each go specific routes designed to have an effect on the other teams defense and get specific players open at specific points on the field at a specific time in the play, and the quarterback will have practiced getting the ball to that point on the field.

My understanding of soccer is that you don't have plays like that, where a player could say with some certainty exactly where all the others players on their team will be going and what they will be trying to do.

It's not quite as specific, but the same principal applies in soccer. The game is continuous thus plays are less specifically choreographed, but there are standard maneuvers like a wall pass, an overlap, etc that are designed to generate confusion in the defense/create openings that can be exploited. I'm not saying that either sport is a 1v1 or a complete motion sport, but that both have elements of each.

The football play has specific routes which are designed to get the receiver free in a spot that the QB can get him the ball, i.e. exactly what I said was the receivers job in his 1v1 against the defender. The linesman might not hit the guy right across from him, but there is a person they are matched up against to block in order to give the backfield the time to clear. Not all 11 will be engaged in a 1v1 no, but the 1v1's that do exist do so in order to free up space on the field/position to advance the ball...exactly what 1v1 in soccer is designed to do.

To use the receiver example. he follows a set path to evade any coverage and be where the QB is looking for him. As you said he's not running around randomly.

If I have the ball on the pitch my teammates won't be running around randomly either. They will be making runs in specific directions and reading my cues and the defense. I might not know exactly where they're going to be or when they're going to be there, but then the fluidity of soccer gives me the time and range that a QB doesn't have, simply by the nature and rules of the game. Even without that chart I can say that if I have the ball near the half line, I'm going to have someone showing wide, someone making a diagonal run from the far touchline, at least one person showing behind, and anyone in front moving toward the corner to draw defenders out from in front of me.

[McAvoy]

I got a squirrel in the wall. Cats are going nuts and it is going nuts. I am seriously trying to get it out of the wall alive. Problem it is in a duct.

[Teaos]

Climbed in through the roof?

[McAvoy]

Yes. Actually through a vent.

Anyway I managed to draw out of the squirrel and after a few minutes of the cats chasing the poor thing managed to get the animal outside.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Well, least you got it out.

Back to work tomorrow. Flat yay.

[sunnyside]

More on topic for this thread I've been exercising a lot more lately, and have joined a recreational soccer league in addition to my karate. I suppose I've lost a little weight and some belt notches, but everybody goes on an on about how much more energy you'll have and how much better you'll feel and I have not experienced that. If anything I'm more stressed for having less time remaining after exercising and I seem to keep picking up various injuries (plantar fascitis I think from the running, a bruised muscle from having a guy fall on me with his elbow in karate, and Soccer just tweaked my ankle).

If I have the ball on the pitch my teammates won't be running around randomly either. They will be making runs in specific directions and reading my cues and the defense. I might not know exactly where they're going to be or when they're going to be there, but then the fluidity of soccer gives me the time and range that a QB doesn't have, simply by the nature and rules of the game. Even without that chart I can say that if I have the ball near the half line, I'm going to have someone showing wide, someone making a diagonal run from the far touchline, at least one person showing behind, and anyone in front moving toward the corner to draw defenders out from in front of me.

Again I don't know soccer all that well. But my impression is those are general strategies and tactics. On an entirely different order of magnitude as far as coordination goes.

Maybe some ways to express that, my impression of soccer is that:

the coaches aren't that important in any given play in the game, players do their thing.

In a soccer video game, you wouldn't be picking formations and plays all the time, in contrast to some football games where that can be much of the game, especially on defense. And crafting better custom plays can be a big part as well.

In Soccer you don't have people knowing the names of coaches and talking about how they changed the game with new formations or plays.

[Teaos]

I've just been reading threads from back when the forum was founded, 07, 08. Seems so long ago, strange to re read debates form years ago with people I barely knew back then but have now been chatting with for almost 7 years. The original TR-116 thread, the old ship of the week threads, the Blackstar saga and a bunch of other ones. I was searching members posts and going to the first few posts they made.

[Sonic Glitch]

I've just been reading threads from back when the forum was founded, 07, 08. Seems so long ago, strange to re read debates form years ago with people I barely knew back then but have now been chatting with for almost 7 years. The original TR-116 thread, the old ship of the week threads, the Blackstar saga and a bunch of other ones. I was searching members posts and going to the first few posts they made.

Ah yes, the Blackstar saga. When the History of the Internet is written that chapter must be added. That's actually a pretty neat idea Teaos, rereading old threads. I wonder where all the members who are no longer with us are however. Richey disappeared, I don't think Mikey's been around. Granite, DarkOmen and thorin don't check in much anymore either.

[McAvoy]

I was around at the time but didn't post much. At the time it was pain in the ass to type on a phone.

I have read Blackstar posts in the past. He or it was... odd to the least.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Yeah, odd... one way of putting it.

[McAvoy]

Brainfarted a better word for it.

[Teaos]

I actually ran into someone claiming to be a Chakat in real life, they are adamant they are actually Chakats and hermaphrodities.