Posted by: TNT713

In "Defending Hurry-Up" we covered setting audibles to lock down any No Huddle offense, but sometimes there's no need to audible. No, that's not to say you should stagnate defensively. Since Madden '05 on PS2, tools for changing an entire group's assignment (Linebackers, Secondary, or Defensive Line) make changes as simple as calling any other audible. The best part is that you don't have to change the entire play. Learning to use the Group Defensive adjustment features in Madden pays tremendous dividends when faced with offenses that are tough to stop, particularly those running hurry--up. Not only are group adjustments easy to do, they are effective and greatly minimize the time required to make widespread assignment changes to a defense.

What are the benefits of Group Adjustments?

Suppose it's 3rd and a mile and you want to take away the deep pass while sending the house. You might want to call a standard Cover 4 zone and blitz the linebackers. As the play clock ticks down, you realize that you don't have that play in in your playbook. What to do? 3 seconds... tick. Tick. TICK... Oh oh. Too late. Fortunately, Group Defensive assignments allow you to call any Cover 4 defense and use the Group Assignment function to quickly handle the rest.

Typically when changing defensive assignments, less experienced Madden players make changes one player at a time. On the field it looks like a player can't decide which defender he wants to control. Actually, his fingers are frantically cycling between buttons desperately hoping the ball isn't snapped. Hit Sticking the air is the by product of slow adjustments. Considering that changing assignments is one action, moving them is another. It could take a while to setup a defensive look that matches the assignments. Meanwhile, the offense is making moves as well. Against quick snapping offenses, setting up your defense can be a frustrating exercise in futility. Don't get so consumed with making adjustments that you lose focus on what's important: STOPPING THE OFFENSE.

Group Assignments give you wider authority to deal with making changes in a calm, more ordered way. Once you're comfortable, Group Assignments set up the basis for making more efficient individual assignment changes. In 4-3 defenses, grouping the linebackers together for instance, means you can change position or assignment in a single audible. If we were shopping for bargains, it would be a Buy One - Get Two FREE. It's possible to set the secondary closer to the line, blitz all the linebackers, and shift the defensive line to the weak side without only three audibles, when it would take almost several seconds longer to do the same without global audibles.

What are the "groups" for Group Adjustments?

You can manipulate the positioning and assignments of each level of defensive personnel in a play. Defensive Line audibles affect defenders on the line of scrimmage in a 3-point or 4-point stance. Linebacker audibles change players playing the linebacker position. Coverage audibles adjust the secondary as an entire unit or those assigned with deep coverage.

How can I adjust players as a group?

Regardless of whether you're playing offense or defense, Madden adjustments use a "who - what" order. First you select who you want to adjust, then tell them what you want them to do. It's pretty simple once you learn how to call for "who" and the commands for the "what" to create defenses on the fly. To initiate a group shift, it's as easy as pressing the button to select your group (WHO), then tapping either the left or right analog stick to issue a command.

What kinds of commands are there for group adjustments?

You can either shift where your players are positioned before the snap, can give them assignments for after the snap, or in the case of the secondary do both at once. Although the process or creating an adjustment is the same for each group, the assignments are very different. For the most part, positioning is similar for both the defensive line and the linebackers as they move side to side, whereas the secondary moves front to back.

To initiate group pre-snap position shifts, or group assignment changes you must activate the group audible button corresponding to the set of players you want to change, then flick the Left Analog Stick or D-Pad in the direction to give them an assignment. When group shifting, the Left Analog Stick/D-Pad changes player positioning:

UP	Spreads players closer to the outside	Spreads players closer to the outside	Calls safe coverage and backs the secondary away from the line of scrimmage.
DOWN	Moves Players closer to the inside	Moves Players closer to the inside	Calls Bump-N-Run coverage and moves secondary closer to the line of scrimmage
LEFT	Moves defensive linemen to the left side	Moves linebackers to the left side	Crowds the line to show blitz
RIGHT	Moves defensive linemen to the RIGHT side	Moves linebackers to the RIGHT side	Aligns players closer to a man

Having your defense change their alignment will come in handy as you notice habits in the offense. Depending on any number of factors, you may want to move several linebackers at once to quickly setup the defensive formation. Timely shifting can sometimes put the offensive team at a disadvantage. If you expect a run to the right, sometimes sliding your linebackers at the last moment before the snap can get just enough of a jump to shut the play down. As with football, there's always a drawback... Shifting the wrong way can put you out of position to make a play.

What assignments can you give players?

It depends on which group you give assignments to. Since the basic positions have varied tasks, Group Assignments offer the the most relevant assignments for an entire positional group. For the defensive line, you decide which direction they will attack the offensive line. For linebackers, you decide whether they blitz or drop into coverage. For the secondary, you instruct the defense on where to play the deep zones. When used in conjunction with Defensive Playmaker Adjustments, your defensive playbook expands almost infinitely.

UP	Attack the outside	All linebackers in hook zones	Safeties widen deep zones outside
DOWN	Attack the inside	All linebackers blitz	Safeties move deep zones inside
LEFT	Crash left	Blitz left outside linebacker	Safeties shift deep zones left
RIGHT	Crash right	Blitz right outside linebacker	Safeties shift deep zones right

Why would I change the assignments?

For starters, offensive playbooks usually have twice as many plays as defensive playbooks. Sometimes it will seem as if nothing in your playbook will contain your opponent's offense, but more frequently, the 'perfect' defense just isn't available. In those cases, Group Assignments may be just the tool you need to start a base for player specific changes. If you see an opening in the offense's pass protection but you want at least one linebacker in the middle, it takes less time to Group Blitz the linebackers, then individually hot route one of them to drop into a zone. If you have been seeing successful post routes on 3rd and long, shifting the deep zones to the middle of the field without affecting the rest of the coverage might not be a bad bet. Lastly, crashing the defensive line to the inside on 4th and inches can really put a real damper on QB sneaks and FB Dive plays.

After some time getting familiar with all the Group Defenisive Adjustments, you will have more weapons in your arsenal to clamp down on whatever tools the offense may use. With practice, your adjustments will become lightning fast. You will be able to bark orders to the defensive line and linebackers while never relinquishing manual control of your safety, which allows you to move freely to respond to shifts, motion, or any formation your opponent can throw at you. With a little deductive skills you will be able to anticipate your opponent's moves and counter them as a reflex and be well on your way to become a defensive force.

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