ZFarls's Blog
Madden: 10 Ways Tourney Players Differ from Online Players
Posted on September 29, 2010 at 04:32 PM.
Why can some online guys make the jump while others head to the tournaments and get blown out in their games?
Quick, set it to 6 min quarters while he isn't looking.Here are the top 10 qualities of Madden Tournament players!
Nearly any good player will have some of these qualities, BUT with tournament gameplans being so similar, a user must have these intangibles to separate himself. Everyone knows what everyone else is running, but what are some players consistently better than others?
Clock Management- Andy Reid would not be a great tournament player. If you are constantly mismanaging end of game situations or blowing timeouts, this is NOT good. Quarter lengths are so short and every play counts, its not who can score but who can score last. Players are kneeling and kicking FG’s and defenses will let players score. Each play is calculated about how it fits into the overall game situation. You have to do all this while making big plays and adjustments…should you run out of bounds here to save time? or juke to avoid the oncoming hit stick!? THINK FAST
Real Football Concepts- Football is Football, unless its futbol right? Year after year, good concepts and tactics will be successful in Madden. The best players understand the game and concepts like spread vs bunch vs compressed sets. They know what to do when the opponent stacks the box and they always are watching NFL through a different lens on sunday. Are you watching NFL for your fantasy stats, or are you studying the game?
A Good Crew- The best players consistently represent the best crews. Most of the time, they are also leaders of the group. The ability to lab and get ready with your crew is huge! Also, you will be able to get information on what your opponent is running from your crew before you play them. They help boost morale and keep you going through struggling times. Having support of a team and a full scouting service is why crews are so big in the community.
Defense- Clearly “The Problem” has the best defense of all time. Year after year he locks up consistently on defense. Never having to rely on the “it” tactic or play that year, He understands the game, how to attack offenses, and when to blitz. There is no surprise that guys that win, always get that one stop when they need it. Online gamers are no match here!
Free Time- If you are serious about becoming a tournament player, you should be playing at least 20 hours a week. You should be spending 5 labbing, 10 playing the game and 5 hours researching, talking, thinking Madden. I have competed BOTH when I have been playing tons and when I have only had a few hours. The focus and ability to make adjustments is so much clearer when you are putting in the time leading up to the competition! If you don’t have the time due to work or school, take a deep breath and think if its worth heading down to Philly or Baltimore to really get your teeth kicked in. If not, change your expectations before you travel to the tournament, you know whether or not you are putting in the effort.
Play to Win Attitude- The best all have it, Jordan, Tiger, Manning. They all have insane attitudes towards winning and wont settle for anything less. If you beat them in a lab game, they wont say “it was just a lab game.” They will make you play them over and over until they finally win and keep that game in the back of their mind and it will eat at them. If your gonna spend the time, money, energy to play in tournaments, why be satisfied with anything less than going for it all?
I’m not saying its right or perfect for anyone, but just simply showing the difference between an online and tournament player!
Stick Skills- Ahh, the classic shouting at tournaments can always be heard “Get Some Stick” Practice, Practice, Practice. Know when to do smart things and know when to go for risks. No blaming lag here!
Gameplan- Great players impose their will on good players. They know what they do best and set out to do it every game. With short quarter format, you must stick to and not abandon what has made you successful in the past! If you go down earlier will you stick to your pounding the run gameplan?
Confidence- Swagger, there is always a little hop in the step of someone who has won hundreds of thousands of dollars playing Madden. When you play them, you shake a little in your boots. They have stood the test of time and looked the best in the face. Online players change from year to year and how can you elicit confidence in an anonymous game? When you hear you are matching up against Prodigy in the first round, it will shake you, especially when you see his confident walk up to the sticks.
Experience- The best have traveled and competed for years. New players rarely burst onto the scene without taking a few lumps first. However, you must go take your beatings to get the valuable experience. In the beginning, they might call you first round Farls, but in the end you will be an experienced tournament players capable of executing a gameplan and being a confident madden player. You can play 1,000 online games, but experiencing a Madden Tournament live is thrilling, nerve wracking and will ultimatley make you a better player!
ZFarls
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everything else, if you are trying to win in a tournament or even just playing online you should have all those qualities such as playing to win, stick skills, real football concepts, clock management and imposing your will.
I am by no means a big tournament player (go to gamestop tournaments) pretty much about it. But what I find funny is when you go to those tournaments and people complain about you running the clock when you have a lead. or something else you would do that is apart of real football. Has me wondering sometimes if they even watch NFL games.