Playbooks
Field Goal
At a Glance
In 128 playbooks
Overview
The Field Goal set is the only Special formation set built entirely around the field goal and PAT unit, and it separates itself from Punt, Kickoff, and Onside sets by pairing a real scoring play (Field Goal 2) with eleven fake variations that all share an identical pre-snap look. The alignment is a tight, unbalanced wall: a long snapper over the ball, interior linemen shoulder to shoulder, H and Y wings angled off each end of the line, the holder kneeling seven yards deep, and the kicker offset behind him. Because every snap shows the same picture, the defense has no alignment tell to separate a kick from a fake, which is the core value of this set in competitive play.
The fake menu covers three distinct attack angles. Direct ball handling plays like Fake Fg K Direct Snap, Fake Fg Holder Power, and Fake Fg Holder Blast turn the holder or kicker into a runner behind a compressed wall of blockers, which is ideal for short yardage and two point attempts. Misdirection plays such as Fake Fg H Shovel, Fake Fg Y Shovel, Fake Fg Kicker Flip, and Fake Fg Kicker Toss get the ball to a moving wing or kicker on the edge after the rush collapses inside. Passing fakes, including Fake Fg Sprintout Pass, Fake Fg Rollout Pass, Fake Fg K Toss Pass, and Fake Fg K Flip Pass, move the launch point outside the pocket and target leaking wings against a defense that has committed nine or ten bodies to the block.
The matchup advantage comes from personnel mismatch in reverse: the defense loads the line with rushers and edge blockers designed to get a hand on the kick, which leaves the H and Y wings covered by linebackers or nobody at all once they release. The wings are the isolated receivers in this set, and the entire passing tree is built to spring them into the flat or up the seam while the edge rushers are still crashing toward the holder's spot.
Strengths
- Every play shares the exact same pre-snap alignment as Field Goal 2, so there is zero formation tell and opponents must guess between kick and fake on every attempt.
- Fake Fg Rollout Pass and Fake Fg Sprintout Pass move the throw outside the rush lane and release the H and Y wings into the flat against block packages that leave the edge completely unaccounted for.
- Fake Fg H Shovel and Fake Fg Y Shovel act as built in counters to edge heavy Field Goal Block calls, letting the rush flow past the holder before the ball is flipped underneath into vacated inside gaps.
- Fake Fg Holder Power and Fake Fg Holder Blast put a compressed wall of linemen in front of the ball carrier, making them strong short yardage and two point conversion calls against defenses that spread rushers wide to attack the kick.
- The kicker based fakes (Fake Fg Kicker Flip, Fake Fg Kicker Toss, Fake Fg K Toss Pass, Fake Fg K Flip Pass) create a second ball handler and a delayed misdirection element that punishes defenders who crash straight at the holder.
Weaknesses
- Fake plays are high variance with one shot of execution: a failed fake surrenders guaranteed points and hands the opponent strong field position, especially on longer attempts.
- A user controlled edge defender or linebacker who hangs back and shadows the H or Y wing can erase the primary passing target on every fake pass, leaving the holder with nowhere to go.
- Safe style field goal defenses that keep defenders in coverage instead of rushing neutralize the passing fakes and the shovel concepts, since the wings get immediately collapsed on after release.
- Holder and kicker throwing accuracy and ball carrier ratings are usually low, so passes into tight windows float or sail and runners lack the break tackle and speed to finish against contact.
- Limited hot route flexibility and a fixed play art mean experienced opponents who have seen your fake once will recognize the route timing and jump it on future attempts.
Usage Tips
Treat fakes as a situational weapon, not a tendency: call them on 4th and short inside the 35, on two point tries, or late in a half when the opponent is likely to load a max rush Field Goal Block look.
Read the edge before the snap: if the defense stacks rushers outside both wings, go to Fake Fg H Shovel or Fake Fg Y Shovel, and if they pinch everyone inside, go to Fake Fg Rollout Pass or Fake Fg Sprintout Pass toward the open edge.
In franchise mode, set your backup quarterback as the holder on the depth chart to dramatically boost throwing accuracy and decision making on every fake pass in this set.
On Fake Fg Holder Power and Fake Fg Holder Blast, follow the lead block and cut back behind the wall rather than bouncing outside, since low speed ball carriers lose every race to the sideline.
Mix in Field Goal 2 on identical down and distance situations after running a successful fake so opponents cannot sell out to stop it, and never show the same fake twice in one game against a human opponent.
