Darunia's Baseball Discussion Thread

[Weltall]

Football is incredibly complex. For even a simple running play to work, the five offensive linemen have to push forward, and not randomly: They have to push at specific points to open holes for the running back, and once they do that, if they manage to, they have to keep the defensive linemen from getting past, or even worse: opening a hole for linebackers or safeties to get in themselves and tackle for a loss.

The running back himself has to know which tackles are going to open his holes and where. He has to be able to read his blockers and react to the defense. If he's large, he can try to plow through. If not, he has to try and fake his defender out, or try to break a tackle.

The recievers have to follow the defenders and keep track of where his RB is at the same time, for on a running play, recievers and tight ends also have to throw blocks, sometimes against larger and stronger linebackers. There is a lot of anticipation involved. At the same time, the reciever may also have to run a short route to stay open in case a pass has to be forced, or to fake out the corners if it's a play-action or draw.

The Quarterback is the maestro. He has to make sure the ball gets to his runner safely, or, if he's calling a pass, he has to scan the field, be totally aware of his recievers, how well they are covered, and what their routes are. He has to throw to where the receiver is supposed to be, and sometimes that means he has to help his recevier shake his defender with a fake... look to one side of the field and then throw to the other, drawing the coverage. All the while, he has to avoid getting sacked, because everyone on the other side of the ball is coming after him.

The D-line has to punch holes in the O-line and disrupt the QB's protection. It's not just rushing forward. If it's a blitz, they have to punch through at specific points, to open holes for the linebackers to blitz through open holes and get a clean shot at the back. They have to be aware of who has the ball, where it's going, and how it's getting there. If the running back suddenly cuts left, you have to adjust, because the O-Line will be throwing harder blocks from that direction. Then you have to be sure it's not a fake, everyone going after the running back while the QB has all the time in the world to throw wherever he wants.

Linebackers have to know when to blitz and when to play coverage, and on whom to play coverage, all while keeping the center of the field safe. They have to work in tandem with both the secondary and the front three or four. They are the disruptors, and they have to move around to disguise their intent. If a linebacker shuffles well, the offense will not know what he's going to do. Is he going to blitz from the weakside, or is he going to drop into coverage? Would he even try to blitz from where he is? He might.

The secondary has the hardest job, physically, for they have to keep an eye on lightning fast recievers and they have to anticipate the complex routes they run, stay with them step for step, and neutralize the threat somehow. They can't interfere, for it draws penalties, so they have to blanket these fast, tall guys, try to convince the QB not to pass his way, do his best to disrupt the pass if it does, and bring the receiver down if he can't stop the pass.

And all of it has to happen in complete synchronization or none of it works at all and someone's getting burned.

Not simple at all.

What's so complex about baseball? To know what pitch to throw? To decide to steal a plate? Meh.