NCAA Football 09 Tips For Passing

August 1, 9:07 AMGames ExaminerDaniel Nations

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With the release of EA Sports NCAA Football 09, there are new wrinkles that must be learned in order to understand what works well and what doesn't work so well. NCAA Football 09 focuses on wide open gameplay, and that means there are plenty of passes that can work well against the CPU.

If you are having trouble getting the passing game going, or are just looking for some new ideas on how to attack the defense, take a look at this list of NCAA Football 09 tips. With a little practice, these routes can devastate an opponent.

NCAA Football 09 Tips - Great Passing Routes

• Crossing Routes. This year's game is very susceptible to inside routes, which are routes moving from the sidelines to the center of the field. A crossing route will traditionally do well against man coverage, especially if your receiver is fast. And, since zone coverage isn't all it is cracked up to be this year, shallow crossing routes can work very good against zones.
• The In Route. The In Route, which is when a receiver runs up field and then cuts 90 degrees towards the middle of the field, is a great way to exploit zone coverage. These routes tend to leave the receiver wide open when he is crossing from one zone into the next zone. It is also great to use in combination with a crossing route because this allows you to have a receiver for man coverage and a receiver for zone coverage. Look for plays that have the crossing route being followed by the in route.
• The Slant Route. This one takes a little more caution than the crossing or in route, but it can be very effective. So named because the wide receiver runs at a slanting angle toward the middle of the field, the key to this play is watching the linebacker to the receiver's side and making sure he is not playing zone coverage. So long as you have a clear path to fire the ball in to the receiver, this route can be very effective.
• The Flat Route. The flat route can be run by receivers, tight ends, or backs out of the backfield. It's great when combined with the slant route because when the slant is covered, the flat route is usually open. Halfbacks and fullbacks going out into the flat are also very effective this year, especially when combined with a play-action pass.
• The WR Screen. Not quite as effective as the 07 version and not quite as dangerous as the 08 version, the WR screen is a good play to call if you have a fast receiver and want the chance to break a long run after the catch. Even if the defense is in man coverage, the defensive back tends to play off enough to get the ball into the receiver's hands.
• The Slip Screen. One major improvement over past versions is how slip screens work. It really does a good job of getting your back out into the route with blockers set up in front of him, but you do have to watch for any defenders that might have followed your back.

NCAA Football 09 Tips - Neat Passing Tricks

Passing in NCAA Football 09 isn't all about the route. There are also strategies you can use to make your passing attack even more effective. Here are a few hints that will help you get the most out of passing the ball in NCAA Football:

Don't forget audibles and sliding protection.

• Catching the Deep Ball. In 08, throwing the deep ball was an invitation to get an interception. This year, wide receivers will go up for the ball as well. To make it even more effective, you can take control of the wide receiver and do a user catch. Once you get the hang of it, this will allow you to bring down more balls. Another trick for throwing it deep is to aim where you want the ball to go. If you press to the left or right with your movement stick, the ball will be thrown in that direction. So, if your receiver is streaking down the sideline and the middle of the field is wide open, you can throw the ball in that direction and let the receiver run under it.
• Getting the Most out of Audibles. A great technique for catching the defense off guard is to call a play that is especially effective against man coverage. And then, if the defense seems to be lining up in zone coverage, audible to a play especially effective against the zone. This technique works best when you are using a formation with more wide receivers on one side than the other side (so you can do a pre-snap read of the defense easier) and when you audible to a play that is in the exact same formation.
• Sliding protection. Mobile quarterbacks like to get out of the pocket, but sometimes this can spell disaster if there is a blitzing linebacker to that side. This year's version lets you deal with that sort of thing by sliding the protection. If you know you want to roll out to one side of the field or the other, try sliding your protection to that side. This should buy you an extra few seconds to get the ball to a receiver or to make the decision to tuck it and run.