Hello there. I promised Dredgar to write a guide about my implementation to Zone Defense.
My team is called Church of the Holy Zone. It is currently ranked 1st on Global, Tier and Dynasty Ranking. It is best Zone D now and arguably best Def now.
Idea for this D is to rush with only 4 DLinemans all the time. I don't blitz with any additional players.
My DTs looks like this: http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879023.png ( both of them)
Idea for them is to generate pressure from inside and make a mess. Thats why I use spin - I want OL to try to stop them with more than 1 player. Those DT are fast and are stopping guards from blocking on second level.
I got 2 kind of DE. One is Star: http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879204.png His role is to generate pass rush and spread the OL. He is either sacking the QB or making my DTs having 1/1. That led to a LOT of sacks.
2nd kind of DE is http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879316.png They are kinda my mistake. I should have made them as spin specialists to make more space for DTs.
I got one additional normal DT built as gap stopper. He is just hard to move and cheap and not worth talking...
On 2nd level I got my biggest star: http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879501.png
this LB is made with idea in mind. He should roam on 2nd level and do everything. Thats why none of his stats are maxed. Idea is that scholar is making bonuses to some skills. Thats why I dont max anything. I want those bonuses allow me to avoid maxing stats so I can be better everywhere.
Thats why all of my players got 80 zone awr and scholar. That way I can make them better hitters, better tacklers. That is also reason I got 80 pursuit everywhere. Another piece of him is 50 deflection. No player in zone scheme needs more than 50 as he is never covering some1 1/1. Last piece of advice for such player is that speed is not main part of being fast. Fast in GLB is more quicker and on his feet. Thats why every zone player needs to have around 10 more footwork than speed. Quickness should be around speed level. Balance at 50 is enough with so much footwork. Goal is to save sps everywhere to be better everywhere I can. I want every situation be tested from many angles all the time. I want many players near football. I want good power hit to every thrown ball. I want my players on their feet and swarming the ball. That's why I dont blitz - I want every1 on coverage.
Other LBs on my team are : 2x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880039.png He is just cheaper version of my star. Those 2 are playing more on inside
2nd kind of LB on my team are 2x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880119.png He is also cheaper version of my star and he is a little more of a run stopper and hitter. Their role is just like my star. Try every way to get the ball. MOnster hit, interception, deflection or fumble - every play.
CBs:
3x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880245.png
My CB is more of run stopper than my LBs. His role is to be able to cover in space in his zone or to stay in flat. He is suppose to win every blocking interaction and to direct outside run inside. I want every RB to meet as many players as I can. RB can break 1 or 2 or 3 tackles. Then there will be 4th defender. That's why he is so focused on blocking. I want to make RB turn inside to meet the pack.
FS:
2x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880463.png
He is just tackler and coverage player. Main part of this dot is scheme. I try to use cover 3 or cover4 every play. Thats why he doesnt need to bo fast as other's FSs in Zone. He is suppose to be sure tackler that can power tackle too. He also can deflect or intercept. All with scholar bonuses.
SS:
http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880672.png This should have been another FS but I tried sth new. His role is the same as FS but he is worse in it. Dont copy it. U should know that FS can play on SS spot and can use his SA there.
Last build note: snap reaction is improving ur 1st step time. It is noticeably helping vs run inside so 30 is minimum. Scholar also helps here.
Scheme notes:
This team is made as very good run stoppers but not so good vs the pass. How the fuck it work so well then?
This team is always tagged vs pass. Bonus from pass tagging is helping. Also leaving around 7 players on coverage each time also helps. That is weakness covered by plays. I can go with it as I dont lose any player to blitzing. Also those builds were tested by 3 runs already.
Vs good outside running team I leave CBs on flats. They are stopping most of runs or direct them inside. My DL with good Lbs are holding on inside runs quite well.
Problems lies in spread formations. Most of my lost games were vs spread team as 7 players cant cover 4 wrs good. I got some problems vs unbalanced formations but I got ways to stop it by some price paid.
Plays notes:
Not all plays are created equal. There are shitty plays that just dont work. Like 4-3 cover 4. Just find those ones and dont use them. Cover3 plays from 4-4 and 4-4Big formations can be used vs any team that is not elite in outside runs. Zone D should win battle vs 2wr1TE formations and 3wr1te formations. You should always gameplan as it is impossible to make universal playbook with zone.
Cover 2 plays are dead if other team can pass. If U cant eat his OL every play - dont use cover2. Changelog with faster reading killed cover2 zone plays. Every elite team that can pass will just pass to wr1 to the side every play and kill U.
Screen issue: You dont have it as U r tagged vs pass.
3rd and 1. I use inside run tag in obvious short yardage situations. Best plays for this are with LB marked as Spy. He is like m2m LB waiting for a run.
My team is called Church of the Holy Zone. It is currently ranked 1st on Global, Tier and Dynasty Ranking. It is best Zone D now and arguably best Def now.
Idea for this D is to rush with only 4 DLinemans all the time. I don't blitz with any additional players.
My DTs looks like this: http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879023.png ( both of them)
Idea for them is to generate pressure from inside and make a mess. Thats why I use spin - I want OL to try to stop them with more than 1 player. Those DT are fast and are stopping guards from blocking on second level.
I got 2 kind of DE. One is Star: http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879204.png His role is to generate pass rush and spread the OL. He is either sacking the QB or making my DTs having 1/1. That led to a LOT of sacks.
2nd kind of DE is http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879316.png They are kinda my mistake. I should have made them as spin specialists to make more space for DTs.
I got one additional normal DT built as gap stopper. He is just hard to move and cheap and not worth talking...
On 2nd level I got my biggest star: http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661879501.png
this LB is made with idea in mind. He should roam on 2nd level and do everything. Thats why none of his stats are maxed. Idea is that scholar is making bonuses to some skills. Thats why I dont max anything. I want those bonuses allow me to avoid maxing stats so I can be better everywhere.
Thats why all of my players got 80 zone awr and scholar. That way I can make them better hitters, better tacklers. That is also reason I got 80 pursuit everywhere. Another piece of him is 50 deflection. No player in zone scheme needs more than 50 as he is never covering some1 1/1. Last piece of advice for such player is that speed is not main part of being fast. Fast in GLB is more quicker and on his feet. Thats why every zone player needs to have around 10 more footwork than speed. Quickness should be around speed level. Balance at 50 is enough with so much footwork. Goal is to save sps everywhere to be better everywhere I can. I want every situation be tested from many angles all the time. I want many players near football. I want good power hit to every thrown ball. I want my players on their feet and swarming the ball. That's why I dont blitz - I want every1 on coverage.
Other LBs on my team are : 2x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880039.png He is just cheaper version of my star. Those 2 are playing more on inside
2nd kind of LB on my team are 2x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880119.png He is also cheaper version of my star and he is a little more of a run stopper and hitter. Their role is just like my star. Try every way to get the ball. MOnster hit, interception, deflection or fumble - every play.
CBs:
3x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880245.png
My CB is more of run stopper than my LBs. His role is to be able to cover in space in his zone or to stay in flat. He is suppose to win every blocking interaction and to direct outside run inside. I want every RB to meet as many players as I can. RB can break 1 or 2 or 3 tackles. Then there will be 4th defender. That's why he is so focused on blocking. I want to make RB turn inside to meet the pack.
FS:
2x http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880463.png
He is just tackler and coverage player. Main part of this dot is scheme. I try to use cover 3 or cover4 every play. Thats why he doesnt need to bo fast as other's FSs in Zone. He is suppose to be sure tackler that can power tackle too. He also can deflect or intercept. All with scholar bonuses.
SS:
http://www.glb2scout.com/vpimages/63_NEW_1661880672.png This should have been another FS but I tried sth new. His role is the same as FS but he is worse in it. Dont copy it. U should know that FS can play on SS spot and can use his SA there.
Last build note: snap reaction is improving ur 1st step time. It is noticeably helping vs run inside so 30 is minimum. Scholar also helps here.
Scheme notes:
This team is made as very good run stoppers but not so good vs the pass. How the fuck it work so well then?
This team is always tagged vs pass. Bonus from pass tagging is helping. Also leaving around 7 players on coverage each time also helps. That is weakness covered by plays. I can go with it as I dont lose any player to blitzing. Also those builds were tested by 3 runs already.
Vs good outside running team I leave CBs on flats. They are stopping most of runs or direct them inside. My DL with good Lbs are holding on inside runs quite well.
Problems lies in spread formations. Most of my lost games were vs spread team as 7 players cant cover 4 wrs good. I got some problems vs unbalanced formations but I got ways to stop it by some price paid.
Plays notes:
Not all plays are created equal. There are shitty plays that just dont work. Like 4-3 cover 4. Just find those ones and dont use them. Cover3 plays from 4-4 and 4-4Big formations can be used vs any team that is not elite in outside runs. Zone D should win battle vs 2wr1TE formations and 3wr1te formations. You should always gameplan as it is impossible to make universal playbook with zone.
Cover 2 plays are dead if other team can pass. If U cant eat his OL every play - dont use cover2. Changelog with faster reading killed cover2 zone plays. Every elite team that can pass will just pass to wr1 to the side every play and kill U.
Screen issue: You dont have it as U r tagged vs pass.
3rd and 1. I use inside run tag in obvious short yardage situations. Best plays for this are with LB marked as Spy. He is like m2m LB waiting for a run.
