As offenses look for ways to beat defenses for big plays, many overlook the sidelines. This tip, submitted by WFColonel56, illustrates the importance of the sidelines for springing ball carriers and receivers for huge gains. The effect of building an explosive offense that uses the sidelines stretches the defense horizontally. But don't take it from me - read about how WFColonel uses the sidelines to create impact plays for his offense.

Getting to the edge of the field leads to big plays! I have done a lot of thinking about my own Atlanta Falcons (real life team) and their off season moves. With every move all I heard was "We are trying to get more explosive". And that was shown by picking up Julio Jones and Jacquiz Rodgers. That whole thing got me thinking about Madden

There are many types of offenses that you can run in Madden NFL Football and NCAA Football. But if you want to be an explosive offense you have to learn how to live on the edge of the field.

What do I mean by that?

You have to be able to stretch the field laterally (as well as vertically but that is step 3) Fact is, the biggest football plays are made down the sideline because it allows fast players to use their speed and all the big scary men who hit really hard are in the middle of the field.

Ways to get to the edge

• Tosses, stretch plays, and other outside runs
• Screens (HB, WR, FB, and bubble screens)
• Quick passes
• Quarterback Scrambles and bootlegs (and yes it can be done with more Quarterbacks than Vick, Newton, and Young)

With all of these options available to you there should be no reason why you cant get to the edge, but what to do when you out flank the defense. Simple, you get your Barry Sanders on and make plays. When your on the edge there are a few different things you can do that are game plan oriented.

• Get out of bounds to protect your players (qbs, running backs who are prone to fumble)
• Get out of bounds to stop the clock (if you are short on time, of if thats your scheme to conserve time all game)
• Stay in bounds to keep clock moving (slide with QB, and other players just get tackled in bounds)

When the defense respects your edge game, the middle of the field becomes exposed. We've all heard a million times that the run opens up the pass (or pass/run), similarly, but attacking the edge opens up the middle. After the defense has respect for your ability to get outside, the effect lasts the entire game. Defending the entire field becomes that much harder.

As you watch football, take note of how many of the big plays were made outside of the numbers to the sidelines. And look at the big plays inside the hashes and for MOST of them you will see that the defense is respecting the edge in some way.

Get to the edge, to stretch the defense horizontally. Explosive plays get are built when the offense can get to the outside.

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