If we put aside for a moment the fact enforcing rules in MFN is often a no win situation, let's look at custom rules vs realism.

Starting with realism, the NFL is based on finding mismatches against your opponent. Sometimes that entails using a Deebo Samuel at RB or those slender built pass rushers for Dallas who wreaked havoc on Cincinnati and the Giants the last 2 weeks. The Giants knew what Dallas was gonna do and still couldn't stop it, and they couldn't complain to Goodell that the Cowboys were using players at DE who were too light.

Future Dallas opponents have to figure out a way to either slow that pass rush or otherwise find a way to make them pay for it.

Remember that playoff game where New England messed with their offensive formations so much Baltimore had no clue who was blocking and who was eligible? It was legal at the time, of course they changed the rule before the start of the next season.

The point is that Belichick scoured the rulebook and found an advantage for his team (geez, I sound like Mr. Cartmenez from that South Park episode...how do I reach these kids???) and he used it repeatedly because Harbaugh was dumbfounded. NFL coaches look for stuff all the time, although it's usually just with personnel advantages.

Now for the custom rules part. In a perfect world we wouldn't need them because the game would sometimes have brute strength crush the speedy little junebugs and using speed exploits could result in injury.

MFN isn't in a perfect world though and more often than not, these speed exploits win out. As I've said before I'm not trying to spend a lot of time looking for rules violations because I don't enjoy it. When I do find a violation, what then? What if they refuse to listen? Our player base is dwindling so I'm not really anxious to boot anyone unless they really deserve it. I can't/won't take draft picks away, so what can I really do to deter people?

I can make a rule like no WR @ RB and ask everyone to comply. Thankfully every single owner has been awesome about it but the more rules I add, the tougher voluntary compliance becomes. I would rather publicize things like hey everyone, people are having success using WR @ TE, you might want to look into implementing it in your gameplan.

I feel like if everyone knows about it, it evens the playing field. I get there are some who prefer players stick to their positions, but the NFL has players playing out of position all the time.

This is where overrides come in!!!

You set your gameplan and pick your plays like normal.

Now sort through offensive plays by formation.



In this case, from the I formation Power, I only have 1 play and it's a pass! Now I got to my depth chart and goto overrides and load up I formation power.



Since the TE is running a route and not expected to block as seen from the play diagram.



So now you click the TE player box in the overrides and replace him with a WR. The only thing you have to double check is that the player you override into the TE position isn't on the field somewhere else for that formation.