Any downsides to running base align on defense? Man align pro's and con's?

If you play someone who is always motioning wrs then you have to play in base align or else your coverages will be all messed up. Another added benefit is it helps hide what defense your in. I understand if you call a MCV play while in base align or vice versa a ZCV play while in man align it can mess up your coverage. Any negatives running base align in ZCV? Any negatives or benefits in man align?

I don't think there are many negatives to playing in base align in zone coverage, except for it might be easier for your opponent to tell which coverage you are in.

If I see someone in base align I like to stack one side and run zone reads and screens knowing I have extra blockers.  Can get a little crazy if I’ve got Gronk out there.

That would be one drawback

Chugga said:

If I see someone in base align I like to stack one side and run zone reads and screens knowing I have extra blockers.  Can get a little crazy if I’ve got Gronk out there.

That would be one drawback

Yup I’ve definitely run into that before lol

QB283 said:

I don't think there are many negatives to playing in base align in zone coverage, except for it might be easier for your opponent to tell which coverage you are in.

I always thought being in base align was a good way of trying to hide what defense your in? I thought base align the defense lined up the same way pretty much every play? I guess I was wrong about that. I also find it interesting how when your in base align and then you go to adjustments and put your defense in base align that your players will move around, I just thought you were already in base align but then when you pick base align before the snap your defense will still move around and I guess get in base align.

Chugga said:

If I see someone in base align I like to stack one side and run zone reads and screens knowing I have extra blockers.  Can get a little crazy if I’ve got Gronk out there.

That would be one drawback

vanguard is worse for madden than pre lit running backs lol

How you expect us to tell you when you don’t tell us what defense your based out of.

Base align is to disguise your coverage tells. So you can’t tell that the outside corner is inside shaded if it’s man and so every play in that formation looks the same until post snap. There is no downsides to run base aligned man other than some forms like dollar against trips or bunch the inside man is left uncovered. If you leave it on default it will just play whatever the coverage properties are of whatever play you’re in, so if you run man it will be man aligned and if you run zone it will be base aligned. To be a better Madden player you have to read post snap and put out certain routes to beat whatever coverage your opponent is in and not just run money plays. Base aligning is what everybody should do just because it takes out the coverage tells and makes your opponent have to either know what you’re running or post snap read it.

RihannaKindaMid said:

Base align is to disguise your coverage tells. So you can’t tell that the outside corner is inside shaded if it’s man and so every play in that formation looks the same until post snap. There is no downsides to run base aligned man other than some forms like dollar against trips or bunch the inside man is left uncovered. If you leave it on default it will just play whatever the coverage properties are of whatever play you’re in, so if you run man it will be man aligned and if you run zone it will be base aligned. To be a better Madden player you have to read post snap and put out certain routes to beat whatever coverage your opponent is in and not just run money plays. Base aligning is what everybody should do just because it takes out the coverage tells and makes your opponent have to either know what you’re running or post snap read it.

Thanks for the post. I know calling man plays while base aligned can mess up your coverage for instance when the defender guarding a wr is in the other side of the field but I guess you can just man align quickly to fix that issue. That is a good point about it not showing your inside/outside shade adjustments cause it can be painfully obvious when your opponent sees your cb's shifting around 😆.

GrimReefer49 said:

I always thought being in base align was a good way of trying to hide what defense your in? I thought base align the defense lined up the same way pretty much every play? I guess I was wrong about that. I also find it interesting how when your in base align and then you go to adjustments and put your defense in base align that your players will move around, I just thought you were already in base align but then when you pick base align before the snap your defense will still move around and I guess get in base align.

I noticed recently  when I press in a Zone coverage it causes my FS and SS switch sides which makes them have to cross the field to cover their zones which in turn leaves a streaking TE WIIIIIDE open in the seam.... really sucks. I did ot once and they switched so I audibled to something else and they were switching back mid play call and got an interception because the person I was playing called the same play... so weird.

This is a really terrific thread.  Wish i had something to contribute, just wanted to bump it back up so it didn't get buried, would love to hear more input from the community.  Wonderful pro-tips contained here.

readysetglooo said:

I noticed recently  when I press in a Zone coverage it causes my FS and SS switch sides which makes them have to cross the field to cover their zones which in turn leaves a streaking TE WIIIIIDE open in the seam.... really sucks. I did ot once and they switched so I audibled to something else and they were switching back mid play call and got an interception because the person I was playing called the same play... so weird.

I noticed that also especially when I'm in BNoG. On some zone plays if I press then my safeties will flip sides and have to cover the opposite side they just switched to. I just don't press on plays that do that but I don't know why it happens like that.