Stop Using Coach Suggestions — Formation Tab is Everything
Most players call plays wrong. They use Coach Suggestions — don't do this. Instead, press Right Bumper (RB on Xbox, R1 on PlayStation) to access the Formation tab. This single change will make you better at College Football 26.
Here's why: Coach Suggestions are full of bad plays. Plays like Slot Fade that don't work. You're sorting through garbage trying to find something decent. Formation tab lets you pick plays YOU know, plays YOU'VE practiced, plays that actually work together.
Think about real football — quarterbacks run plays they've repped a thousand times, not random suggestions from the sideline. Same logic applies here. When you call from formations, you build familiarity. You get reps. You create a SCHEME instead of random play calling.
Example: Gun Trips Tight End. You can call X Under (pass play), then Inside Zone (run play) from the exact same formation. Defense sees identical pre-snap look. You know both plays inside and out because you've been running them. That's how you build an offense.
How to Set Up Formation-Based Play Calling
Step 1: Pick 3-4 base formations. Don't go crazy with variety — master a few first.
Popular formations to start with:
- Gun Trips Tight End
- Singleback
- I-Form
- Pistol
Step 2: Learn 2-3 plays from each formation. Find plays that complement each other — one quick pass, one deeper route, one run play.
Step 3: Practice these plays against CPU first. Get comfortable with timing, routes, blocking schemes. Know where receivers are going without looking.
Step 4: Add counters. If you're running Inside Zone a lot, add Outside Zone or Play Action from same formation. Defense adjusts to stop your base plays — you counter with something that beats their adjustment.
Building Play Combinations
This is where formation calling gets powerful. You're not just calling random plays — you're building sequences that work together.
From Gun Trips Tight End:
- 1st down: Inside Zone (establish run)
- 2nd and short: X Under (quick pass, same look)
- 3rd and medium: Smash concept (beats common coverage)
Defense can't tell what's coming because the formation looks identical every time. YOU know exactly what you're doing because you've practiced these specific plays.
When to Use Formation Tab vs Other Options
Use Formation tab for:
- ALL play calling — seriously, just use this
- Building familiarity with your scheme
- Online games where you need precise execution
- Any time you want to improve
This applies to EVERYONE. Doesn't matter if you're playing CPU or online, doesn't matter your skill level. Formation calling makes you better.
Personal example: Back in Madden 17, started calling everything from Pistol Strong. Wasn't even a good scheme — but focusing on one formation and learning how plays worked together made me a much better player immediately.
What Makes Formation Calling Work
Repetition. When you run the same plays over and over, you learn:
- Timing on every route
- How blocking develops
- What beats different coverages
- Where to look pre-snap
- Quick reads vs coverage
You can't get this from Coach Suggestions because you're calling different random plays every time. No consistency = no improvement.
Formation calling also creates constraint theory — fancy term for simple concept. You establish something that works (like Inside Zone), then use plays that beat whatever defense does to stop it.
Common Mistakes with Formation Tab
Mistake #1: Picking too many formations. Stick to 3-4 max until you're really comfortable.
Mistake #2: Not learning complementary plays. Don't just find one good play per formation — find 2-3 that work together.
Mistake #3: Abandoning formations too quickly. Takes time to build familiarity. Stick with your base formations even when they're not working perfectly.
Mistake #4: Ignoring situational plays. Have answers for 3rd and long, red zone, 2-minute situations from your base formations.
Counter-Adjustments
Good opponents will adjust to your formations. When they do:
- Add new plays from same formation
- Use motion to create different looks
- Have 1-2 "change-up" formations ready
- Don't abandon your base — just expand it slightly
Formation tab isn't just about individual plays. It's about building a system where everything connects. Coach Suggestions can't do that — they're random plays with no relationship to each other.
Start simple. Pick formations. Learn plays. Build schemes. Stop using Coach Suggestions completely.