So now we have this great concept, the VPNFL, but we can't use it because it doesn't work with custom plays. Now what? Well, if it's possible to make a ratings system work within the confines of a standardized set of play plays, why not just adjust it some more until it works with custom? Sure it sounds easy, but there were two problems.

The first was that the goal had not changed... realism. Because custom plays don't always conform to real-life type formations and play calls, the most obvious indicator of this desired realism is in the stat totals. Just like the VPNFL, we didn't want to see teams with huge sack numbers, or offenses with absurd yardage or point totals. So we had to revise the ratings structure in such a way that the stats would look just as real as the VPNFL, even if the plays sometimes didn't.

The second issue was that the VPNFL system gives the offensive players advantages over their defensive counterparts. This is necessary to compensate for inadequecies in the AI in areas such as OL blocking, or the decisions made by ballcarriers in the running game and QB's and recievers in the passing game. But in the custom play world offenses are much more advanced (even when restricted by harsh play design rules) because they were developed to combat defenses filled with highly rated uber-defenders.

So in creating a revision of the VPNFL ratings the first thing that had to be done was to make the defenders a little more equal to the offense. The DL's and LB's couldn't be getting run over by the RB's. The LB's also had to be somewhat useful in coverage. The DB's had to be able to stay with the receivers, but the receivers still had to be able to make catches. TE's couldn't be simply super-sized WR's. Stat considerations like sacks, interceptions, QB rating, and rushing YPC had to be considered.

In the end, what was developed is still not perfect. The adjustment of exisiting leagues to the new system had to be done in a way that did not distort the relative values of each player to others at his position, so the overall talent level is too high initially. It took many tries to get the adjustment of the incoming rookie pool correct. Because of both of these factors there is still not a league out there in which all the players are a product of the FBPro Federation ratings system. But as each season passes, the leagues that have embraced the concept get closer to the intended goal!

So there you have it... the FBPro Federation play design rules and player ratings matrix. They aren't perfect, they aren't pretty, and sometimes they don't make a lot of sense. But if your league uses custom PPP and you want to watch games and see stats that are miles closer to real football than what you are used to, the FBPro Federation offers you an alternative. We hope you will join us!

Darrell L. Young - "the Czar", FBPro Federation