Importing Plays In Madden from Head Coach

by pastapadre
Posted August 17th, 2008 at 4:52 pm

The integration between NFL Head Coach 09 and Madden 09 is limited to the exporting of plays from Head Coach to Madden. I wanted to try this out in an effort to see how easily it can be done and how well it works. What I found is that it’s relatively easy but doesn’t work exactly as expected.

I’ve put together a video going through the entire process, from the creation and exporting of a play in Head Coach to the importing and usage of a play in Madden. Continue on to watch it as well as read my thoughts on the feature.

The first thing to do is to either create plays or just download ones that others have created. Once that is done head into “Export Created Plays” section of My Coach-Playbooks and choose which ones you want to export. When you save that it’ll create the file that is drawn from in Madden.

Now when you start up a Play Now, Practice, or Franchise game in Madden it’ll automatically load the Head Coach file. Regardless of what team is being used those plays will now be available. When flipping through the formations there will now be a Head Coach one that includes the custom plays.

Here are the problems that arose though…

The passing icons are mixed up. You’ll see Deion Branch on the right assigned to A for example, when that position has traditionally received the B. Instead B went to the tight end. Engram in the slot has X instead of the Y that would be expected. I wondered if this might be based on progression, but I don’t see how that would be the case here.

Motion doesn’t carry over. You’ll see Branch doesn’t motion before the snap even though I had set him to in the play.

The players involved are mixed up. Nate Burleson was in the slot in my created play but here it is Bobby Engram. This is probably what happens if the depth charts on the two games are different. So Madden is taking the play and putting the particular players in those positions based on the depth charts and not the players. I can understand why this would be needed so that the play could apply to all teams or player movement, it just wasn’t what I had expected to happen. Also Justin Forsett is replaced with TJ Duckett which is another depth chart move given that Madden doesn’t have Forsett on the roster.

I’ve removed much of the loading time from the video below, as I go from start to finish to demonstrate how the procedure is done.

So in the end I would have difficulty using a created play because of the passing icons being out of whack, but losing motion from them also detracts from the effectiveness of the feature. Keep in mind to design the plays with the depth chart in Madden in mind if you are planning on utilizing specific players in certain spots. Hopefully in the future they allow created plays to be used in unranked online games as well. The integration between the two titles is a great idea but just doesn’t appear very useful for this year based on my observations.

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Justin

To what extent can you create plays in head coach? For example can you line another player up in the quarterback position to take a snap like Alabama did with McFadden or Miami did with Brown? Run reverses? etc.?
Justin

To what extent can you create plays in head coach? For example can you line another player up in the quarterback position to take a snap like Alabama did with McFadden or Miami did with Brown? Run reverses? etc.?
Justin

To what extent can you create plays in head coach? For example can you line another player up in the quarterback position to take a snap like Alabama did with McFadden or Miami did with Brown? Run reverses? etc.?
carlo

can you delete a created play?
carlo

can you delete a created play?
carlo

can you delete a created play?
DawgPound

I think you can only use the created plays in the “Play Now” option of Madden. I’m not positive about that, but pretty sure that’s what I read somewhere else. If that’s not the case, then I’m having issues too because I never saw any of my plays in “Franchise” mode.
DawgPound

I think you can only use the created plays in the “Play Now” option of Madden. I’m not positive about that, but pretty sure that’s what I read somewhere else. If that’s not the case, then I’m having issues too because I never saw any of my plays in “Franchise” mode.
DawgPound

I think you can only use the created plays in the “Play Now” option of Madden. I’m not positive about that, but pretty sure that’s what I read somewhere else. If that’s not the case, then I’m having issues too because I never saw any of my plays in “Franchise” mode.
deeznutz

in francise mode during the game when looking through formation look 4 headcoach,it is usally between goal line and sp.teams.
i am also verry dissapointed in the game,i think carreer mode sucks a$$,also the fact that u cant export an entire playbook.i bought the sp.edition for the reason of exporting my ply.bk.
deeznutz

in francise mode during the game when looking through formation look 4 headcoach,it is usally between goal line and sp.teams.
i am also verry dissapointed in the game,i think carreer mode sucks a$$,also the fact that u cant export an entire playbook.i bought the sp.edition for the reason of exporting my ply.bk.
deeznutz

in francise mode during the game when looking through formation look 4 headcoach,it is usally between goal line and sp.teams.
i am also verry dissapointed in the game,i think carreer mode sucks a$$,also the fact that u cant export an entire playbook.i bought the sp.edition for the reason of exporting my ply.bk.
Rockne

Help! I can’t find my imported plays on PS3 either. I’ve looked in play now, franchise, everywhere, but cannot find the plays. Maybe its a PS3 issue?
Rockne

Help! I can’t find my imported plays on PS3 either. I’ve looked in play now, franchise, everywhere, but cannot find the plays. Maybe its a PS3 issue?
Rockne

Help! I can’t find my imported plays on PS3 either. I’ve looked in play now, franchise, everywhere, but cannot find the plays. Maybe its a PS3 issue?
Jazzy

Not a PS3 issue I am having a problem with the created plays as well.
I see the file loading (HCEXPORT) and when I go in to Practice Mode/Play Now Mode there is NO Headcoach formation. I have no idea what is wrong with it.
Jazzy

Not a PS3 issue I am having a problem with the created plays as well.
I see the file loading (HCEXPORT) and when I go in to Practice Mode/Play Now Mode there is NO Headcoach formation. I have no idea what is wrong with it.
Jazzy

Not a PS3 issue I am having a problem with the created plays as well.
I see the file loading (HCEXPORT) and when I go in to Practice Mode/Play Now Mode there is NO Headcoach formation. I have no idea what is wrong with it.
Jazzy

sorry I was using the 360.
From another Board:
I figured out how to do it, I will post it just in case someone has the same problem. It appears you can't correctly export and use the plays made in your career on Madden, you can only do it from the main menu.

What you have to do is upload your plays from your career by going to playbook and manage plays (your limit is 6 at a time), then quit the career and then download "my plays" and then you can properly export these plays to Madden. If you have a lot of plays to export you have to delete the downloaded plays from the server and repeat these steps until all your plays are moved to the main menu. Don't forget to save your profile as well.
Jazzy

sorry I was using the 360.
From another Board:
I figured out how to do it, I will post it just in case someone has the same problem. It appears you can't correctly export and use the plays made in your career on Madden, you can only do it from the main menu.

What you have to do is upload your plays from your career by going to playbook and manage plays (your limit is 6 at a time), then quit the career and then download "my plays" and then you can properly export these plays to Madden. If you have a lot of plays to export you have to delete the downloaded plays from the server and repeat these steps until all your plays are moved to the main menu. Don't forget to save your profile as well.
Jazzy

sorry I was using the 360.
From another Board:
I figured out how to do it, I will post it just in case someone has the same problem. It appears you can't correctly export and use the plays made in your career on Madden, you can only do it from the main menu.

What you have to do is upload your plays from your career by going to playbook and manage plays (your limit is 6 at a time), then quit the career and then download "my plays" and then you can properly export these plays to Madden. If you have a lot of plays to export you have to delete the downloaded plays from the server and repeat these steps until all your plays are moved to the main menu. Don't forget to save your profile as well.
DAVIES

Do these playus work online in Madden?
DAVIES

Do these playus work online in Madden?
DAVIES

Do these playus work online in Madden?
justin ramon

can you create playaction plays in HeadCoach?? i've had this game since it first came out and I can't find the playaction icon in the Qb setting, i saw it in the PrimaGuide as an opition for the QB. Please help , Also what is you with the roll out option?? My Qb just jogs very slowly to the roll out point and throws in the run all the time.
justin ramon

can you create playaction plays in HeadCoach?? i've had this game since it first came out and I can't find the playaction icon in the Qb setting, i saw it in the PrimaGuide as an opition for the QB. Please help , Also what is you with the roll out option?? My Qb just jogs very slowly to the roll out point and throws in the run all the time.
justin ramon

can you create playaction plays in HeadCoach?? i've had this game since it first came out and I can't find the playaction icon in the Qb setting, i saw it in the PrimaGuide as an opition for the QB. Please help , Also what is you with the roll out option?? My Qb just jogs very slowly to the roll out point and throws in the run all the time.
Edward

can i use a created team online in madden 09 for ps3?
if not can i use a created player for online play?

i tried placing player on the team i wanted, and it ask me if i wanted to save under roster-online , so i did, think it would import that player to the team online, it doesn't.
Edward

can i use a created team online in madden 09 for ps3?
if not can i use a created player for online play?

i tried placing player on the team i wanted, and it ask me if i wanted to save under roster-online , so i did, think it would import that player to the team online, it doesn't.
Edward

can i use a created team online in madden 09 for ps3?
if not can i use a created player for online play?

i tried placing player on the team i wanted, and it ask me if i wanted to save under roster-online , so i did, think it would import that player to the team online, it doesn't.