Fouls

[Qnextdoor]

There are a lot of early fouls. That makes it seem like there are more fouls. I'll have 1-2 players in foul trouble 5 minutes in the game. It slows down later in the half. I don't think
I can't play my starters all 40 minutes, with the intensity all the way down, without 2-3 payers fouling out.

[Qnextdoor]

I was playing in March Madness and we were down by 11 at half. We cut ended up tying the game. And then my team committed 8 fouls in a row, and we ended up losing by 20. I tried turning my intensity down, but my team kept fouling repeatedly. This was a game we could have easily won, but the other team ended up taking over 10 free throws in about 3 minutes of play. I don't think the defensive intensity works. The number of fouls might be accurate to real life, but how often they are called doesn't seem realistic to life. Honestly, I felt cheated out that game. That was my game to win. It also doesn't help that my leading scorer is always the first one to pick up a foul. If I turn my defensive intensity down, I would think my players are playing very far off, and if that's the case I don't understand how my players are fouling so much.

[PointGuard]

THAT is something I've NEVER experienced in all the games I've played (and that's a lot of games). I certainly can't explain what you experiences, so again, I'd suggest you send game files to Gary.

[Qnextdoor]

I sent in a ticket hopefully it gets fixed. I like playing out every game, but I’m just not having fun anymore. How did my team commit 20 fouls in the first half but none in the second? 20 fouls is very standard, but only playing my starters for a combined 20 minutes in a half and having 7 players with 2+ fouls, doesn’t seem standard. I tried resting my game and I don’t want to keep sending in tickets. I already sent one a while ago and haven’t received a response. There’re many things I enjoy about this game, but I enjoy playing in the 2D sim and adjusting based on what I’m watching. I read all the scouting reports and look at the opposing team before I play them. I know who is guarding who before the game starts. I take my time and spend months going through 1 season. Fouls has been a problem in previous years. I know if this isn’t true, but it feels like there’s a set number of fouls pre-simulated. Whenever my defensive intensity is all the way down, we are still committing fouls and they are still scoring at ease. I have no problem losing, but I don’t want to feel like I’m being cheated. I'm constantly frustrated and I don't feel like I have a real shot of winning. What adjustments can I make? If I turn my defensive intensity down, we still foul at the same rate and we give up more points. If I turn the pace up, there are more possessions between the teams, but it gives more chances for us to commit fouls. Every game I'm forced to play my bench players more than my starting lineup. How my supposed to win if I can't even play my best players? I have my bench going against other starting lineups. I'm constantly having games where are my players or committing crazy amount foul. Is almost like they go on a uncontrollable fouling spree. It's hard to win when other teams are constantly shooting the same amount of free throws as field goals. And I notice the fouls might be the same, but the number of free throws will always be higher for the other team. I'm now eight seasons in and I can count on my hands the number of times my team had more free throws than the other team. This been my favorite game for years, I'm disappointed but the "coaching side" if the game. I wish there were more adjustments you could make, more things to say to your team ("watch the turnovers", "you're doing good", "crash the glass"), the ability to change postions at the begaining of the year, more sets (everyone is running the same offense). I want to feel like I'm coaching and not watching. I make every sub, so the number of fouls stands out more because every dead ball I'm forced the take someone out. 28/40 from the line and 21/44 from the field compared to my 11/15 from the line and 21/53 from the field, stands out a lot. I don't know if I'm the only one experiencing this issue, but it stands out so much because of the amount of time I spend on this game. I heard others talk about the early fouls before, but I'm just want to have a fair game. I would prefer less fouls on both sides. The game already has a lot of stops and its taking longer for me to finish the game. It don't feel like I'm watching basketball, I'm watching a free throw simulation.

[PointGuard]

You make some interesting and good points about how coaching of games could be expanded in the future.

I too have tried to determine how much adjusting the intensity really affects fouling and how much it changes how effective my defense is...but to be honest, I've not really figured it out.

With respect to fouls, you seem to be experiencing things that are different from me. I feel that the number of early fouls has been toned down a little by Gary, but yeah like a real life coach, when a starter picks up his 2nd foul in the first half and I have to sit him, I'm not happy about it. The number of fouls and the number of free throws is not really all that much different between my team and my opponents. Some games the fouls (and number of free throws) are about the same between the two teams, some games my team makes more fouls (and the opponents therefore get to the line more) and some games the opposing team makes more fouls and my team gets more free throws. I'm able to play my starters pretty much as I like. I typically tend to play a deep bench but on my present team my starters are averaging 21-27 mpg (which is a little less that normal for me, but my starters aren't all that strong on this team). My starters are averaging 1.6 to 2.1 fouls/game. I very seldom have a player foul out (and that's the same as i've experience with all my teams in the past). I do typically get a couple players who get charged with 2 fouls in the first half and I typically sub them out for the rest (or most of the rest) of the half. In the 2nd half, 1 or 2 players may pick up their 3rd foul in the first portion of the half and I usually sit them until after the midpoint of the half. Seldom do I have a player with 4 fouls and hardly ever does a player foul out. Here's the numbers for the 14 games my team has played this season:



It's good you are looking closely at things as you play out your games and trying to make adjustments. I'm sorry to hear you're frustrated. I hope Gary is able to look at your association and see if there is some reason why you're seeing your team often get assessed more fouls than your opponent and why you're having to play your bench more than your starters.

[Qnextdoor]

Thats a nice graph. I will play out 10 games and share my results. What's your intensity at? Mine is 1 click below the normal pressure. Also i'll include the time range these fouls are committed. Since i already played 2 games, I won't include the range for thoese games.

Game 1:
My team
29 fouls, 8/16ft, 1 players with 4 fouls, 2 players with 5 fouls
Other team
13 fouls, 28/40ft, 0 players with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls

Game 2:
My team
19 fouls, 11/15ft, 1 player with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls
Other team
15 fouls, 17/23ft, 1 payer with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls

Game 3:
My team
19 fouls, 38/47ft, 1 player with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls, 2 fouls in the first 5 minutes of the 1st half, 3 fouls in the last 5 minutes in the 1st half, 1 foul in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 3 fouls in the final 5 minutes
Other team
28 fouls, 24/26ft, 3 players with 4 fouls, 1 player with 5 fouls, 5 fouls in the first 5 minutes of the 1st half, 2 fouls in the last 5 minutes in the 1st half, 3 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 7 fouls in the final 5 minutes.
Key Note: The game was very close at the end, 5 fouls were intentional fouls.

Game 4:
My team
22 fouls, 17/24ft, 2 players with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls, 2 fouls in the first 5 minutes of the 1st half, 3 fouls in the last 5 minutes of the 1st half, 2 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the first 2nd half, 4 fouls in the final 5 minutes.
Other team
19 fouls, 22/27ft, 2 players with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls, 3 foul in the first 5 minutes of the 1st half, 2 fouls in the last 5 minutes of the 1st half, 1 foul in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 4 fouls in the final 5 minutes.
Key Notes: The game was very close at the end, 3 fouls were intentional fouls. 1 of the players on my team with 4 fouls, only played 8 minutes. The other player was a starter and he played 17 minutes.

Game 5:
My team
21 fouls, 25/29ft, 1 player with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls, 2 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 1st half, 2 fouls in the last 5 minutes of the 1st half, 5 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 1 foul in the final 5 minutes.
Other team
22 fouls, 16/29ft, 3 players with 4 fouls, o players with 5 fouls, 3 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the first half, 3 fouls in the last 5 minutes of the 1st half, 5 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 2 fouls in the final 5 minutes.
Key Notes: 3 starters on my team had 2 fouls at half. There were a combined 10 fouls in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half. My team entered the bonus at 13:43 in the 2nd half. This game was competive until the last 7 minutes.

Game 6:
My team
21 fouls, 12/14ft, 1 player with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls, 1 foul in the 1st 5 minutes of the 1st half, 4 fouls in the last 5 minutes in the 1st half, 3 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 2 fouls in the final 5 minutes.
Other team
12 fouls, 18/24ft, 1 player with 4 fouls, 0 players with 5 fouls, 4 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 1st half, 1 foul in the last 5 minutes of the 1st half, 2 fouls in the 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half, 1 foul in the final 5 minutes.
Key Note: At the end of the 1st half we had 12 fouls to there 7. Free throws were even at half and the game was very close. 3 of my players were in foul trouble athe end of the half. Fouls slowed down for the other team at half, but no for mine. At one point, the other team shot free throw on 4 possessions in a row. My team wasn't making shots at the end and our shots were getting blocked like crazy. The other team ended with 10 blocks (good defense). My team hasn't shot a single free throw in the 2nd half. I can't blame this game completely on fouls. We weren't making shots and they were making theirs. Obviously there was a foul difference. I think the game could be a little closer if we had a couple of free throws.

Looking at your table, I don't think I've had a game under 10 fouls yet. I'm also going to track how often fouls are called on the same possession. Based on these 6 games, you can kinda see the problem. I don't think my intensity matches the number of fouls.

[NCAAhoops]

Yes you seem to be experiencing something that is abnormal. The NCAA DI average fouls per game is about 17 total fouls for 1 team. While I have guys get in foul trouble, it's not every game. Just curious what are some of your starters Discipline rating?

[PointGuard]

What's your intensity at?

My intensity for this team is typically set at 7. I very seldom drop it lower. Sometimes I will max it up if I'm behind late and think I have a chance to catch up.

It's not uncommon for either my opponent or my team to intentionally foul at end of a close game, but the AI is more likely to do so than me since I find it to be almost always an unsuccessful strategy.

[Qnextdoor]

Yes you seem to be experiencing something that is abnormal. The NCAA DI average fouls per game is about 17 total fouls for 1 team. While I have guys get in foul trouble, it's not every game. Just curious what are some of your starters Discipline rating?

My average discipline rating is 52.8 for my starters. My average discipline rating is 44.4 for my bench. Total average is 48.6 for every player that plays.
PG- 63
SG- 63 (playing a PG at SG)
SF- 45
PF- 50
C- 43 (playing a PF at C)
Bench
SF- 45
PG- 54
PF- 50
SG- 42
C- 31 (Doesn't play a lot of minutes)

Rating changes throughout the season and are based on my coaching ratings. My scouting rating is at a 36, so all these ratings could be completely wrong. My other coaching ratings are around 50. I don't understand why my scouting rating isn't progressing.

[PointGuard]

Those are better discipline ratings that my team has.