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http://cust10.myfootballnow.com/watch/349#67737

Scenario; 4th and 5, 1:39 left in game, opposition have ball around redzone. FG is made to put opponent 6 points up - but opposition declined an offsides penalty. Isn't defensive offsides a 5yd penalty + automatic first down? Given the lack of time left in the game as I had no timeouts left, surely the AI made the wrong decision?

Take the penalty, opponents can then kneel to run the clock out. They could be adventurous and go for the TD to make it a two score game. The former would be the way virtually everyone else would go; I'd suggest giving the ball back settling for the 3 points was sub-optimal as it gave my side the ball with enough time to potentially win.

Defensive offsides is not an automatic first down but is only a 5yd penalty, defensive holding is an automatic 1st.

Looking at the spot of ball and the first down marker you still would have had 4th and inches so the AI will decline and take the points

Ah, makes sense then - thought it was an automatic.

Either way it's still a bit baffling. Go for it 4th and inches and fail, I'd still have to go 85 yards in 1:39 with no timeouts. As it stood, return guy took the ball to the 13 - could have broken a big run or there could have been a touchback.

Three points wasn't going to make it a two score game. Taking the penalty and going for it would have been the best min-max result, surely?

Maybe, but we dont control penalties and have yet to see the AI take points off the board unless its a 1st down from the penalty.

Personally I hate 3rd or 4th and inches, would rather have a 3rd and 6 or so because seems I get stuffed for a loss on most of those (and inches) plays..lol

Agree on the AI issue.

I could understand declining the penalty if it had made it a 9, 10, 11 point game. Two scores in 1:39, odds generally against that.

In declining and taking the points the whole risk/reward was out of balance massively. Convert a 4th and inches and the game was dead - I had no timeouts hence couldn't do anything. Fail to convert the 4th and inches I'd still have had to driven 85 yards with no timeouts. Taking the FG gave me a big chance; a touchback would have meant driving 5 less yards - if my kr had ripped off a big gain then the balance of the game would have been more towards me.

Yes, driving 60-75 yards gave a shot at tying the game if the FG was missed/4th and inches try failed but still, convert a very short distance and the game was won.

If they failed to convert the 4th, you would have only had to go about 50 yards (give or take) in order to get into FG range to tie the game.

By taking the 3 points, you had to go 85 yards and score a TD.

Personally, I would have gone for it, if this was real life. But, I would have also been able to coach up my team and have a QB that could call an audible if needed, or call a TO if the defense has stacked the box too much.

As Morbid says, it's tough to make those 3rd/4th and short runs in MFN.

Keeping the 3 was the "conservative" approach. I wish we could determine our own strategy for these types of situations (dealing w/ penalties).