Retro Bowl Passing Explained: Bullet, Lob, Scramble and Where to Aim

Retro Bowl gives you one thing to do on every play and it is the hardest thing in football: throw the ball. The mechanic is a slingshot. You click on the field and drag in the opposite direction of the receiver you want, a dotted line shows the path, and you release to throw. Everything else is timing.

Drag distance is power, not just direction

A long drag is a hard throw that gets to the receiver quickly and stays low. A short drag is a soft throw that hangs in the air. Hard throws beat a defender who is closing from the side; soft throws only work when the receiver is already past his man. On a crossing route, wait until the receiver is a step ahead of the defender, then drag long and straight. Do not lead him more than a body length: the game already puts the ball where he will be.

Bullet versus lob

Right-click while you are aiming to switch between a bullet and a lob. The bullet is a line drive that a linebacker in the throwing lane can pick off. The lob goes over that linebacker and comes down on the receiver, but it takes longer, so a safety over the top has time to arrive. Rule of thumb: a defender between the quarterback and the receiver means lob; a defender beside or behind the receiver means bullet.

Reading the play

The routes are set before the snap. Look at where each receiver is running and pick one before the pocket starts to close, because the line only holds for two or three seconds. The receiver nearest the sideline is the safe throw: an incomplete pass there rarely turns into an interception. The deep route is for third and long or when the safety has bitten on a run fake.

Running plays

Click the blue circle at the snap to hand off. While the back runs, press W or S to side-step defenders and drag back to slow him down and let a block form. With the quarterback, drag backwards and release to scramble, then drag forwards to dive; the dive ends the play but keeps the ball.

Two habits that stop interceptions

First, do not throw late. If the receiver has stopped moving or the defender has caught up, throw it away towards the sideline; an incompletion is a wasted down, an interception is a wasted drive. Second, do not throw across the field into the middle. The middle is where the linebackers live, and a bullet across the formation is the pass they wait for.

Kicking

Field goals and punts use the same two-click meter: the first click sets power, the second sets direction as the marker crosses the centre. A kicker with a high accuracy rating widens the sweet spot, which is why he is worth a second-round pick.