The traits that
make a quarterback
Physical tools get a quarterback noticed. The mental side decides whether a quarterback can run an offense. Crucible trains the mental side only, and each trait below says which side it is on.
Arm strength
Velocity and distance: driving the ball outside the numbers and down the field.
How it gets built: Lower-body and core strength, throwing mechanics and a throwing program. It gets built in the weight room and on the field, not on a screen.
Built on the field
Accuracy and ball placement
Putting the ball where only your receiver can catch it, at the right height and lead.
How it gets built: Footwork, a repeatable release and throwing reps with receivers. Decision-making helps too: an accurate ball to the wrong receiver is still a bad play.
Built on the field
Pre-snap reads
Seeing the coverage and the leverage of the defenders before the snap.
How it gets built: Film study and repetition against real coverage shells until each one is recognizable at a glance.
Trained in Crucible · Coverage guides
Progressions
Working through the reads of a play in order and finding the open receiver on time.
How it gets built: Learning what each passing concept is built to attack, then repping the progression against different looks.
Trained in Crucible · Passing concepts
Decision speed
Getting from snap to decision fast enough that the throw is still open.
How it gets built: Timed reps. Quarterbacks get faster once a read becomes recognition instead of calculation.
Trained in Crucible
Pocket presence
Feeling pressure, sliding to space and keeping your eyes downfield.
How it gets built: Live reps in practice and games. Knowing your hot reads ahead of time is the part that can be studied off the field.
Built on the field
Football IQ
Knowing why a play works: the routes, the coverage it beats and the answer when it does not.
How it gets built: Installs, film and quizzing yourself on the why, not just the what.
Trained in Crucible · Playbook library
Test the mental side
right now, free
These run in your browser with no account and no download.
Guess the Coverage
A new defensive coverage every day. Name it from the diagram and learn the tell.
QB Reads Quiz
A concept, a coverage and a defender’s reaction. Pick where the ball goes.
Football IQ Test
Questions built from real coverages and route diagrams, with a score at the end.
How Crucible
trains it
Crucible is a quarterback simulator for your phone. You read real coverages, make the throw, and every rep gets a SIM Score. Stats track completion, decision time and read accuracy over weeks, so you can see which traits are improving. The reps, coverages and installs come from coaches, Division I quarterbacks and NFL veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, Crucible's Chief QB Advisor. More on the quarterback simulator, or, for coaches, Crucible for coaches.
Questions
Is Crucible a create-a-player game?
Partly. You can customize how your quarterback looks: skin tone, voice, the name and number on your jersey, jersey colors and pattern, and helmet and shoe colors. There are no attribute sliders or ratings to level up, though. Crucible is a quarterback training game: what you build is your own reads and decision-making, and every rep is graded with a SIM Score.
Can I try anything without downloading an app?
Yes. Guess the Coverage, the QB Reads Quiz and the Football IQ Test all run in your browser, free and with no account.
What do I need for the full game?
A phone. Crucible runs on iPhone and Android, and coaches use the portal in any web browser.
Is it free to start?
Yes. The free plan lets you play and see your SIM Score. Premium adds full player stats and practice and playbook modes, and you can start with a free trial of Premium+.
