1. How often do teams practice during the season? I just can't figure that out...
2. How much time per set/defense is too much and trips over the 'diminishing returns' line?
3. Do 'Practice' coaches on staff really impact the pace of learning and development? I have a good one right now and we are improving at a snails pace compared to other years...

I have played these games since the very beginning, and used to think I had a grip. But I do not go and deconstruct and trace the actual realistic effects of number of practices and time on set. I just proceed in the hope that it all is close to real life (I am a RL bball coach with 27 years at the public school secondary level). I am starting to doubt a bit now, but maybe I am just clueless to the differences between 'gaming' and rl coaching!

So I have begun some testing and trying... Still do not have most of my answers, but it seems that there is a difference in learning sets based on practice time...more time is better, but not a whole lot. I set practice at 50% for a particular defense, and 10% for another. 50% group improved in their knowledge between 4-6 points over a month, 10% group 2-3 points.
Offensively it was the same...a 10% set improved 2-3 points over a month.
I did find that player skills and attributes did not change one bit during that month - this does not seem realistic at all. Most players improve in some ways during the season, and some can even regress, but no changes at all. What purpose do those ratings serve...?

Playing time is at least as big a factor as practice time in learning O and D sets in this game. The guys who get lots of PT learn quicker but it takes a while.

Just as an FYI, here's what I do:

Main O: 20 min.
2nd O: 15 min.
Man to man D: 20 min.
2-3: 10 min.
3-2: 10 min.
Man to man FC press: 10 min.
I leave the 3 Zone offenses at 5 min each.

Remember: You need to have the Strategy page match the Practice Planning page for this to be effective.