A few questions actually.

How can you tell if someone is maxed out? I know you usually get the email saying that they're almost maxed out, but how do you know exactly when they do reach their peak? This might be helpful, so I would be able to put practice minutes in some place else.

Also, it seems that player's improve at a pretty decent rate at 11-12 minutes of practice time in a skill. Is there any point in practicing 20-25 minutes in a skill? HOw much improvement would you see in either situation?

Which is better? Have an A IQ in offense and B IQ in defense or vice versa, A IQ in defense and B IQ in offense?

The last update that added color coding to the player lists is the best way to decide where there's room for improvement right now.

My SR SF is maxed, and the assistant is still spamming me with "Ideas on Hubert Polk".  I redshirted him as a FR and it's paid off:

whatifsports.com/hd/PlayerProfile/Ratings.aspx

I usually go 20 minutes on any player who has high potential in key areas - usually conditioning and footwork for the ATH/SPD/STA and the DEF.  After that, it depends on where their potential is and where I see them fitting in.

On IQ, this is just me but I prefer higher IQ in defense.  Since I allocate equal time to both OFF and DEF, though, the IQs seem to rise about evenly.  I expect most of my players to be somewhere around a B IQ by the time they're sophs.

The color codings don't show when a player is maxed out, though. The only way to learn that is from the assistant coach max-out e-mail (which, as we've learned, could still mean there's a fractional point of gain left possible...). Basically, when you receive the e-mail, you can safely begin to reallocate the practice minutes. In the extremely rare case you notice the rating drop (it's highly uncommon, but it has been heard of) you can re-shift the numbers back until it re-maxes.

As for the number of minutes, I think the players guide says the law of diminishing returns for individual practice kicks in at 20 minutes in any individual skill. I've run higher than that with redshirts and guys who are just maxed in so many categories it leaves little choice but to go higher than 20 or sign them up for 45 minutes of study hall.