Off-Season Breakdown

I am going to go into detail a little detail on how we self scout and evaluate our offense during the off-season. Typically this is the first thing we do and I usually start the day after our last game (usually I can’t believe I’m not game planning that day anyways).

                First I make a cut up of each one of our blocking schemes in the run game (Inside Zone, Stretch, Power, Counter, Trap, and Iso) and each one our passing concepts (Smash, Curl/Flat, 4 Verts, etc) then I begin to evaluate the efficiency of each run.

                When evaluating efficiency I do not divide the total yardage by number of attempts to create a yard per play average (I.E. 10 attempts for 100 yards = 10 Yards per attempt) because one of those plays could have been an 80 yard gain, which would greatly skew the results and the perception of the efficiency of the play. Due to this I picked up this system from the University Of Maryland:

For the offensive run game a play is efficient if…

1^st & 10: Gain 4+ Yards

2^nd Down: Gain Half the Total Distance to Go

3^rd Down: Gain A First Down

Also as we evaluate a runs efficiency we note the why the play was/was not effective. I.E. Didn’t combo off to LB, Ran into unblocked defender, etc.

We make these cut ups and break down efficiency for these reasons:

1.       Evaluate What Plays Have Been Most Successful For Us

2.       Evaluate Why Or Why Not These Plays Were Or Were Not Successful (focus offseason and teaching emphasis)

3.       Cut Ups Of each Concept Make For Great Teaching Tape

After completing the off-season efficiency report we then begin a detailed self scouting report. This self scouting report consists of:

1.       Formation

2.       Down & Distance

3.       Hash

4.       Personnel

1.       Formation Breakdown – When we break down formation tendency we are primarily looking for two things. The first is strongside/weakside run. We want to ensure we are balanced running the ball to either side of the formation. The second thing we look for is run/pass ration from each formation. We want to find the run heavy formations from the prior season that you might not have picked up on during the season. If we find this uneven mix we want to try and either add a play action or drop back passing compliment out of this formation.

2.       Down And Distance – The next thing we want to do is compile a thorough down and distance report from the prior season. Our offensive philosophy is to strive for balance. We want to ensure we are striving for balance within our down and distance situations as well as the entire game. Forcing this balance as an offensive play caller in all down and distance situations will limit defenses from finding glairing tendency from down to down.

3.       Hash – There are certain hash tendencies that you can’t avoid. For instance we had a serious hash tendency to only sprint out to our right, because our right handed QB could not throw to his left. This was a hash tendency we as a staff knew about and were willing to live with (we did sprint to the left just, but the QB typically kept the ball). There are other tendency you will find from the hash (I.E. run to the field, pass to field, etc) that you will want to know about as a play caller.

4.       Personnel – This is huge for us. We use so many personnel grouping that we have to make a conscious effort to not become predictable from our groupings. If you are a Wing-T team that never changes personnel then this obviously isn’t important. Very often when I was coaching defense we would run into those teams that put a particular runningback in for screens, or a different Receiver to run the fly sweep.

After finishing these reports we get direction as to what we want to research, and get better at, as well as how we can get better at the installation process.

Offensive Philosophies

I don't know if these are philosophies or just goals of running an offense; however they are what I stand by throughout the season.

Now before I go on I'd like to ensure my viewers (all 2 of you) that discussion of actual schematic football both offensive, defensive, and special teams is to come on this blog. I am choosing to go over the installation, and organization process first because I believe that is what truly wins you games. Everyone knows how to block the power play, and inside zone. The key is who can install it, teach it, and rep it the best (of course with good athletes).

-Back to Philosophies- I think the key to having philosophies or goals is to revisit them weekly to ensure you are keeping on track with them. It is is easy to write a long winded philosophy sheet during the clinic season only to loose track of it come season.

With that being said these are 12 things I stick by throughout the season that I think make me a better playcaller, teacher, and coach.

1. Win - No exceptions, Anyway Necessary. Have no ego - running an offense that doesn't put your players in a position to win is a waste of your time.

2. Have A System - Don't grab bag, invent, or create during the season (as best as possible). Only refine, rep, and perfect. Have a dedicated and detailed installation plan.

3. Don't Get Board Of Details and Reps - It is our job as coaches to tirelessly rep the details of our position groups, don't tire of this, and don't allow your position groups to tire of the details. We as coaches must constantly think of new ways to teach the critical aspects of the game to avoid redundancy.

4. Put The Majority Of Learning In The Hands Of Few - My girlfriend assures me that this statement doesn't make sense. What it means is that our system is built and maintained for easy adjustments by certain players to give the look of multiplicity while maintaining simplicity. Tags and variations only affect the players absolutely necessary while maintaining norm upfront.

5. Simple Yet Multiple - #4 leads to #5. We want to be a multiple team employing a lot of shifts, motions, unbalanced lines, and formations while maintaining a between scheme and formation for continuity.

6. Practice Situationaly - All our group, 7 on 7, and team periods have a situational emphasis. Either down and distance or critical situation. This has helped avoid uncertainty of players on game night and has lead to more efficient practice time.

7. Think Players Not Plays - Get the ball in the hands of the players that can move it. Have categories on your call sheet with specific plays designed for your playmakers.

8. Force The Defense To Defend The field Horizontally and Vertically - This is not just done by spreading the field with formation (although that is the first step). Once you have them spread you must keep them spread by incorporating what Chris Brown calls constraint plays. These plays force the defense to maintain sound alignments to your formations and when they don't these plays are designed to capitalize. For us we use Bubble/smoke screen to the wide receiver/slot, draw, and play action to constrain the defense.

9. Be Willing And Capable Of Making In Game Adjustments - When all else is equal the team that makes the best adjustments will win the game.

10. Don't Allow The Defensive Line To Get In Rhythm - Do this by mixing the snap count, cutting the defensive line early and often, varying the QB's launch point (Drop Back, Sprint Out, Play Action) and Changing the QB's Passing Clock (Quick, Drop Back, Sprint Out), as well as incorporating the Screen and Draw game.

11. Have A Language - Force Coaches and Players to speak the same language. Do this by having specific terms/"Buzz words".

12. Practice As If It Were Game Day - Have personnel substitutions come from the sideline, force tempo to the line of scrimmage, and build a finish to every indy, group, and team period you do.

These are just things I try to ensure get done with my team. I stole all of it from better coaches then my self. To give credit alot was taken from Shawn Watson, Tony Franklin, Bill Williams, Chris Brown, and Bill Walsh

* Would love to hear your philosophies in hopes of adding to mine.