Showing posts with label football sytems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football sytems. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Youth Football: Implement your System
A big part of your practice plan in youth football will be system implementation and doing it without sacrificing working on fundamentals. The best tool to begin introducing your system is to use your chalkboard or dry-eraser board in the locker-room or classroom.
Start off with your defensive system. Draw it out on the board for them and explain each and every assignment position wise to each player. Reinforce it over and over in practice time. Don't be afraid to blow the whistle, stop the play, and explain the do's and don'ts of your system, and start again. Give your players hand-outs or playbooks, something that is visual, that they can take out again and again and look at.
Repetition is the key.
Drill it in them and ask them to buy into your system, make a commitment to it, and make good decisions within it. In the coming football practices, go over and over it again. Challenge the players who veer out of it, and go over the importance of team play. You'll soon see the results and for the most part the majority will get it. Be patient with the slow learners; again, reinforce it until they get it. A good team has good systems and your better players will thrive in a team orientated system as they will get more support compared to a run and gun system. Your average players will gain confidence within the system and become better football players that in the end will make your top players perform better.
Praise their efforts at all times and when you get your wins, praise the team system!
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Attacking the Zone and Man Football Defence
Recently I was asked what the best passing patterns to run versus a zone or man football defence.
First of all your football systems depend a large amount on your personnel that you have to run them. Based on that, you design or adopt a particular football system that your players have the means to thrive in. In other words you don't run a system that your players don't have the tools to operate.
Once you establish that system and your players thrive within it you will be able to make game adjustments within that football system that will be easy for players to adopt. One of the things that you will probably do at some point is to adjust your passing patterns based on what kind of football pass defence that you are up against whether it be man or zone defence.
One of the rules that I have adopted and it's easy to remember is: "Run away" from man and "Sit down" versus zone coverage. In other words, when adjusting football passing patterns versus a man coverage system, call crossing patterns or passing routes whereby your wide receiver is running away from the defensive back. Look for the mismatches where your wide receiver is basically a better athlete than the defender and is out running them. A lot of teams when up against a man coverage football system will isolate their best athlete versus a weaker defender and let his athletic ability get him open.
Versus zone coverage, the adjustment to make would be to get your players to "sit down" or stop and set up in the seams between the zones. Basically your wide receiver would run his route and look for the opening between zones, stop, set-up, while the quarterback would scan and find him open in the seams.
Rule of thumb: Run away from man and sit down versus zone!
Cheers!
First of all your football systems depend a large amount on your personnel that you have to run them. Based on that, you design or adopt a particular football system that your players have the means to thrive in. In other words you don't run a system that your players don't have the tools to operate.
Once you establish that system and your players thrive within it you will be able to make game adjustments within that football system that will be easy for players to adopt. One of the things that you will probably do at some point is to adjust your passing patterns based on what kind of football pass defence that you are up against whether it be man or zone defence.
One of the rules that I have adopted and it's easy to remember is: "Run away" from man and "Sit down" versus zone coverage. In other words, when adjusting football passing patterns versus a man coverage system, call crossing patterns or passing routes whereby your wide receiver is running away from the defensive back. Look for the mismatches where your wide receiver is basically a better athlete than the defender and is out running them. A lot of teams when up against a man coverage football system will isolate their best athlete versus a weaker defender and let his athletic ability get him open.
Versus zone coverage, the adjustment to make would be to get your players to "sit down" or stop and set up in the seams between the zones. Basically your wide receiver would run his route and look for the opening between zones, stop, set-up, while the quarterback would scan and find him open in the seams.
Rule of thumb: Run away from man and sit down versus zone!
Cheers!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Specialty Teams
A wise old coach once told me years ago "you can't cheat on special teams". He was absolutely right!
For youth football ,its important that you invest at least 15 minutes per practice into a specialty team. A lot of teams now will have a pre-practice specialties listed in their practice plan. Its as important as your football systems! Coaches expect their specialty players to be up on the field 10-15 minute prior to practice working on specialty fundamentals. Long and short snappers snapping for punt and field goal, holders holding,kickers kicking, and punt returners catching balls. With some programs limited to a 90 minute practice this pre-practice specialty time is invaluable and the return( no pun intended) will be noticed on game days.
Some youth coaches view specialties as a time to get some of your younger players on the field and give them a chance to play. They are making a mistake and setting these players up for failure. As special teams are such a big part of the game you need to have your best athletes on the field. Usually in real close games special teams will determine the difference.
Having your younger players out there sets them up for failure as most teams put out their best. You'd be asking them to do something their not ready to do yet, and set them up for some physical punishment. Like the old coach said " don't cheat on special teams".
Like all football systems, special teams have their individual assignments as well. Evaluate and choose your players wisely. Don't be afraid to shuffle the deck until you get the look you want! Make sure they know their assignments and hold them accountable to them.
Cheers!
For youth football ,its important that you invest at least 15 minutes per practice into a specialty team. A lot of teams now will have a pre-practice specialties listed in their practice plan. Its as important as your football systems! Coaches expect their specialty players to be up on the field 10-15 minute prior to practice working on specialty fundamentals. Long and short snappers snapping for punt and field goal, holders holding,kickers kicking, and punt returners catching balls. With some programs limited to a 90 minute practice this pre-practice specialty time is invaluable and the return( no pun intended) will be noticed on game days.
Some youth coaches view specialties as a time to get some of your younger players on the field and give them a chance to play. They are making a mistake and setting these players up for failure. As special teams are such a big part of the game you need to have your best athletes on the field. Usually in real close games special teams will determine the difference.
Having your younger players out there sets them up for failure as most teams put out their best. You'd be asking them to do something their not ready to do yet, and set them up for some physical punishment. Like the old coach said " don't cheat on special teams".
Like all football systems, special teams have their individual assignments as well. Evaluate and choose your players wisely. Don't be afraid to shuffle the deck until you get the look you want! Make sure they know their assignments and hold them accountable to them.
Cheers!
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