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Post by justryn2 on Jun 23, 2008 16:19:23 GMT -6
Over the years, I've heard strong opinions on both sides of this issue. I would like to know what the coaches on this board think. Some coaches tell me that they rarely or never allocate time for intra-team scrimmage in practice. Other coaches say they try to allow at least 20 minutes in every practice for scrimmage time.
Anecdotally, it seems to me that the coaches who allow more intra-team scrimmage time in practice generally have more success during the season. It also seems that their players enjoy practice a bit more. On the flip side, the board of our organization is, for the first time I think, asking coaches to have intra-team scrimmage NO MORE THAN one practice session each week and then for no more than 15 or 20 minutes.
Again, I would really like to hear from the coaches on this board about their approach to intra-team scrimmage in practice.
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Post by los on Jun 23, 2008 16:51:00 GMT -6
We had at least 30-45 minutes of scrimmage time per practice day(mon-thurs. pre-season).....this may be 1/2 line.....or like okie drills......seldom had enough kids for a full scrimmage, (although we did occasionally scrimmage the smaller guys on the school's 7th/8th grade team on mondays, as long as their season lasted)......we played on thurs evening, so when the season started, lightened up a little on weds......but continued mon and tues. scrimmage's.....to me, its like....you work on fundamental stuff early in practice, then use what you just learned in a "live" setting, at the end of practice....the kids liked it and in fact enjoyed the "live contact" everyday.
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Post by davecisar on Jun 23, 2008 18:01:27 GMT -6
Over the years, I've heard strong opinions on both sides of this issue. I would like to know what the coaches on this board think. Some coaches tell me that they rarely or never allocate time for intra-team scrimmage in practice. Other coaches say they try to allow at least 20 minutes in every practice for scrimmage time. Anecdotally, it seems to me that the coaches who allow more intra-team scrimmage time in practice generally have more success during the season. It also seems that their players enjoy practice a bit more. On the flip side, the board of our organization is, for the first time I think, asking coaches to have intra-team scrimmage NO MORE THAN one practice session each week and then for no more than 15 or 20 minutes. Again, I would really like to hear from the coaches on this board about their approach to intra-team scrimmage in practice. We get more out of fit and freeze work. YEs the kids love to scrimmage, but we make the earn the right. They crave contact, but we allocate it very wisely so that come the 13th week of the season they are still craving contact. We have rarely scrimmaged more than 20 minutes per WEEK after the first 2 weeks in pads and have gone 78-5 going that route Have only been out hit once in 83 games doing it this way. |
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Post by coachtabales on Jun 25, 2008 6:12:41 GMT -6
I've actually tried it both ways through the last 4-5 years trying to find a happy medium. However, regardless of which one I chose (every practice or maybe just 20 minutes a week) I usually came up with the same results, except in 2 different categories, one of them being injuries. Obviously you run a greater risk, but it's hard to say exactly how much more. The other is in actual quality of play. What I mean is that by scrimmaging almost every practice the kids were getting burnt out by week 7 or 8, and appeared to be just going through the motions in practice, and at game time not performing to their usual standard.
I usually scrimmage now (or at least last season) about once a week for about 30-40 minutes and do different things. For example this week it will be hard and fast 2 minute drills, next week it would be clock management for a whole quarter, etc.... It helps us polish up certain skills without the kids feeling like they are in boot camp. Keeps them hungry too, but more importantly, minimizes injuries.
Last season, by week 10, they were more aggressive then they were in week 1. I'm going to stick with that formula this year as well. Of course a lot of it depends on the kids you get too.
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Post by los on Jun 28, 2008 21:46:14 GMT -6
This post is a little off the scrimmage topic, but does fall in the practice schedule category.....so I guess its OK to post here......Coach D 's posts about the youth soccer in England and their apparent dissatisfaction, with the basic skills being taught at the lowest levels.....kinda got me thinking about the "universal" football skills, we as youth coach's try to teach? What are some of the "basic or universal" football skills, you'd want all your players to be proficient in, before they leave your program, and move on in their football careers?.....Try to be as specific as possible.......for example......everyone will say blocking, tackling, ball security, etc.....but what kind of tackling = chest to chest, shoulder, both, etc?....what kind of blocking = hands....crowther progression/shoulder, both?......Do we all teach the proper way to hold a football?....how to change arms fluidly?......how to read and cut off a block?......stuff like this.....then also, what kind of basic position/group skills do you teach?......like basic d-line skills.....def. back skills.....QB skills, etc....? How well do your players know the basic rules of football? Theres no right or wrong answers here......just a little self examination time, lol.....just curious, what you guys think and what you teach?
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Post by justryn2 on Jun 29, 2008 9:31:57 GMT -6
Excellent question los. I coach mostly 8th graders and, while the experience level varies from rookies to kids playing their fifth or sixth year of tackle football, so very few know some of the things I consider basic. I'll start with how to "break down" into a tackling position while running toward a ball carrier. I mean, you can't get to the fit, grasp and drive steps of the tackle if you cannot break down on the run.
The next item on my list would be footwork after contact. Again, at every experience level, I see players, whether its blocking or tackling, stop their feet after contact. It is so frustrating to watch a player get almost every aspect of the tackle correct and then end up on the ground holding air because he stopped his feet after contact.
Another point I emphasize is catching the football. I actually got this from the book "Football Skills & Drills" by Tom Bass, and his point is very valid. It doesn't matter what position on the field a player plays, knowing how to catch a football in the air is a crucial skill. One other skill I believe is under-taught is how to hit the ground. A player not prepared to hit the ground and come up quickly and ready to hit is just too easy to eliminate from a play.
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Post by youthfootballguru on Jun 30, 2008 11:16:33 GMT -6
Intra squad scrimmages are very important for game prep. The problem is that you have to coach on the run. You cannot stop practice everytime someone misses an assignment. If a Oline misses an assignment coach him up in huddle for the next play. If you dont you will run 15 plays in your 20 min. and that is not productive.
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Post by los on Jun 30, 2008 11:52:02 GMT -6
I agree with that coach....a "full" scrimmage isn't the right kind of situation, for correcting fundamental techniques.....a "full" scrimmage against "lesser" talented opponents, never told me anything much either, really a waste of time, since everything you run, "looks" really impressive.....the best "full" scrimmage situation (to me) was actually vs. a team some better than ours! Otherwise, you're almost better off, just running your offense vs "air", lol
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Post by eickst on Jun 30, 2008 15:37:46 GMT -6
I don't have enough kids to scrimmage unless I want my #1 offense going against MPPs on defense and vice versa.
Fit and freeze, half line, scenario specific drills, indys.
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Post by jhanawa on Sept 1, 2008 16:52:43 GMT -6
Our practice begins with dynamic stretches, then right into footwork drills as a team (except QB's, they do an entirely specialized regiment). From this we progress into a team hit drill, team hit and drive drill and team tackling. We then break into Indy groups (Oline/Backs/Receivers) and go over position specific techniques. The oline always starts with stances & starts, then works fits on barrels, bags and the sled, work live run and pass blocking vs dline and LB blitzes, while the backs/receivers do Indy techniques and then progress into run game playtiming and 7 on air passing game. When we are doing 7 on air, we have two groups running ( no huddle) with 2 qbs and a coach throwing, so at least 3 footballs are in the air every time we run a pattern. We'll then come together and do short yardage run game live for about 5 minutes, 5 minutes on air for screen period and then scrimmage for about 20 minutes live. We will do the same Indy group and group periods for defense and run Team D vs scout team for about 20 minutes. As we get into season, we only practice twice per week, so the format stays the same but the hitting is reduce on the second practice of the week, we'll do more against bags during team time.
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