Do you always defer?

Chance of scoring on opening drive is very low, chance of 3 and out is pretty high, then field position is set for much of first quarter unless someone scores.
As an offensive coach I always want the ball first if I think we are going to be able to move the ball.

As a ball control offense, we always take the ball when we win the toss. I would say that in the past two seasons plus the first three games of this season, we have scored on about 66% of our opening drives.

I usually defer. As someone else said, its not that easy to score on the first possession; sometimes the players need a few hits to get into the game, sometimes the offense is "feeling out" the defense, etc. Usually, though not always, it means you get the last possession of the first half and the first possession of the second half. That's two chances to score without giving the opposition a chance. Having said that, if I know from scouting that my team is clearly superior to the opposition, I take the ball if I win the toss.

We are a veer team so we don't worry about "feeling out a defense." Our defense on the other hand seems to always play on their heels the first drive. We always take the ball.

We don't always defer -- example - wet, muddy conditions - field and game ball may be at their best at the beginning of the game.

got this from former Delaware head coach tubby Raymond.

would like to know other things you learned from Tubby

So you kick off both halves by choice, airman ?

Against the DW is the only time I don't defer.

But coach...talking about the time of the avg scoring drive is a discussion on time of possession. Kicking off both halves is the equivalent of a turnover each game.

I always want the ball. My college coach told me one that if you screw up on on offense it is second down, if you screw up on defense it is 6 points. so we want our offense out there to shake off the nerves.

Airman, I am with the other coaches on this.
If you choose to kick, then you are GIVING the other team the ball both halves. It seems asinine to do this unless you can be positive that your defense will make them go 3 and out and then you get the ball in better field position. If this is the case, you should just score once, and then punt the ball on first down the rest of the game because of your faith in your defense.

I want the ball so I can start answering questions about how the other team is going to handle what I do. How will they adjust to this formation, how do they adjust to motion, what coverage will they be in to this set? I can answer at least three questions in the first three plays that may impact how I call the rest of the game. That, to me, is important.

It depends on how good my kicker and KO or KOR team is.

There is a method to my madness. Most you coaches have or are old school mentality which there is nothing wrong with. you believe in controling the clock, you believe in controling the ball through running the ball. you believe in TOP.

I am a passing coach. If I never had to run the ball I would be the happiest guy in the world. when you have this mentality you approach things in a different light.

you old school guys when you are facing a passing team in your mind think we are soft, especially on defense. do not lie you know this is the truth.

I have always been blessed with good kickers. do not ask me why but I have been. many have been soccer kids who have crossed over.

So I kick off to you. now my kick off team is called Kamikaze which means devine wind. In english it is associated with suicide attacks on naval ships in world war 2. however to be a Kamikaze was a very special thing. It meant you would sacrifice yourself for the team aka Japan. what better way to instill a moral code for kickoff team. you have to be special to be on Kamikaze. you have to be willing to give of yourself for your team. so we kick off and rarely does another team start from greater then the 20yd line.

now we put our gambler 46 defense out on the field. now all week in your mind you have thought of how you are going to pound on this supposedly soft defense. so you have planned your first drive to morally defeat the defense by a long drive eating up the clock. you are going to beat up on this soft defense.

now your first drive you get stopped. you realize things are not going to be so easy and the defense is not soft.

now in the second half you come out thinking the same thing. you are going to put together a drive and score.

then there is the fact that we might on side kick to begin the game with or begin the second half with or after we have scored a touch down. but we have more then one style of onside kicks as well.


My madness come from well respected coaches like mouse davis. Mouse believes in an attacking agressive defense. he believes the job of the defnse is to create turnovers so the offense can score more points. Mouse knows his team is going to score points.

Otto Zeman at riverside brookfield Il will onside kick at any time.

Mike leach. TOP and number of posessions means nothing to him.

even tubby raymond had some odd thoughts which contributed.

see I have not followed the standard paradigm and that gets unsettling to players. your players and you coaches go by a certain paradigm and when that paradigm is blasted to kingdom come you are now uncomfortable. coaches do not like to think outside the box. they like to think with in a set of established guidelines. players crave stability just like coaches.

It is like Kurt Bryant's A 11 offense. It is a paradigm shift which people are not prepared for and when they are not prepared for it they do not like it.