Is there a better use of resources (7on7)?

An excellent question. I really think it comes down to the individual programs and coaches. We've all seen the junk offenses and defenses that occur in 7 on 7. At the same time it IS time being spent as a team and in "competition". I remember early in my career I put way too much emphasis on winning the game instead of teaching and coaching the kids. I think its like anything else, 7 on 7 is a tool. In the hands of a Master Craftsman it can create something beautiful. In the hands of an amateur, it can do more harm than good.

Good to read posts from two great coaches.

Brophy is right, it's not meaningful.
It's a waste of money if actually football is something you want to happen out there. I wish they would just let us practice instead of this charade called 7 on 7. However, at least it's something. But I don't think that a lot of money should be spent on it. I know big shot teams that use it as a publicity and recruiting tool though.

Rant following:

I have always thought that the POINT of 7 on 7 was not what everyone sees. Putting anything of value on these things is silly. The game isn't about what these guys do, but what the guys in the line do. Who in their right mind is going to be running this particular coverage in a real game anyway.

It doesn't say a thing about how successful a team's going to be.
Case on point, a local team won our county's 7 on 7 with a T.E. at QB. They really thought they had done something, but promptly went on to a very disappointing losing season.
Why? They were terrible in the offensive line-poor technique, too skinny, too young etc.

The game is won on the line-period.

But to me, that's not even the point.
The point is that we actually get to play some semblance of football. While baseball and basketball get to play their sport all year long EXACTLY as they will play it in varsity competition, we would get thrown under the bus if we go out in the yard and throw the ball around.

After years of us fussing with the P.T.B. in the state association, they throw us a bone and AT LEAST give us this.
I know I personally fussed at these guys for years that they allowed baseball and basketball to play and we are only allowed to lift weights and run. It fell on deaf ears for ever.

Now, at least, we have 7 on 7 and you don't get put on probation for picking up a football in the summer.
Now, they've gone one step farther and let linemen put on pads for camp.

thank you thank you. Now we are at least able to COMPETE with the basketball and baseball coaches for some of our best kids.
The higher the level of attention that 7 on 7 gets, the better chance we have to have our kids ready for the Fall.

Brophy, you are right, it ain't worth much, but MAN it's better than having to watch my kids play basketball and baseball.

OJW

7on7 throughout the rest of the country is totally different than summer 7on7 in texas.

1. it is not a school event, no school funds can be spent on it.
2. coaching by high school coaches is prohibited
3. 'forcing' kids to play 7on7 is prohibited - it's not a school function so ...

so, our alternative here is for our kids to do absolutely nothing... which is why 7on7 is rather a big deal here in texas. this past weekend the state 7on7 tournament had 2 divisions with 64 teams each - they had to win a specific type of tournament to qualify. over 100 media passes were issued for various media outlets across the state. the championship was webcast by fox sports southwest.

it is the ONLY football thing available to us in the summer - we can't coach our kids, have football camps, or anything else. we adhere to the NCAA system - and may be even stricter in the summer.

one of 2 things... parents or former players

they call their own plays - at least ours do. that is what i want. the qb has to think like a coach in calling our offense. the FS has to think like a coach in calling the coverages.

it is a "players" game ... i simply show up and watch them play. a parent rounds 'em up, they all meet somewhere then carpool to the tournaments. coaches get there before the start and sit in the back of the endzone out of the way. merely a spectator.

it is a teaching tool for the leadership of our ball club .... for the players to use our offense/defense to win a game .... THEY have to decipher/choose what is best to compete/win rather than simply execute a play we called for them.

Ditto, ditto, ditto!

Between what you and OJW have typed, I don't need to say much.

We never do "tourneys" or anything like that. We partner with a few other local schools and we use it as a competitive teaching tool about 4 times during the summer. We don't keep score, we don't move the ball, and if a coach on the other team wants to see something again, we all help each other out.

I don't have any desire to participate in a tournement or do it competitively. I'm in fundamentals teaching mode in the summer.

Oh, I understand. Our rules here are really weird. We can't work with JUST our team during the summer. So, if we were to go out and run pass plays on air or against our own defense, that's illegal. BUT, if we get together with 1 or 2 other area schools and call it a "Summer Passing Camp" we can do whatever we want.

It's kind of ridiculous.

Do you know why the rules are so strict? Is it simply because it mirrors the NC2A rules, or are there reasons for having the off-season limitations?

In Ohio you are allowed 10 days of coaching during the summer (Between June 1st and July 31st. First day of official practice is August 2). Coaching in Ohio varry how they use them. Some spread coaches use 10 days of 7 on 7. Others do none at all but have 10 days of practice and installation. Our program (we are a multiple offense), we do 3 7 on 7s. Two days with 3 other teams and one day with 7 other teams. On all of those, we do not use an entire practice on 7 on 7. We may practice for 2 hours then take a break then have the 7 on 7 for 2 hours.

How much 7-on-7 you do in summer probably has to do with how much you throw the ball or see passing teams in-season, as well as what your state association allows you to do.

nm

I like 7 on 7 competition during the summer. It allows our kids to rep (alighment, qb reads, routes, etc) our formations and plays that we run during the season. Also it allows our younger kids to get alot of reps leading into their first year of varsity as a jv player. We don't tweak/change anything in summer 7 on 7 competition that we do with our passing game during the season. It's all about executing what we will run during the season. Yes, we will see 2 man alot of times, but that will help us to work on our passing game vs press coverage, although we will not often see a 2 man coverage if ever. Some games we will see cover 1. Defensively, we are mostly a cover 3 team and that is what we run most in our 7 on 7 competition. We also do not participate in entry fee tournaments. We are fortunate to have a tournament of 8 teams in our area that is free because of the sponsors that sponsor the tournament (they even feed the kids/coaches after the tournament). We also schedule several 7 on 7 scrimmages with other local schools throughout the summer at no cost.

We do a local (county) thing that's super informal and very relaxed a few times a summer. We mostly use it to experiment a little and hone a lot. We were facing a team that has a pretty good receiver, to we experimented with playing our best CB m2m on him and then everyone else doing their usual C.2 stuff. Went really well, we'll probably do it against him during the season because he folded like a house of cards (interesting sign when a kid mentally folds from being shut down in 7's). We experimented with a "2 X" package where we took out the TE and ran a lot of flexbone formation stuff (we're wing-t). But you better believe we ran the heck out of waggle from every conceivable formation and route combo.

We also do 11 on 11 vs a friendly team where you can run any pass, screen, draw or outside sweep. Offensive team's coaches run a quick whistle to keep tempers down. It really highlighted 2 things for me: 1-we can't protect for shizz on the edge atm, and 2-taking the inside game out of the wing-t really makes it a bad offense. The first lesson is important, the second not so much. We now have film to use to improve ourselves and see what we need to get better at, all in all it's very productive stuff. I really encourage you guys who can to try it out some time.

We only did 3 7v7's this summer...had one more scheduled but was rained out...

I only play a couple of other coaches that are trying to prepare for the season and treat it like a practice. We run our basic spread type offense and our basic defense. None of us use 5 WRs, we do get a back out in the pattern, but we do not line up in 5 WR...

We play VERY little C2 Man...we play C0,C1, C2, C3...it is has been very productive...

we just spent the weekend at the vandy 7s and i thought it had a lot of positives....competition, team building, building confidence in one another....BUT, we had a kid and coach join us on the second day who just got back from an FCA camp. I won't even pretend to know what happens at that camp but I do know that our player enjoyed it quite a bit. The plus to 7s is building comraderie and competition BUT you are leaving out arguably the most important part of the team...the line. So I guess in this slightly unfocused rant I am saying that I like anything that fosters team and competition but would love if there was a way to involve the o and d line. I think the best thing you can build in the off season is not the understanding of plays but the sense of responsibility and team so I am for anything that builds that whether it be 7s, a retreat, weight room, whatever.

A tangent to Brophy's original post...AND along the same lines of thinking as my "My personnel Sucks" thread..

It seems that "everyone" seems to point out the practice of teams doing things outside of their normal system during 7 on 7, and "everyone" seems to agree that this is a ridiculous practice. So..if "everybody" sees it as a stupid thing to do.....who is doing it?